All blockbusters these days arrive in theaters with an avalanche of a backstory, but the one for is richer than most. During production, the film's budget ballooned to (reportedly) more than $200 million; it endured massive reshoots and was eventually stitched together to combine the visions of no fewer than four writers. But the important question is, is the film worth watching, or is it destined to be known more by its troubled history than its future at the box office?

Critics thus far have been divided about the film's merits, with some calling it engaging and sharp and others dismissing it as slick and superficial. MTV News assembled a roundup of some of the reactions critics have published on the Web so fans have something in mind when they decide which movies to see in theaters this weekend.

How Does "World War Z" Compare To Other Recent Disaster/ Outbreak Movies?


"At its best, 'World War Z' treads in territory much like Steven Soderbergh's 'Contagion' but when it covers territory that's already been well covered in films like Danny Boyle's '28 Days Later' it feels somewhat redundant."
— Ed Douglas, Comingsoon.net


How Scary Are Those Zombies?
"There are palpable moments of terror, but once we've seen the flesh-eating hordes up close, it's hard not to laugh at their goggly eyes, incessant jerking and hideous gnashing teeth."
— Claudia Puig, USA Today


How Likely Are Those Brain-Eating Monsters To Make Me Gag?


"The dangers maintain a relatively innocuous feel, partly because the movie's so aggressively PG-13: There's little in the way ...

The Jonas Brothers kicked things off, Hanson jammed out, Cuba Gooding, Jr. played cowbell, folks in Times Square twerked and Andrew W.K. continued to bash and crash his way towards a world record ... let's just say the first 12 hours of the O Music Awards have been memorable.

Yes, as we head into the second half of the world's only 24-hour award show, there's probably no better time to bring you up to speed on everything you may have missed overnight, beginning with an acoustic set from the Jonas Brothers, which featured stripped-down, soulful takes on songs both old and new, including upcoming single Soon after, Hanson took over MTV's Times Square studio for a late-night set in front of a live-wire audience, but not before joking around with the JBs.

Hanson then headed downstairs, to the Times Square Oakley store, where Andrew W.K. was already four hours into his 24-hour drum marathon. The brothers jammed out with W.K. and Roots' drummer ?uestlove, much the amazement of Times Square tourists who gathered around the store's windows to watch the action unfold.

Questo served as W.K.'s wingman for the first few hours of the marathon, and was present for what may very well be the O Music Awards' most WTF-moment: a late-night cameo by Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding, Jr., who rambled into the midst of the drum-off and took it upon himself to hammer away on a number of percussive instruments, including a cowbell, before disappearing back into the ...

Friends, fans and contemporaries in the entertainment world mourned the loss of James Gandolfini Wednesday, June 19. The man who will forever be identified with the lead role on "The Sopranos," which revolutionized television during its six-season run, reportedly died of a heart attack in Italy. He was said to be vacationing and planned to visit the 59th Taormina Film Festival.

A wide cross section of entertainers, creators, film legends, TV personalities and even politicians took to Twitter to express their grief just after the news broke. The long list includes senator and former presidential candidate John McCain, Olivia Wilde, Will Arnett, Ewan McGregor, Jermaine Dupri, Rob Lowe, Russell Simmons, Alyssa Milano, Rainn Wilson, Damon Lindelof, Kevin Smith, Mia Farrow, Lance Bass, Jimmy Kimmel, Rose McGowan, Kristin Chenoweth, Nia Vardalos and many more.

Steve Carrell, who co-starred with the late actor in this year's "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone," wrote, "Unbelievably sad news. A fine man."

Jonah Hill tweeted that he was "heartbroken" over the tragic loss, declaring Gandolfini one of his "all time favorite actors."

That such a wide range of people from different backgrounds and careers were affected by his death speaks volumes of Gandolfini's life, his talent and charisma. It certainly says something about the impact of his most famous role. Tony Soprano is a cultural reference point, a ubiquitous character everyone knows, even at a time when options for entertainment have expanded and gone further into deeper niches. The show was about a mob boss who decides to see a therapist, but in large part because of Gandolfini's iconic ...

As the world continues to mourn the loss of new details of his death have begun to emerge.

According to ABC News, Gandolfini, 51, was at the Hotel Exedra in Rome, when he became ill around 10 p.m. local time on Wednesday (June 19). His son, Michael, 13, called the hotel's reception desk for help, and when members of the staff arrived in Gandolfini's room, they discovered him in cardiac arrest and immediately called for an ambulance. Paramedics took the actor to Policlinico Umberto I hospital in central Rome, where doctors attempted to revive him for nearly 40 minutes before pronouncing him dead.

Gandolfini's body has since been transferred from the hospital to the Rome city morgue, where an autopsy will take place Friday, at least 24 hours after death occurred, as required by Italian law. After the autopsy, ABC News reports that the U.S. Embassy will work with the morgue to bring Gandolfini's body back to the U.S.

The actor was expected to attend the Taormina Film Festival in Sicily this weekend, and receive the "Taormina City Prize." Organizers are now planning a tribute to Gandolfini during the Festival.

As news of his death began to spread Wednesday, Gandolfini's friends and fellow actors — including Steve Carell, Ewan McGregor, Russell Crowe and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie — took to Twitter to express their sadness. His "Sopranos" co-stars Steven Van Zandt and Lorraine Bracco released statements remembering the actor's kindness and talent, calling him "a brother and a best friend," and "a giant."

And in a ...

Just one day after rocking out in front of thousands of fans at Webster Hall for MTV's Artist to Watch LIVE concert, Hunter Hayes is heading right back to the stage for the O Music Awards — this time as a presenter.

"It's going to be fun," Hayes told MTV News backstage at Tuesday night's show. The singer is an OMAs veteran, having performed at last year's show for an early-morning set. "We got to do some stuff last year with the 24-hour thing like at 5 in the morning, so it's going to be a little easier on this one, but I love that whole thing, it's so different."

So what advice does Hayes have for those performers slotted in the wee hours? "Coffee, I don't know how I can help, just don't sleep," Hayes said.

Hayes is presenting the award for and one of the nominees is Nashville-based duo Striking Matches, who also happened to be handpicked by Hayes to open his MTV Artist to Watch concert.

"It's the best kind of award in my opinion because it's all fan-voted," Justin Davis of Striking Matches told MTV News. "We got our fans busy and they got to show their support, and so playing there is going to be really cool."

Bandmate Sarah Zimmermann added, "I think we are the only country band out of the five nominated, so it's cool to represent country music in that way."

Striking Matches, along with fellow nominees Chill Moody, Darling Parade, The So So Glos and Syd ...

Since the announcement Wednesday afternoon of , the entertainment industry has started reflecting on his influence on acting throughout his vast and eclectic career.

Gandolfini won three Emmys for his role as Tony Soprano on the acclaimed HBO series, which ran for six seasons, from 1999 to 2007. But his influence reached far beyond the mob, through his more recent roles in "Zero Dark Thirty," "Where the Wild Things Are" and "Welcome to the Rileys."

While she had yet to make a public statement on his death at press time, Gandolfini's "Welcome to the Rileys" co-star Kristen Stewart spoke to MTV News in 2010 about working with an actor of his caliber.

Gandolfini was well-known for playing characters that are intimidating, which suggests he was himself an imposing presence on set. But Stewart insisted that sharing the screen with him offered her much more reassurance than insecurity.

"It's actually really oddly comforting," she told MTV News' Josh Horowitz. "Like, if you're working with someone who's an unknown, it's always like, 'Oh, I hope they're [OK].' But going into a movie with James and Melissa [Leo], the nerves come from 'I hope I'm going to be OK' rather than 'I hope they're not going to let me down'."

And he didn't seem to let her down one bit. In the film, Stewart plays an underage stripper who allows Gandolfini's character, a grieving father, to stay with her, only to find herself becoming part of an unconventional family after his estranged wife shows up as well. Stewart said that his contributions were ...

The Jonas Brothers kicked off the O Music Awards on Wednesday night (June 19), with a special unplugged set for fans watching live at home — and in the audience. Screaming fans welcomed the trio to the Times Square stage for their three-song set, which sparked the start of the MTV, VH1, CMT and LOGO-hosted "Live Music Day." That is 24 consecutive hours of great music from 50 great bands.

The Jonases sprinkled their show with an oldie-but-goodie and shared their excitement for the trio's upcoming summer tour. Their position on the lineup was a "huge honor," Kevin told MTV News just hours before they took the stage playing "Pom Poms" as their opener. The single sounded even more bluesy as Kevin and Nick slowed it down on acoustic guitars.

And although their next single, "First Time," isn't out officially until June 25, their loyal fans sang along to every word and got especially loud during the "ohh" part of the tune. That could help explain why "Team Jonas" is nominated in the O Music Awards' Best Fan Army category. "Our fans are the best," Nick, the youngest JoBro, said between songs. The brothers also shared they were "happy to be here at this amazing award show" and to be nominated.

Middle brother Joe, rocking his short new haircut, got fans even more excited when he mentioned the tour. "It's about freakin' time. We can't wait," he said. Rehearsals begin in three to four weeks, and Joe jokingly said he would let everyone know the location so they could ...