HOLLYWOOD—With the entire world falling into chaos with a new virus that transforms normal people into zombies, a former United Nations operative frantically searches for a cure.

The film jumps right into the action from the start. Unlike many action films which usually start out slow to offer an explanation and premise to the audience, “World War Z” jumps into the action within minutes of the film starting and it is non-stop action from there, creating an engaging and enticing film.

It is discovered early on that some sort of lethal virus is spreading throughout the city of Philadelphia where Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) and his wife and two daughters reside. Driving on their way to a vacation, the family becomes stuck in heavy traffic. Not long after, they realize something is amiss and it is discovered that something has caused many of the individuals in the area to become rabid, attacking any and all humans. This incident is not only specific to Philadelphia, but is in fact happening worldwide.

Because Lane is a former United Nations operative, his family is picked up and taken to a naval ship for safety. However, in order for Lane’s family to remain on the ship, Lane must go with a group of soldiers as well as a doctor to help find the cause of this virus and potentially find a cure.

This leads into an action-packed and suspenseful journey which takes the audience all around the globe. The lead actor, Brad Pitt, takes on his role of “the hero” effortlessly. The fact that Lane must race against time to find some sort of cure keeps the audience engaged.

During heavy action scenes, the camera shakes and moves around wildly. For some, this may become nauseating, but as an audience member, I found this to be an effective tool in keeping the adrenaline in the theatre up.

Of course, the film is not without its clichés. For instance, the zombies are attracted by any kind of loud noise. Inevitably, anytime the characters need to get somewhere without attracting the zombies’ attention, one individual always does something on accident which causes noise and stirs up the undead. While it is a way to keep the tension going, it occurs too often at times and becomes unbelievable.

The other aspect of the film that becomes cliché is the fact that there is always a certain place that the characters need to go to get something valuable, but in order to get there they must bypass large numbers of zombies. While this is another suspenseful tool, it does become expected and the outcome can be guessed.

Overall, “World War Z” delivers action from beginning to end and keeps the audience engaged and invested in its characters and plot. Minus the few clichés, the film is without a doubt a must-see this summer.

By Nedda Alishahi