World Trade Center (Full Screen Edition) Reviews

• Oliver Stone's World Trade Center

  
  By A1JKNVM6NAU13V on 2007-01-15
  With a film like this, based on an event like this, people's emotions are tenfold. I've heard people complain that the movie spent too much time concentrating on the two men in the rubble. I've heard people say its not realistic. I can't comment on the second one, because I wasn't there. Like millions of other Americans, I was watching it all unfold on TV, and though I myself did not personally know anyone that perished that day, it still affected me greatly.
  
  Stone's "World Trade Center" takes on a mammoth event of epic proportions and carefully tries to concentrate on an isolated event that slowly unfolded after the towers fell that day. Two port city authorities are still alive and trapped in the rubble, and are initially helped by a man who was so moved by the events that he put on his old Marine Corps uniform and descended down to ground zero to see what he could do to help.
  
  One of my favorite actors on the screen today is Michael Pena, who plays the part of port authority policeman William J. Jimeno. As he and a crew of policeman head to the sight of the first tower, they start hearing about other happenings, such as the second plane and the pentagon getting hit. Stone's reenactment seems pretty fair, with its confused pedestrians and blood soaked wounded who are starting to fill the streets as they arrive. Jimeno's Sergeant is John McLoughlin (played by Nicolas Cage) and together they suddenly find themselves in the most awful situations they could ever realize.
  
  Stone's portrayal of the initial shock of 9/11 is played out very subtle. The news reports, the confusion of what exactly happened, and the grim reality of the fact that some of the loved ones for so many wouldn't be coming home. The ash covered victims, the smoke and ultimately the feeling of loss is not drawn out so much, however, as the overall theme of strangers helping one another. A paramedic whose license had expired, the former Marine, and all of New York Cities Bravest and Finest are shown risking their lives to try and reach, extricate, and save the two men who they had found alive.
  
  Much of the movie plays out with the dialogue that transpired between the two policemen, and how their combined support for one another, in different ways helped each other hold on to the hope they would keep each other alive and get out together.
  
  9/11 is an event that for some is like yesterday, and always will be. For others, the experience maybe seems in another world, mythic and legendary forever. I wasn't sure how Stone would tackle this project, and was not sure if I even was ready to watch it. I'm glad I did. For all the ugliness that man is accountable for, this movie shows that sometimes its times like these that bring out the best in people. My heart goes out to everyone who lost someone that day, and my hat is off to all the firefighters and police officers who continue to serve the city of New York, with the memory of their fallen colleagues never far away.
  
  

• Respect, Mr. Stone

  
  By A3NH7PYU4AD5GA on 2007-04-02
  I remember Sep 11 like this: I was visiting in Shanghai, came to my hotel room in the evening, not so late, turned on CNN as usual, and saw a plane fly into one of the towers. It took me quite some time to understand what I had just seen. I called my wife and asked her to turn on TV at home. She had not heard yet.
  I never felt more American than on that day.
  I am German, by the way.
  When I heard that Oliver Stone was making a movie about this, I could not believe it. Too early, too monumental, too emotionally loaded, too ideologically simple. This could only become a bad film.
  It hasn't. It is a simple story about confusion and heroism and survival. Well done.
  You never see a plane fly into anything. You only hear people talk about it, but there are also some who don't believe it. It shows you the segmented vision of people who are near the center. People watching TV in Shanghai probably knew more of what actually happened right at the time than those caught in the middle of it.
  Stone stays away from explicit interpretation, he leaves that to the spectator.
  
  

• Very well crafted.

  
  By A401CAR2F5492 on 2006-12-22
  Oliver Stone has made a very compelling and respectful portrayal
  of one of the most inspiring stories of survival in our time.
  I've seen a lot of movies in my life and this one is one of the few
  that have stayed with me for days after seeing it. I was engaged from
  beginning to end. World Trade Center also feels like one of Stone's
  earlier films like Salvador or Platoon.Very raw.
  There are a few minor flaws. The only complaint I have is the portrayal
  of Staff Sargeant Karnes. It simply stands out too much in comparison
  to the natural portrayal of the rest of the characters.
  This is still a good film and an important film. Anybody who snubs
  Stone for not making the conspiracy film they expect from him need to
  get over it and see this. If he wanted to make a conspiracy film he
  would have. He wanted to spread some hope. How could anyone have a problem with that? Thank you,Oliver!
  
  
  

• World Trade Center Dvd

  
  By A146SHTK8V5A2G on 2007-01-12
  This movie was great. It was awesome to see Oliver Stone give 9/11 the special treatment and respect to the actual event as it happend. My only gripe about the DVD is that it was not presented in its full movie aspect ratio of 2.35.1 This is one of Oliver Stones favorite formats and it unfortunately had to be done in the "enhanced for 16x9 modes" I am a huge fan of movies done in 2.35.1 Hopfully this movie will be re released as a special edition edition that showcases the whole movie. I looked at the movie database online and they list the aspect ratio as 2.35.1. I know most people wouldn't care about this but once you see what you are actully missing you get used to seeing movies in the letteboxed format. Check out widescreen.org for more info and some side by side comparisons.
  
  

• Saddened, shamed, amazed, and repulsed....at the reviews!

  
  By A3INMIZIYJ9BQ4 on 2006-12-31
  I overcame my own intentions NOT to watch this film. We lived this tragedy such a short while ago in all the terror, reality, horror, and stunned sorrow, it seems we are imposing fiction on reality and watching watered-down films of the tragic realities, I thought perhaps to make the feelings less painful.
  
  I decided to watch this film and 'United 93' because I think the victims they portray and their families deserve our respect and honor. In both instances, the families gave their blessing, even their urging, for the films to be made.
  
  Now I find that reading these reviews is even more painful than watching the films.
  
  That we, the American people, could characterize the words of men in imminent danger of dying under tons of rubble due to circumstances faced while serving their fellowman as 'idle chit chat' makes me gasp at our heartlessness and our crass insensitivity to the real heroes and their families.
  
  A reviewer decrying the lack of a 'goosebump factor' in a film portraying one infinitesimal personal portion of an event that changed individual's lives and the lives of Americans as a population to an amazingly huge degree, makes me wonder about the psyche of our humanity and the lack of understanding about and compassion for the pain of our fellow citizens.
  
  That 'no-action' could be a phrase used when describing 'pretty-close-to-reality' depictions of personal sacrifice and tragedy as two men face death buried beneath the ruins of two of American's largest buildings caused me to question the lack of empathy we feel for those around us.
  
  Lastly, I question how anyone who lived through the events of 09-11 aired into our homes and burned into our psyche in such tragic minute detail that millions who didn't personally know even one individual involved in this horrific event have had their lives changed forever, could feel 'boredom' while glimpsing such intimate details of two heroic survivors.
  
  There may have been more in the following reviews that I could have been saddened by, but my surprise and revulsion in reading just the few I did read caused me to have to stop and take a deep breath and bow my head in shame for so many of the inhabitants of this great nation.
  
  While my reason for finally watching this film may be difficult for some to understand, it cannot possibly be as hard to accept or rationalize as patrons who watched it for 'action', 'goose bumps', 'deep conversations', or to relieve 'boredom' when we all know the tragic details of the true circumstances being depicted. Heaven help us as individuals and America as a whole.
  
  
  
  
  
• A Moving Tribute
  By A3KY68OTSNHM3G on 2006-12-14
  Nicholas Cage and Michael Pena star as two New York City Port Authority police officers in this magnificent film by Oliver Stone which describes one of the darkest days in the history of the United States: September 11, 2001.
  
  Cage stars as Sgt. John McLoughlin, and Pena stars as officer Will Jimeno. These two men, along with a crew of other officers, entered into the stricken World Trade Center shortly after the brutal terrorist attacks. Their job was to go up inside the tower and assist with rescue efforts. However, shortly after entering the buildings, the collapse began. The officers immediately dove for an elevator shaft; supposedly one of the strongest places in the building. Despite their quick thinking, McLoughlin, Jimeno, and the rest of the officers are buried under tons of concrete and debris. McLoughlin and Jimeno are the only survivors.
  
  Meanwhile, Jimeno's wife Allison (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is 5 months' pregnant with a new baby daughter, and McLoughlin's wife Donna (Maria Bello) is busy making plans for her son J.J.'s birthday party. Both see the terrorist attacks on television and immediately fear for their husbands' safety. The two families begin a consant vigil while waiting to hear any news about the well-being of their husbands.
  
  While buried in the rubble, Jimeno and McLoughlin try to do anything they can to stay awake and keep each other alive. Fearing internal injuries, neither man wants to fall asleep. They keep each other awake by talking about their families and their lives as police officers. A deep bond forms between the two, and neither wants to be rescued without the other.
  
  Efforts to find survivors have begun, spearheaded by members of the United States Marines, along with the New York City Fire and Police Department. One member of the Marine unit is Sgt. Dave Karnes (Michael Shannon). A former member of the Marines, Karnes has left his regular accounting job to come to New York to assist with rescue efforts. He, along with another rescuer, hears Jimeno banging on a pipe. Soon, Karnes has located the two fallen officers, and reinforcements are called in to get them out. The two men are soon pulled to safety and taken to a local hospital.
  
  Only twenty survivors were pulled from the wreckage of the World Trade Center. McLoughlin and Jimeno endured more than most people possibly could, and they survived to tell about it. Both endured several surgeries on their road to recovery, but something more came out of this ordeal; a life-long bond and friendship between two officers who were merely doing their jobs.
  
  This is a truly moving and magnificent film. Nicholas Cage gives one of the finest performances of his career as Sgt. McLoughlin, while Michael Pena is excellent as officer Jimeno. Oliver Stone's directing is first-rate, and he tells the story of 9-11 in a factual, yet sensitive and tasteful manner.
  
  I give this tremendous film my highest recommendation. Watch and see how two heroic police officers risked their own lives to save the lives of strangers and ended up surviving their own personal hardships. If you have a dry eye after watching this movie, then something's wrong.
  
  
• We can never forget
  By A2NACIQH1P8J01 on 2006-11-16
  This movie was a very gripping and moving film that is to be commended for telling the story of two men who faced 9-11 and lived to talk about it.
  
  This movie does not get involved at all in the politics or the newly emerging and highly inventive conspiracy theories that have since come about in regards to 9-11.
  
  It is about two men, police officers, who get trapped in the collapsed buildings while in the process of trying to help evacuate the towers. You go through their struggles and those of their families throughout the movie. I am really impressed with Oliver Stone's work and the film he produced when he stuck to the actual story of what happened.
  
  To those that say this movie is not moving I wonder why every single person I saw in the theater were wiping tears from their eyes at the end. I saw this in Bangkok and know that the audience had very few Americans (a low percentage have passports and few use them).
  
  "There are risks to and costs to a program of action, but they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction." JFK
  
  
  
• What a pathetic piece of crap from a pioneer.
  By AAU7CAQIN5BAE on 2007-10-11
  The film overall lacked ingenuity. People can say "oh how can you say that about what happened." IM NOT. I'm saying THE MOVIE Sucked. Sorry for the street word, but that is exactly how to describe it. Right from the beginning when the cops were being hauled from PA to downtown, there was no emotional creativity. The cut scenes were paltry and boring. SHOW THE TERROR Stone, don't candy coat it all mamsy-pamsey for the masses. What a sell out. Pathetic. A cut scene with a guy with a little soot on his double breast or another with a bleeding ear is really not well done. Let's see the horror. It was dull, boring and I don't know how The Academy or anyone rational can think Nick Cage is anything less than wooden and plastic in every Role he is in. He lacks any emotional creativity in all forms. It was not the Oliver Stone I expected and admired from Wall Street and Platoon. United 93 blew this film away in every aspect. In every way. WTC was Hollywood from jumpstreet. It was like a pre packaged deal at Walmart this film. What a total piece of garbage. I understand he is showing it from a different aspect entirely, but one wonders why it bombed in the box office and you can often get it here for 67 cents. There is a reason. It was awful, and it could have been phenomenal. What a shame.
  
  
• Who would have imagined.....
  By ARA48345JZPZR on 2007-01-12
  That 20 people would survive the collapse of the World Trade Towers and be pulled out alive from under those tons of debris. That a former Marine would, on-his-own, feel compelled to take himself to ground zero to search for survivors among the smoldering, still-dangerous, ruins that night. That two first-responders, Port Authority Policeman, would be found by that same Marine (and another self-appointed volunteer) as their survival was nearing failure. That Oliver Stone would make a movie about these two policeman, their ordeal and that of their families, as a microcosm of the terror and tragedy of that day, and do so with reverence and respect. That his film would be a testament to virtues some of us still prize, those of courage and honor and duty--not only that of John McLoughlin and Willy Jimeno, the trapped policeman, but also of those who dared to go into that burning, unstable and perilous wreckage to bring them out.
  
  This film celebrates those simple virtues-courage, honor, duty, family- and I think Oliver Stone believes them important enough that he set aside political opinion to present them in a straightforward manner. If you believe this is only the stuff of cheap Hollywood theatrics, well, that's sad. Real guts were plentiful on that day and those following, and I believe that was honestly portrayed here in focusing on the miraculous true story of these two men.
  
  All the performances are heartfelt and equally good. I was not bored. I knew going in that this was a story of survival, but the details were gripping and unbelievable nontheless. I thought Stone and his production caught the immensity of ground zero in deft touches: the roar of the burning buildings amid the falling debris, the ghastly sound of the impact of bodies, the simple enormity of the structures and the dust and confusion, the look of shocked and stunned people everywhere. It gave a sense of the size of the disaster. The following story would be difficult to tell, with two of the main leads immoblized in a crushed building, but I thought the editing back and forth from the men to the families worked.
  
  Credit to all involved, this was a film I thought I might not like, but I went with it all the way. Nicely done by Stone and company. And all respect and good wishes to the real men and their families, and to all those who served that day, and serve now.
  
  
• It is the story it is trying to tell
  By A2SP49S1GR3BUT on 2007-01-02
  The main part of the story is about two NYC police officers who are trapped in ruble and are rescued. It would not do justice for the 9-11 victims to tell every story of everybody that died or survived on that day. That is probably 6000 individual stories (survivors and people who died). All of their stories deserved to be told, and hopefully somebody somewhere is creating a website or a book to do just that. Some of them would be interesting enough to be made in a movie, but most likely they would better served by being made into a book that can be read one story at a time without any time boundness and dramatization that are required of movies.
  
  As for this movie, it did the job is was designed to do. Is it a movie I would watch over and over again? No. Is it a movie I would recommend to others to see? Yes.
  
  As for me, I went into the movie without having been exposed to the news coverage of the events day in and day out. I did not know how I would react seeing the dramatization of the "evils" of that day. I was glad that the movie did not focus on the dramatization of the airplanes crashing into the WTC. It was just shown on a TV in the background. I am also glad that it had zero coverage of the Muslims preparing for the day or whatever. They do not deserve the film time.
  
  The movie told the story that it was designed to tell, and it did it very well. I feel sorry for the reviewers who are so exposed to hollywood dramatization that they cannot handle or accept true reality. The movie is the truth, not TV hollywood.
  
  Oh, the marine person was not just thrown in. He was the man who found them, and the film did a very good job of showing his personality and his dedication to his task. Everyone portrayed in that film is a real life hero, not a hollywood actor. They deserved to be treated as such.
  
  
• Oliver Stone (Surprisingly!) Delivers A Proper Tribute
  By A2QAUMR0V33GC9 on 2006-12-18
  There will alway be discussions of whether or not it's a proper time to show a real disaster in media most known for fiction. Whether we admit it or not, there are fears that the event will be trivialized. Worse yet, we're always afraid of the emotions that come along with such treatments and compare the works with how we remember the real event.
  
  When I heard that Oliver Stone was directing a "big-view" story of 9/11 seen through the eyes of two real survivors and the people of New York, I was more than a little afraid. I was, in fact, terrified. Take nothing away from Stone in his successes - he's a great storyteller and can deliver powerful emotional stories - but we also know he has a tendancy to demonstrate his contempt and suspicion of goverment, as well as the habit of belaboring points to death. I remember Denis Leary once making the comment in "No Cure For Cancer" about his take on "The Doors" - "do we need a three-hour movie on Jim Morrison?" He was right - we didn't.
  
  But here was the surprise - Stone did this tale well.
  
  It's a story rich in detail and filled with real-life heroes. Nic Cage leads the rest of a stellar cast to bring a painfully personal account of survival in a context of a nation under attack. New York, as well as Washington, Pennsylvania, even my own Boston, were different places before the attacks, and through Stone's attention to detail, we see the day it all happened with crystal clarity. "World Trade Center" reminded me of how it was before and how much we have changed as a people. Mostly because we see that day as it was. We were spectators, true, but we were living it, praying in it, watching the ruins of the Towers with a desperate hope for happy news while getting precious little of it. The survial of two heroic New York City cops, trapped beneath the rubble of a symbol, gave us some when we needed it the most.
  
  "World Trade Center" isn't an easy film to watch precisely because it kicks up old emotions. Thus, it will NOT be to everyone's taste, and it will leave some empty. Yet, when we hold it up to "United 93," another gripping account of that day from a very different perspective, we see what we need to see - a nation attacked, a people wounded to the core, the spirit to carry on, and a people (despite its government - sorry, had to say it) willing to do what had to be done in order to bring some goodness out of horror.
  
  
• Oliver Stone Keeps It Real!
  By AMYW43AHO16SS on 2007-08-19
  When Oliver Stone makes movies of historical value, he tends to exagerate the facts (i.e. JFK, Salvador, Midnight Express). In this film, he completely stays out of delivering negative propaganda on who was responsible and focuses on the ordeal and rescue of Port Authority policemen John McLoughlin (Nicolas Cage) and Will Jimeno (Michael Peña). The result is a movie that all viewers would be proud of. The film was made with courage and sympathy to the victims. Some viewers may be put off by the intensity of the subject matter, due to the film being too soon to watch. This film is very much needed in this day and age in hopes that the events of September 11th, 2001 are never forgotten.
  
  
• A Must See!
  By AE6APIV5K93KF on 2007-01-08
  This movie is exellent but it is probably not how you think it is going to be.......
  
  My boyfriend was disappointed that it did not tell a lot about the Trade Center and the attack but I really enjoyed the movie.....
  
  This movie is based around three men that get trapped under the Trade Center as they went on duty as fire fighters trying to rescue people from the tower. These men get trapped and buried under the tower and rubbel but can communicate with each other, one guy dies and the other two men live and struggle for survival as they barely have oxygen. Both families are very worried and concerned that they have not heard from there husbands and start to lose hope after a long while of waiting. There are many flashbacks of these two men's families and kids before the attack on the World Trade Center and then it goes back to the present setting of there wives being worried again and also the men not knowing if they will ever see there wife again. The movie gives a good message of all of the people that died fighting to save the lives of others on the attack of the World Trade Center and also a message of the volunteers that helped to find people that were burried under the World Trade Center! These men lived because of the many people that never gave up searching for them and all of the people that were burried.
  
  This movie was very very sad but the men make it out alive!! This will definitely make you realize how much you love and and care about your family (husbands, wives, and children) and will make you thank God that you are still blessed with your family. This is definitely a must see movie!
  
  
• Stone hits one out of the park
  By AS7XL7V9JCC87 on 2006-12-22
  This is a very powerful drama of two men who survived after being buried under one of the world trade center towers. Very little of this movie is about anything other than these two men and their families during this ordeal. This is one of those rare movies that captures the true nature of mankind and what is really important about life and how we face death. For John and Will I salute their courage and am very happy they went home to their families. As for the rest of us, we will be glad we didn't have to endure what they did. Bring your tissue, you will need it.
  
  
• An Important Film
  By A34D06JL7LC6MU on 2006-12-24
  "World Trade Center" is the 2nd film released in 2006 to dramatize the events that transpired on September 11, 2001 (one of the most tragic days in United States history). Released a few months after the harrowing, depressing "United 93" this film also tells the story of normal, everyday people trapped in horrific circumstances with heroic outcomes. Although the outcome of this film is admittedly better than that of "United 93." The film is directed by Oliver Stone, a director who is no stranger to controversy. When I heard he was doing a film on the subject of 9/11, I expected a film in the vein of "JFK" or "Nixon"
  or "The Doors." True stories, with his own theories and versions of events. Watching "World Trade Center" there is little evidence to suggest that this is an Oliver Stone film. The directing style is different, the storytelling is different. Only one scene seems like something out of an Oliver Stone film (Jesus with a water bottle) and I read that Will Jimeno actually saw that. The movie starts at 3:29 A.M. in New York, as Port Authority officer John McLoughlin (Nicolas Cage) wakes up to head to work. Stone does a great job of underlining how normal the day was for New Yorkers before the first plane hit the first tower. The imagery of the plane's shadow and the smoke from the towers is very haunting and very realistic. Knowing what we now know, it's interesting hearing the characters trying to figure out what's going on. Anyway, after the second plane has hit the second tower (although most people weren't yet aware of that), McLoughlin and Will Jimeno (Michael Pena from "Crash" who deserves an Oscar nomination for his work here), along with others, rush into the WTC to help the people still inside. Barely inside the towers collapse, leaving McLoughlin and Jimeno trapped under 20 feet of rubble. The two men trapped under the rubble, trying desperately to keep their minds off death is intercut with the lives of their wives. Donna McLoughlin (Maria Bello, who also deserves an Oscar nomination) fights desperately against the fact that her husband might be dead, while trying to convince her children that, without a doubt, their father is still alive. Meanwhile Allison Jimeno (Maggie Gyllenhaal, who also deserves an Oscar nomination), who is pregnant with the couples second child, deals with the fact that her husband might not be coming home. Out of the two female leads, Bello is the best. Wearing blue contact lenses to make her character more realistic, she blends just the right amount of integrity, bravery, and attitude to make this one of the best performances of the year. One other subplot involves a former U.S. Marine named Dave Karnes (Michael Shannon), a man who leaves his job and goes searching for survivors in the rubble. While "United 93" used harsh realism and left you feeling depressed, "World Trade Center" uses harsh realism and makes you feel uplifted. A film about people trapped in places can feel disjointed, as if the screenwriter lost his way and made excuses to get his script into the 120-page range (this can be seen in a film called "Hard Candy," which is good but has what I just mentioned). This film has the feel of a movie that knew exactly what direction it's taking from the beginning. "World Trade Center" is an important film, a great film, and a massive improvement over Stone's last film "Alexander." It's got great cinematography, great performances, and is, without a doubt, one of the best films of the year.
  
  GRADE: A
  
  
• The horrors of 9/11
  By A1IOJE0W1NXOSE on 2007-06-15
  This movie traces the story of two Port Authority Policemen, played by Nicholas Cage and Michael Pena, who attempt to rescue survivors of 9/11 at the World Trade Center. After they enter the building, it collapses and they are trapped in the rubble. They talk to each other to keep up their courage, but it is evident that they are badly injured. The movie shows flashbacks of the men and their families and also shows the agony their wives are going through as they wait for word of their husbands. The script never properly develops the two main characters in the viewer's mind and this detracts from the overall emotional impact which the movie could have had. However, the movie does have merit and it serves as a tribute to those who risked and lost their lives in this tragedy.
  
  
• Emotions Run High with this cinematic retake of 9/11
  By A37IH65E7CTXRS on 2007-09-13
  ~World Trade Center~ is a stunning cinematic portrayal of the pivotal events on September 11, 2001 when terror struck the heart of New York City. Hollywood was expected to come out with a portrayal of those dramatic events on 9/11/01 when terror struck the United States in her financial and political centers. Some naysayers might complain that the focus is a bit off-kilter to center on two cops buried in the rubble. But it was those men who were in the ruins, that were among the most traumatized victims of those attacks who got to live and tell their stories. Why not focus on them and their families? Sergeant John McLoughlin (played by Nicolas Cage) is my favorite character. Courageous but beleaguered, he endures to the end. I could only imagine the shock and trauma of being buried beneath tons of rubble, concrete and steel. They literally sat in darkness, breathing in gravel and soot dust as their lungs grew exsasperated and wondered when or even if help would come.
  
  One of my friends was among the U.S. Marines at ground zero on the evening of the attacks sifting through the rubble looking for survivors. Those two Port Authority officers depicted in the WTC film were found by a Marine named Dave Karnes. They were the last two survivors to be pulled from the rubble at ground zero.
  
  I remember where I was that day. For many, particularly those who were there, 9/11 is a day that will live in infamy. It was a day that brought Americans together in common cause against Islamic radicalism and made us refocus on spiritual concerns. Naturally, this cinematic portrayal directed by Oliver Stone is sure to stir emotions, and remind us of the sacrifices born by the police, fire and rescue personnel of New York City that September day.
  
  
• Oustanding movie and special features
  By A1UPQKV2I92Z00 on 2007-09-13
  The movie is extremely well done and I found the documentaries detailing the stories of the real people to be outstanding. Worth owning and showing to everyone who will watch. Buy it for the real stories told in the documentaries as well as the movie. There is nothing political about this movie as it appears to stay true to the story as told by the original book author.
  
  
• Oliver Stone Strikes the Right Chords in WTC
  By A18XTPXBGQ26UD on 2007-08-05
  There are a lot of people who criticize Oliver Stone for his leftist, conspiracy-themed movies, finding them at once preachy and ridiculous. There are others who went to THIS movie wanting all of the 911 conspiracies explored and validated. The first crowd of criticizers will be pleasantly surprised by WORLD TRADE CENTER, while the second group may consider this piece surprisingly unambitious and simple. You know why? Because it was taken from the story of two cops, unencumbered by political motivations, who only wanted two things: first, to help people trapped in the doomed buildings, and second, failing that, to stay alive themselves.
  
  WORLD TRADE CENTER is a simple movie, and that's a welcome antidote to those of us who have become rather stupified and torpid by Stone's self-indulgent attack ads against the government disguised as movies. He's always a great director, but his films are often swept away by the mission-mindedness of his scripts. This movie is free from all that.
  
  Cage is great. Gyllenhall is great. The shots are poignant, not exploitative, and the film crackles with suspense because it is centered on its story--not the implications of the story, which the viewer can draw for him or herself. That's the way PLATOON was made; that's the way, before Stone got all important, he wrote scripts for films like CONAN THE BARBARIAN and SCARFACE. Make no mistake: that kind of selfless discipline serves a story like this--with the country so torn in half over IRAQ--perfectly. It's one of Stone's better movies, and when you examine the earlier half of his career, that IS saying something.
  
  (This review has been posted by Marcus Damanda, author of the vampire book "Teeth: A Horror Fantasy.")
  
  
• Powerful film about a day we can NEVER forget
  By A1H3YRJR5N8A9W on 2007-03-25
  I finally rented Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center" last night. I had wanted to see it in the theatre, but my wife had no interest, unfortunately.
  
  This movie is right up there with "United 93" in how well it captured those horrific events of over 5 years ago. In a matter of 2 hours time, I was taken back to that day where I sat numb in front of my TV... watching scenes that were difficult to comprehend and believe I was witnessing.
  
  I remember when this film was first released, there was a lot of fuss over it being "too soon" after 9/11 for these types of films to start coming out. Balogna! Stone did an excellent job with regard to sensitivities and stuck to the story that needed to be told. The worst scene is a very brief (and distant) shot of a jumper included only to show what those first responders witnessed when they arrived at the WTC.
  
  In the same way "United 93" placed the viewer in the cabin that doomed aircraft, in "WTC" Stone places the viewer in the living rooms and kitchens of those who waited in anguish for news of their loves ones' fates. The performances are top-notch. Stone depicts with great film-making skill the bravery and resolve of the American people during the efforts to save lives in the immediate aftermath of the attacks. It is a powerful and moving story that made this guy who never gets emotional watching movies (with the exception of "Saving Private Ryan") well-up on more than one occasion.
  
  Every American should watch this film (as well as "United 93") so that they may be remided of WHO America's enemies really are. Regardless of one's political leanings - we must all stand together (TOGETHER, people(!)). We can't forget the events of 9/11.... we can't let political disagreement stand in the way of what needs to be done. Watching movies like "WTC" is the best way to get a "refresher course" on what is important and what is not.
  
  
• Far from lived up to my expectations...
  By ACMAUJEBY6GJF on 2007-03-02
  ..., but not necassarily because Oliver Stone has done a bad job here. In my opinion of all the tragedies and events behind the WTC the one we are served here is being less about the WTC. Please, don't get me wrong. This is also something that deserves being told, the story of those who survived in the ruins, but it was like watching a movie start out with the ending. I spend the first hour of the movie feeling confused. Not because I wanted to see the explotions, great effects. But I wanted a story. To be showed something I hadn't already seen. to be led through that horrible day minute by minute. I have seen documentaries on the Discovery-channel more gripping than "World Trade Center". Though perhaps it has its' moments at the end, but with a less brilliant director the movie might had been overflowed in sentimentality.
  
  I recommend "United 91" instead of this. So much more realistic, and answered so many questions. And gave such an believable version of what happened on that plane.
  
  
• Well Done Depiction of the World Trade Center Tragedy and Its Lessons
  By AYVV7PS2XKMS6 on 2007-01-21
  "World Trade Center' avoids being a disaster movie cliche with focus on the spirit to survive and the lessons learned from 9/11. The film is the true story of police officers trapped in the towers' rubble and the families waiting to hear word of them.
  
  The film captures details of the incident well. For instance, the confusion and shock that morning and the inside of the Tower in its collapse. I have to say, though, some of the New York accents didn't ring true..and... I mean, come on.. what's going on here....we New Yawkers don't really all talk like that...do we?? :)
  
  The film shows how the characters', being so near death, felt a deeper appreciation of life and their loved ones. The scenes with the officers trying to survive in the rubble are at times gripping. The film, however, can't help to fall into some cliches. For instance, the closing shot of a surving officer holding his two year old in the air with sunlight behind them.
  
  
  By now most have seen and heard countless images of the towers' collapse and heard survivors' tales. So, although the movie's narrative drive maintains interest, it is not too revelatory, aside from images within the Tower during the collapse.
  
  Several years now after the disaster, many have fallen back into their old ways. This film is a reminder of how only grace and good fortune bring us back home every day and so appreciate what we have. A good message, but it's not the type of movie you would watch over and over again to get that message. It seems as though there is still room for a more definitive movie of the 9/11 tragedy.
  
  
• WELL DONE!
  By A1ER6IYOMM8VCT on 2007-09-22
  I was not a huge fan of United 93 as a movie. The subject matter is certainly valid, but I thought as a movie, the story was not told well and by the end of the movie I was mad and looking for revenge! World Trade Center on the other hand is also valid subject matter and a gripping inspirational movie! A fitting tribute to our public servants and to our country. This film was much better than I expected. The DVD transfer and extras are very good.
  
  
• Movie to see
  By A2FK7SRJFTWQ2S on 2006-12-08
  This movie tells the perspective through the police. Don't go expecting to see the towers get blown up or action sequences. This shows a remarkable true story about two police officers trapped in the rubble under the Twin Towers.
  It goes back and forth to their families with one expecting a child. This shows the police officers remarkable heroism, and courage and strength to stay alive. Just thinking back about it makes me cry again.
  If you're not into relationships and family, then this movie isn't for you. I am, however, very close to my family and this movie truly makes us appreciate our loved ones!
  
  
• Lacks a soul.
  By A2PV6GK1HV54Y9 on 2007-11-19
  World Trade Center directed by Oliver Stone showed promise in the first 30 minutes but after that, this film lacked a heart and soul. The all-star cast are expectionally talented but the true-life survivors they are portraying seem so fake and unsympathetic. Oliver Stone was such a great director but his "masterpieces" have suffered greatly in over a decade, I can't remember a flawless film he's created in such a long time, it's so sad. If you want a film that is truly a tribute to the courageous heroes of 9/11 then I highly recommend United 93 instead. That film is perfect from beginning to end.
  
  
• Movie of the emotions and mortality of the day
  By A3Q1EDCBV2KU8D on 2007-05-06
  This isn't a movie about why or how as much as it is a movie of the 18th and 19th survivors pulled from the wreckage. Oliver Stone did an excellent job of showing how this fateful day effected two Port Authority Officers and their families with such intensity that my wife had to take a break, it was really a lot to take in. The movie was well done, the actors were on top of their game, even in a difficult situation that they were given.
  
  
• Suprisingly sensible stunner from Stone...
  By A5A2QE6NECFR5 on 2007-05-03
  This, along with United 93, was one of the two best movies I saw last year, and I am picky and do not get to see all that many. Nick Cage is good, but his co-star steals the show. As with the United 93 film, the protagonists do not know what caused the day's tragic events, what was happening elsewhere, or whether their precarious situations would have any wider meaning than just to themselves and their loved ones. Oliver Stone turns in a restrained, non-conspiracy, non-paranoid, non-obscene, and oddly, a nearly non-violent work of art here. A lot of it is filmed in the dark, with only the heads and maybe one hand visible on each actor, and with dialogue hampered by their injuries and desperate situation. Yet it is quite powerful, and to me, a total success.
  
  
• Tasteful representation of the American Spirit on the most horrific day!
  By A3CL3FE5IFN8E5 on 2007-01-19
  World Trade Center showed the highs and lows of human emotion elicited by the terror attacks on our nation. The images of the way the families dealt with the waiting and the confusion of the first horrible hours struck home.
  As a 9/11 family member, it was hard to watch, but I know exactly how they felt! It is like holding your breath in anticipation of good news. Fortunately for those PAPD families, they were able to breathe again. It was a good feeling to experience their joy after 5 long years of holding my breath!
  This is a film for all to see. It illustrates what really happened and what could happen again. I wasn't sure if I was ready to watch the film, but I am glad I did. Plus, it was nice to see my Firefighter brother in law in the film doing what he did on that day!
  Thank you Oliver Stone!
  
  
  
• Great Movie
  By A1S7VCRV9OTW4W on 2007-01-05
  This movie really tells it all. This was a great eye openier of the events of 9/11.
  
  
• Strangers Helping Strangers.
  By A96K1ZGW56S2I on 2007-01-23
  On September 11th, 2001 the world changed forever. For Americans, things changed the most. There are hundreds of millions of stories about that day that could be told. WORLD TRADE CENTER is a film that attempts to tell the story of that day seen through the eyes of two Port Authorities who became trapped in the rubble beneath the World Trade Center and who were eventually rescued. The two men the movie revolves around, John McLoughlin (Nicholas Cage) and William J. Jimeno (Michael Pena), had entered the World Trade Center to assist firefighters and other law enforcement in evacuating the buildings. As things turned out it became they who needed to be rescued as the buildings came crashing down. The story of their survival and rescue is just a glimpse of the heroism showed by countless Americans that was displayed on September 11th and in the aftermath.
  
  WORLD TRADE CENTER is probably Oliver Stone's most approachable and least controversial film ever. The film has broad appeal, not only to those who lived and worked in New York City, but across America. As alluded to before, every one of us has a story about September 11th. The film just focuses on two men, but by doing so it becomes universal: the story of John McLoughlin and William J. Jimeno are all our stories. We might not have all been physically present in NYC when the towers fell, but we watched it on television. That was a day that there were no divisions in this country. Strangers willingly helped strangers and at least for once in a generation, we were all simply Americans. WORLD TRADE CENTER depicts this and it does so it a non-patronizing, yet honorable way.
  
  I was a bit leery about watching WORLD TRADE CENTER. Granted, Oliver Stone is a gifted filmmaker. However, most of Stone's films are extreme. In general the Stone canon is comprised of films that offer a bleak and despairing view of people and life. Often his movies are quite violent, crude, and vulgar. He is able to craft together a decent story from the most unusual sources and he has a master command of camera technique and cinematography. However, the nihilistic tone of many of Stone's previous works made me reluctant to watch. After my family and some friends had seen the film and recommended it, I was willing to give it a try. I'm glad that I did. Whatever messages Stone has tried to convey in previous films and films yet to come, WORLD TRADE CENTER Stone reminds us that we are all Americans, even himself, and that even in a messed up crazy world hope still remains.
  
  

• United 93 (Widescreen Edition)
• Flight 93: The Movie
• Ladder 49 (Full Screen Edition)
• 102 Minutes That Changed America
• White Noise (Widescreen Edition)