MovieChat Forums > World War Z (2013) Discussion > Apparently the Israelis don't understand...

Apparently the Israelis don't understand how walls work...

posted 10 years ago by jords-3
53 replies | jump to latest

I stopped watching the movie after Jerusalem was overrun, because it's just so breathtakingly stupid.

Let me summarize the steps on how walls work:
Step 1: Build a big *beep* barrier which is hard to cross
Step 2: GUARD that barrier, so you can kill anyone who tries to cross it while they are vulnerable due to having to cross that barrier.

Not exactly rocket science.

This is why every historical wall you see has guard towers and space for people to stand on top of it - because the wall is absolutely useless without them - as the Israelis discovered when the Zombies easily piled on top of each other and crossed it, because they had nobody guarding it to shoot them down as they climbed.

So they are capable of building a huge wall in record time, but not of understanding why you build walls in the first place. Yeah, that's the sort of thing that just kills a movie.

[–] n_w_lowe 9 years ago

Given in real life the Israelis are capable of building walls to stop terrorist attacks and have a serious defence mentality I'd say this movie is stunningly mis-representing the IDF.

In reality they'd probably be one of the few places in the region that are still safe and infection free. Certainly when compared to their neighbours who would no doubt continue fighting them and each other even as zombies pour over them.

N.

"You are entitled to your opinion but not your own facts"

[–] nasha_writer 9 years ago

What bugged me was...the minute Gerry saw/heard that girl singing and others start along with her...he didn't nudge the guy next to him..KNOWING zombies were attracted to sound. He waited a few minutes before being like, "Oh..yeah, um, they go bat-sh*t insane when they hear a lot of noise/music/sound".

I would of nudge the dude than ran over to the girl and snatched the mic away...grabbing as many tambourines as I could while doing so.

[–] psychocosmic-1 9 years ago

The most stupid thing is...that the filmmakers are more stupid than the audience!

[–] theisrosenberg 9 years ago

Agreed.
Liked the movie, but the lack of ... any kind of artillery is kinda ruining the movie, as Israel was the place to be!! (yes, just a movie, I know), but that it's not even present at any time is ruining some of the plot. Even Iron Dome batteries that would possibly be there in the first place aren't present.

[–] kkarma2 9 years ago

First of its impossible to build a pyramid of humans so talk. That is just nonsense. The lower rung would not be able to take the weight unless they were trained Gymnasts those who do circus acts they would have to distribute their weight with a lot of cordination and maths.
Not like these Zombies who are just raging ahead.

They tried to show it like ants but forgot that ants can carry a lot more than their own body weight. But humans can't.
Even blood curdling zombies could not if they could they would be easily able to break the wall with their bare hands.

[–] hal-9010 9 years ago

Good point. But I dare say not impossible, just very bloody. The foundation will be crushed zombies for sure, and as you point out only the upper part will be of zombies intact enough to keep moving on.... so really what it is (or should be) is a pyramid of crushed zombies tall enough for mobile zombies to climb. And perhaps this is what we saw.

___________
** I am normally not a praying man, but if you are up there, please save me Superman **

[–] marcey-38938 9 years ago

Oh just stop lmao! It's just a movie and the ant hill looked cool lol. Everything doesn't always make sence.

[–] theisrosenberg 9 years ago

Of course not. And yes, it is just a movie - but! And no, it don't HAVE to make sense, but that doesn't mean it can't anyway. The reason to be in Israel at this point was totally obvious. And it worked out great! Until the zombies hit them (which they would have done much sooner, than when they arrived). Why? Because in the end, all they had was walls.

We're not talking about a M4/MP5/Glock, whatever, shooting 150 rounds on one magazine or some small kind of artillery, that took care of everything - they didn't even make a try; Despite being the safest place. That's why it makes an otherwise good movie look stupid...

[–] marcey-38938 9 years ago

(It's been a long time since I've watched the movie so I'm going off memory)any kind of snipers or security on the wall wouldn't of helped anyway. Those things were fast, there were thousands. And yes, one would think they'd have ALOT better security but people get complacent. When you think you're safe, you tend to get lazy. The singing and dancing in the street went way too far I think. dont get me wrong, I thought it was a stupid scene full of stupid people too lol but like I said, it's just a movie and it can't be taken too seriously.

[–] hal-9010 9 years ago

If the wall is so tall that any potential threat is no more a threat, only limited numbers of guards is really necessary.

IMO we saw a surprise, an uncalculated event. They had not anticipated the zombies could create an ant like pyramid. Until this moment it was an impossible idea.

Had they anticipated it, they would likely have edged the wall outward and put more armored guards.. or perhaps put 90degree angled fences or other on top. They did not, because it was unthinkable for a wall this tall that it would be needed. Fair enough to me. And great they didn't think of it, otherwise we would have a much less exciting film. Rarely do they tell stories where everything just works perfectly.

And besides many factual/historical walls are only made to stop what is calculated. Look at army-prisons. Those chicken wired fences with a few guards would not stop a stampede of angry POW's. Yet they still work, because POW's do not usually stampede.

A human-zombie pyramid of such height was just unthinkable and that is why they build the Israel wall like they did. Still tall and strong, just not stong enough.

[PS: Not that you should continue watching it though.... there are still plenty of face palm moments to come]

___________
** I am normally not a praying man, but if you are up there, please save me Superman **

[–] KolaDude 9 years ago

Except you're not talking about reasonable thinking enemy. Israel knew that zombies were maniacal (i.e. prone to doing things that normal enemies might not do). In that situation, you don't just sit back and say "we did what the Chinese did against the Mongolians 1000 years ago. we should be fine." Any reasonable intelligent people would think outside the box and just assume the crazy unreasonable enemy might do something crazy and they would overplan accordingly.

BE YOUR OWN FANBOY

[–] hal-9010 9 years ago

Well let's not give them more credit than they deserve: The zombies are angry eating dumb machines, unorganized and driven by individual eating instincts alone. I think the insane height of the wall was the example of Israel over planning it. The wall was not all that bad. And I dare say better that any zombie wall we have ever seen before or after come out of Hollywood. What was unique here was how the zombies could "organize" in such vast numbers. This was uncalculated and so unforeseen.

Look, obviously the wall was not good enough. But when it comes to sheer mass pushing on... well the one with the stronger mass will always win.

___________
** I am normally not a praying man, but if you are up there, please save me Superman **

[–] KolaDude 9 years ago

It's not about giving the zombies more credit than they deserve. It's about not being complacent in a life or death situation. In the context of the movie, the simple fact that the zombies existed was unique. The whole situation was unique. And there was a lot they didn't know. They didn't really know how intelligent the zombies were. They weren't sure how the disease was spread. Given all the unknowns and the fact that you're talking about life and death for countless victims, it's silly to not overplan rather than just building a big wall, wandering off and just assuming everything will be OK. Especially given how easy it would have been to have rotating sentries with assault weapons on the wall.

BE YOUR OWN FANBOY

[–] dargorrof 9 years ago

So after they build the wall they couldn't build another one on the inside just in case the first barrier was overrun.

[–] bigal_a 8 years ago

You embed long, sharp, electrified spikes in the wall at six-inch intervals, every few feet. And at the top is a structure that extends, say, ten feet over the edge, with firing steps and murder holes in the floor through which you can fire napalm.

Oh, and the underside is fitted with a dense array of long, sharp spikes. Electrified, that is.

The structure is shaped like a box, with thick glass windows that don't open and are flush with the walls. It goes up quite a way.

I don't care if there's the population of Mexico City outside: they're not coming over.

The restitution of life is no great feat. A variety of deaths may well enter into your punishment

[–] dargorrof 8 years ago

I like the way you think! :D

[–] bigal_a 8 years ago

Thank you, dargoroff! :D

I forgot the forest of my favourite brand of long, sharp, electrified spikes around the perimeter. Access is via a drawbridge with a ramp.

The restitution of life is no great feat. A variety of deaths may well enter into your punishment

[–] canada22 8 years ago

The movie showed how people can get comfortable which makes them vulnerable. The wall made them feel safe so they got careless. The zombies were fast so they were able to climb up the wall before the security found out. I think the underlying meaning of the scene is how religion can cause both peace and chaos.