This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.
When former U.N. investigator Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) and his family get stuck in urban gridlock, he senses that it’s no ordinary traffic jam. His suspicions are confirmed when, suddenly, the city erupts into chaos. A lethal virus, spread through a single bite, is turning healthy people into something vicious, unthinking, and feral. As the pandemic threatens to consume humanity, Gerry leads a worldwide search to find the source of the infection and, with luck, a way to halt its spread.
For thoughts on World War Z, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
World War Z makes its 4K UHD Blu-Ray debut with the Theatrical Cut in a terrific 2160p Dolby Vision transfer from a new 4K master. It would have been nice to have the Unrated Cut as an option via seamless branching or even as the only 4K UHD option, as this will be a major dealbreaker for many. Fans can watch the Unrated Cut on the included Blu-Ray, but there are some drawbacks to it on the audio side that you can read about below. With that said, the new 4K UHD allows the film to look the best it ever has on home entertainment. The original Paramount Blu-Ray was released ten years ago which looked pretty great, but this new disc offers some small improvements across the board.
This new release gets the most out of the 2K Digital Intermediate which was created from a Super 35 source which showcases a lot of pleasing texture and background detail. You can more easily distinguish specific details within the makeup, environments and production design that were at times less forefront in previous releases. The various settings around the globe are also given much more depth which makes for a more compelling exploration. The improvements in contrast and overall clarity are one of the standout aspects of the disc, especially when exploring shadowy environments that have previously swallowed up detail.
The film implements a slightly desaturated aesthetic which this disc recreates with accuracy, holding true to the stylistic influence on the film. The Dolby Vision presentation allows the film to appear more refined than ever, as you have specific lighting choices presenting with a lovely saturation. Highlights offer a more robust stability without veering into blooming. Black levels are much likewise deeper which allows this transfer to provide a pleasing level of fine detail in darker environments. Skin tones look natural and the clarity of the transfer gives you an impeccable amount of facial detail. The 4K UHD upgrade is really nice taken for what it is, but it feels like a half-measure when compared to what it could be. Paramount has really done Scream Factory a disservice by limiting them to what many believe to be the inferior cut of the film on 4K UHD. It’s a good showcase, just not the one we want.
Audio Quality
This 4K UHD Blu-Ray release boasts both a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 lossless track across all versions of the film which serves as one of the main disappointments of this set. Once again, if we didn’t know any better, this audio track would sound appropriately lively, even if we may had been left wishing for a Dolby Atmos upgrade. What is hard to overlook is the fact that the previous Blu-Ray release offered a DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio track, meaning that the new disc is actually a downgrade for fans who really care about the audio experience. This new disc does deliver raw power, but it does not reach its full potential that we know it has.
For what we are given, this disc deftly brings the pulse-pounding thrills to life with a depth and clarity of sound worthy of the mix. As the characters travel from place to place, the sounds of each environment flow out of your side and rear speakers for a fully immersive experience. The track engages all of the channels with sound effects and ambient noise that expand the soundscape. Kinetic sequences are plentiful with a dynamic sound design that springs to life without fail. The activity in the low-end is substantial and rarely lacks for strength. Dialogue comes through clearly in the center channel without getting overshadowed by the music or any sound effects. The score from Marco Beltrami utilized in the film comes through with a pleasing fidelity. Scream Factory has not been able to supply fans with the ideal audio presentation, but this one does get the job done well enough. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided on this disc.
Special Features
- Theatrical Version (4K UHD & Blu-Ray – 1:55:58) and Extended Cut (Blu-Ray Only – 2:03:04)
- Re-Inventing Zombies: A nearly six-minute piece in which the creative team discusses the reinvention of the story, their approach to the zombies, the visual effects, the makeup work and more.
- Becoming A Zombie: An 11-minute featurette which continues the dissection of the zombies of World War Z, the combination of prosthetics and visual effects, the movement of the ghouls and more.
- The Score of World War Z: A six-minute look at the score of Marco Beltrami, his motivation behind the sound of various scenes, the recording process and more.
- How To Survive The Z Apocalypse: A five-part guide to surviving the zombie apocalypse which might just save your life (but probably won’t).
- Intro (1:44)
- Bug-Out (1:56)
- Head For The Kills (1:58)
- Stock Up (1:47)
- Take Shelter (2:14)
- Origins: An eight-minute look at the development of the film from the initial publication of the novel, adapting the material for the big screen, the global scale of the production and more.
- Looking To Science: A nearly eight-minute look at how the film uses scientific ideas to ground some of the more ambitious ideas in something concrete.
- WWZ – Production: A four-part breakdown of the production of the film including some of the film’s biggest sequences such as the opening, the Israel onslaught and more.
- Outbreak (8:31)
- The Journey Begins (8:39)
- Behind The Wall (9:41)
- Camouflage (9:25)
- TV Spots: A three-and-a-half minute collection of TV spots is provided.
- Theatrical Trailer: A two-and-a-half minute trailer is provided.
- Zombie Town Hall: A really terrific 69-minute Q&A session from the 2012 Denver Film Festival with Steven Schlozman MD (author of “The Zombie Autopsies”), Max Brook (author of “The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z”) and George A. Romero (film director). This provides a great discussion about zombies on film from some of the foremost minds in the field.
Final Thoughts
World War Z has a glossy veneer which pulls you into the nearly nonstop action of the narrative, but it all feels a bit hollow pretty quickly. With each stop around the globe, it does not feel like the characters are making substantial progress in their understanding of the zombie threat, and the main character played by Brad Pitt has one too many close calls to be believable. It does not help that so much of the threat is inconsistent CGI swirls instead of worthy, old-school makeup effects. There are some really fun sequences, but there is not enough holding this film together to feel substantial. Scream Factory has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a great video presentation and a less-than-fully-realized audio presentation. The disc offers a fine array of legacy special features and hard-to-find features, but the lack of the preferred Unrated Cut in 4K UHD makes it a bit of a wash. There are some benefits to this new collection, but there may not be enough for casual fans to upgrade.
World War Z is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Scream Factory has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.