World War Z, a movie about zombies, will soon be in movie theaters. Brad Pitt (The Devil's Own) stars as man who does not want to be eaten by zombies. He also does not want his family to be eaten by zombies. It's safe to say that Brad Pitt's character frowns upon zombies who eat people. Here, we answer every question you could possibly have about World War Z.
Q: In World War Z, does Brad Pitt play the lead character of "Z"?
A: Brad Pitt plays Gerry, a retired U.N. official who now lives with his family in Philadelphia.
Q: Since he retired from the U.N., what does Gerry do now?
A: This is not made clear other than we do know that he enjoys making and eating pancakes. So, my best guess is "professional pancake maker and eater," which I'm sure is wrong.
Q: How long do we have to wait until we meet our first zombie?
A: I'll say this about World War Z, it wastes very little time on setup or exposition. Within the first 10 minutes, zombies are already attacking people in Philadelphia.
Q: How does someone become a zombie?
A: By being bitten by an existing zombie.
Q: How long does it take for a person to change into a zombie once bitten?
A: Twelve seconds. Which, yes, is fast.
Q: Is the word "zombie" ever spoken during World War Z, or are they given another name like "walker" or "brain eaters" or "Decipticons"?
A: About 45 minutes in, the word "zombie" is mentioned.
Q: Are the zombies always thought to be zombies?
A: When the film opens, the zombification of Earth's population is blamed on a severe strain of rabies. Later, characters start calling them zombies.
Q: What's the most realistic thing about World War Z?
A: The fact the word "zombie" is used. In real life people love this word and will use any excuse to label someone a "zombie."
Q: Like every other summer movie, is James Badge Dale in this movie?
A: Yes.
Q: Is there a way to fight the zombies?
A: Shooting them in the head seems to stop them, at least temporarily.
Q: What about their tanks and their bombs?
A: I think you are getting World War Z confused with the lyrics of "Zombie" by The Cranberries.
Q: I thought the name of that song was "All You Zombies."
A: No, "All You Zombies" is by The Hooters.
Q: So is World War Z about Gerry fighting zombies in Philadelphia?
A: No. Gerry is initially with his wife (Mireille Enos) and their two daughters. After many harrowing moments, the family is eventually rescued by Gerry's old pals at the U.N. -- and Gerry's old U.N. pals really want Gerry to come out of retirement.
Q: Why would a former U.N. employee be useful during a zombie outbreak?
A: Two reasons: First, it's explained that Gerry has had considerable experience getting people in and out of some of the most hostile places in the world. Second, Gerry is played by Brad Pitt and Pitt is the star of the movie.
Q: If I am a fan of Matthew Fox, will I be pleased with his performance in World War Z?
A: No.
Q: What's the best way to appreciate Fox's performance?
A: If you ever take a tour of the Paramount lot, keep an eye on the floor, because you will find most of his performance there. Your odds will increase the closer you get to the cutting room.
Q: World War Z is notorious for its production problems, are its reshoots noticeable?
A: As we reported yesterday (the full list of reshoots can be found here), it's hard to imagine World War Z without the reshoots. The new scenes spliced into the first half of the movie are seamless. The completely new ending is noticeable only because the fast-paced tone of the film sloooooows dooooown considerably for the last act. And, yes, it's an improvement.
Q: How is Brad Pitt's performance in World War Z?
A: Pitt (who also produced the film) is solid. And it's interesting to see him play a role like this because this really is his first straightforward action role.
Q: Does World War Z set up a sequel?
A: Yes. It is designed to be a trilogy.
Q: Will I like World War Z?
A: Probably. It's a serviceable enough thriller.
Q: Will the zombies scare me?
A: Honestly, I don't think I've ever before simultaneously experienced "fear" and "unintentionally amused" during a movie.
Q: How is that possible?
A: When the zombies appear, it's often done in a startling manner. Yet, when we spend some serious time with a zombie, some of their actions -- like teeth chattering -- and some of the noises that they make are funny.
Q: Are the zombies at all supposed to be funny?
A: I'm going to guess that they are not supposed to be funny.
Q: What is the difference between the zombies in World War Z and the zombies I'm used to seeing in other movies?
A: These zombies are incredibly fast and agile, as opposed to the zombies that just stumble along with their thumbs up their ass.
Q: If you're going to be blurbed in this weekend's commercials for World War Z, what quote do you assume will be used?
A: "Thumbs up!" -- Mike Ryan, The Huffington Post
Mike Ryan is senior writer for Huffington Post Entertainment. You can contact him directly on Twitter.
