World Trade Center (Two-Disc Commemorative Edition)

Reviewed by:
Gene Newman

Yes, this is a respectful telling of amazing and unparalleled heroism on 9/11, and it's not some Oliver Stone conspiracy theory. However, while half the movie is exciting and triumphant, the other half reminded us of sappy movies like Ladder 49 and Apollo 13. (Basically, any movie with numbers in the title.) Based on the true story of two Port Authority cops pulled out of the collapsed towers alive after being buried for more than a day, it's edge of your seat stuff, honors them properly and is an ideal reminder of what happened that day. However, the concurrent storyline involving their wives was all soap opera. Sure, the families were stressed out, but so were thousands of other families who weren't lucky enough to see their husbands and dads again. In retrospect, it almost seemed like gloating. The real story, surrounding the two men being crushed by tons of concrete and steel, and the ensuing rescue (including a heroic marine, which could be a movie in itself), was all we cared about. Unlike United 93, which focused solely on the actions people took on 9/11 without taking emotional detours every few minutes, this feels a bit too Hollywood at times. The second disc is what really sells this DVD and captures the essences of what Stone was going for, (standout feature: two hour-long documentaries, one about the making of the film, the other detailing the actual events that day) and makes it all worthwhile and much more genuine.

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