The similarities and differences between World War Z and its film adaptation The novel and film adaptations of World War Z differ drastically from each other. The two have plots that only have one common factor between them, and that is zombies. The two adaptations bear almost no resemblance, as those who worked on the film took many “artistic liberties.” However, any changes made do not significantly affect the characters, as there are no characters from the book in the film. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The novel and the film differ greatly in their approach to the main characters. The book uses an interview format, which involves gaining stories and perspectives from multiple people while the war is ongoing. Using this format allows the book to delve into the personalities and experiences of those who lived through the war. The film, however, takes a less varied approach. Instead of following multiple characters, the film follows the escapades of Gerry Lane, a former UN agent with two daughters and a wife. The film was overly edited to appeal to the masses, or "Hollywood". This process took away the depth of the film, but potentially made it more exciting to watch. The two versions of World War Z are also different in how they describe the spread of the plague. In the film adaptation, Lane and his family were completely surprised by the plague. Gerry, his wife Karen and their daughters were just sitting in the car, waiting for the heavy Philadelphia traffic to pass by. Suddenly chaos ensues, as explosions occur throughout the city and people run screaming through the streets. While this approach seemed appropriate in the film so that viewers wouldn't immediately become disinterested, the book took a more gradual approach. In the novel it is said almost immediately that the contagion began in China. From there it slowly spread to other countries who had the opportunity to prepare for the inevitable wave moving towards them (all in vain, though). Changing the spread of the infection changes both the plot and the overall timing. In the book, the spread of the contagion slowly increases the suspense, and gives the reader the opportunity to reflect on what will happen in the next pages. In the film, the action is quick and fast at the expense of suspense and mystery. In the book version of World War Z, the zombies were extremely slow. The fastest pace recorded while walking was approximately one step every 1.5 seconds. This choice made the book less action-packed, as there was often no reason for anyone to shoot or go out of their way to do anything to a zombie when it could be easily outmaneuvered; most of the time in the book, the issue was more the sheer numbers of the zombies than their aggressiveness. This also added a slight dose of realism to an otherwise fictional book: one might assume that body parts do not function the same when the person has no control over them and there is no blood flowing. The film takes the opposite approach. Zombies move with blinding speed, with perfect coordination and agility. This completely departs from the book. Those who created the film, once again, changed some aspects of the book to make the film more enjoyable. In one particular scene in the film, Gerry is on a mission to find the source of the zombie outbreak. While Gerry and his escort team try to act stealthily, his wife calls his phone for a long time.