World War Z | 2013

World War Z 

 The movie "World War Z" is based on the original novel "World War Z," and its original title is the same as the novel. However, Lotte Entertainment decided to use the transliterated title "World War Z" for its domestic release. This choice sparked controversy as it did not retain the official Korean translation title of the original novel, "세계대전 Z."

The film was originally scheduled for release in 2010, but after a script change in July 2009, the production underwent significant changes, leading to reshoots. The initial script was leaked online before the film's release, and this version contained content that was more faithful to the original. However, the initial script was ultimately discarded, and a new script was created for the film, resulting in a different direction from the original and a delay in its release. The movie premiered in the United States on June 21, 2013, with a day earlier release in South Korea on June 20. Brad Pitt starred in the film and was also involved in its production. Interestingly, it is known that Leonardo DiCaprio also showed interest in this film. The story follows the protagonist, a UN investigator, as he travels around the world to trace the source of the infection.

The film was successful at the box office and was initially planned as a trilogy, but the production of the second film was canceled just before it was set to begin. Director David Fincher was set to direct the sequel, but due to Paramount Pictures' reduction in film investments and budget constraints, the production was ultimately canceled. The production cost of the first film was $190 million, and it was expected that the budget for the larger-scale sequel would exceed $200 million, but by 2019, Paramount was not in a position to handle that.

Prologue

The film begins with news about recent outbreaks of avian influenza and various incidents. As ordinary TV broadcasts flow, increasingly ominous reports overlap, such as "Dolphins are washing ashore and dying," "A person is bleeding and attacking like a beast," and "The estimated number of cases in the UK is 15,000." Amidst this situation, Gerry Lane's family experiences a peaceful morning, but as the government announces martial law on the kitchen TV, anxiety escalates.

Philadelphia Zombie Incident

Trapped in traffic in downtown Philadelphia, Gerry's family faces increasing danger due to the appearance of police helicopters and explosions. Gerry uses an RV to escape the city to ensure his family's safety, witnessing the rapid infection rate of zombies and the ensuing chaos. He contacts his UN colleague Thierry to assess the situation at the UN headquarters in New York, only to learn that Boston and other cities have already been infected.

In an effort to ensure his family's safety, Gerry stops at a pharmacy, where he obtains asthma medication amidst a chaotic scene of theft and looting, and later seeks refuge in an apartment after losing the RV. Throughout this process, Gerry demonstrates his professional spirit by gathering crucial information and doing his best to protect his family.

Pyeongtaek Base

After arriving at the UN flagship aircraft carrier Argos, Gerry decides to travel to Pyeongtaek, South Korea, with Dr. Fassbach, a young virus expert from Harvard, to investigate the origin of the zombies. Upon arriving at the Pyeongtaek military base, Gerry joins survivors, but Dr. Fassbach dies in an accident due to not following firearm safety protocols. Gerry talks with the military to gather information and hears stories about North Korea and Israel. It is reported that North Korea extracted the teeth of all its residents to prevent infection, while Israel built walls to create safe zones.

Israel

Upon arriving in Israel, Gerry meets a Mossad agent named Jurgen. Jurgen claims that the reason rumors about zombies are spreading is that zombies actually exist and advises Gerry to find answers. Israel had already completed large-scale wall construction to create a safe zone a week before the outbreak, but during the process of accepting refugees, zombies breach the walls. While traveling by helicopter with soldiers, Gerry is attacked by zombies, and when a lieutenant is bitten, he amputates her hand to prevent infection.

Chaos on the Airplane

Gerry and the soldiers attempt to leave Israel using a transport plane at the airport, but zombies are trapped in the cargo hold, and a stewardess is attacked, causing chaos in the cabin. Gerry collaborates with the passengers to fend off the zombies, but ultimately the plane becomes uncontrollable and crashes.

WHO Laboratory

Gerry survives with shrapnel embedded in his abdomen and walks to the WHO laboratory with the lieutenant. At the lab, Gerry formulates a hypothesis, proposing that uninfected individuals are not attacked by zombies. However, to test this, appropriate pathogens are needed, and the B wing of the lab is closed due to contamination while testing zombie blood.

Conclusion

Gerry, the lab director, and the lieutenant decide to cross over to the B wing to retrieve the pathogens. After facing various dangers, Gerry ultimately develops a "camouflage vaccine." This vaccine is used to protect uninfected individuals and is disseminated worldwide. The film concludes with a hopeful message of humanity fighting against zombies, and Gerry is reunited with his family.

In the original novel, zombies are slower compared to the film, but they can survive even if their limbs are severed, as long as their brains are not destroyed. They do not decompose and can withstand high levels of radiation, extreme underwater pressure, and anoxic conditions, making them akin to immortal monsters found in fantasy. For instance, in a scene where they reach a hideout in Korea, even after years, a finger of a corpse can be seen moving in a dusty environment. However, they cannot run. This point is clearly mentioned by the author in "The Zombie Survival Guide." Additionally, zombies can detect smell or sound from a distance and instinctively gather survivors, showcasing remarkable tracking abilities that allow them to traverse thousands of kilometers and cross water. They are susceptible to infection from even the smallest mistakes and possess a predatory instinct to tear apart humans.

In contrast, the zombies in the film appear as "infected" rather than the standard "undead" seen in Hollywood films. They exhibit running speed and endurance that completely surpasses human hosts due to the virus, demonstrating strength capable of tearing down metal doors and breaking glass with headbutts. While it is uncertain, they may also possess vision. In a later scene, after the protagonist dispatches a zombie with a crowbar and takes a moment to rest, a zombie in the distance, without making any noise, is seen looking at the protagonist and running towards him. This suggests that they likely have vision. However, their resilience is weaker compared to the original, as they can be incapacitated by gunfire or grenades, similar to the zombies in "Left 4 Dead." Nonetheless, the zombies in the film still display toughness compared to the original. Notably, if a bullet does not hit the head, it is often difficult to stop them by shooting their bodies. Simply shooting them does not guarantee their defeat, and their collective nature can sometimes render a barrage of bullets ineffective.

The most significant difference in the film regarding zombies is the distinction between "those who died and became zombies" and "those who became zombies while still alive." In the original, a person would die, and over time, their muscles would stiffen, resulting in clumsy movements. However, in the film, they retain their physical abilities as they become zombies while still alive. They do not feel pain, allowing them to run even with broken legs. The infection rate has also increased significantly; in the original, it took days of high fever after infection for a person to revive, while in the film, they become fully infected zombies within 12 seconds to a maximum of 10 minutes. Of course, there are cases like Gerry or the lieutenant who amputated the infected area, where the infection rate is slightly mitigated, but in the original, contact with bodily fluids did not guarantee immediate infection. There was a possibility of survival if the infected area was severed.

In the film, animals do not transform into zombies even if infected; they only show reactions like avian influenza or fish die-offs. Additionally, zombies in the film enter a dormant state if there are no potential human hosts nearby. They respond to sounds, causing other zombies to gather, behaving like a viral swarm. This characteristic leads to situations like "zombie tsunamis" in the film, making it easy for the walls in Israel to be breached.

Furthermore, the film mentions that the zombie virus's activity decreases in cold climates. Zombies in Russia exhibit reduced recognition and activity, which effectively buys time for the Russian government to deal with them. In the original, zombies in the north would freeze and become immobile, but when spring arrived, the frozen zombies would emerge, leading to an endless battle. The film depicts this characteristic somewhat differently.