Exploiting a Tragedy for Profit 101

Rating: 1/10 (24 March 2008)

The first film to exploit the 9-11 tragedy. This is an underplayed and restrained production that shows what MIGHT have happened on this eventful day. The fact is that this movie hearkens back to the days of the "disaster" epics of the 70s. Essentially it is any one of those airborne disaster films with the exception being it was a real and not imagined disaster. The no-name cast is pretty unremarkable and the shoe string production values really show on the screen. The hand held camera work creates the proper sense of claustrophobia, but it is overused. We all know what the outcome was so its no use repeating it again . The producers of this dull and exploitative film claimed it was done to honor the memories of the 3,000 people who died on that day. The real fact was that they thought they were onto something good by being the first ones to exploit this tragedy for personal gain. Mercifully, it died at the box office, but it did go on to spawn Oliver Stone's equally abortive "World Trade Center" a few months later. Have we become so desentisized to the violence of the real world that we need to make movies to exploit them for profit? Like WTC, this is a slap in the face and an insult to anyone who either died or survived 911. I guess that anybody will do anything in the name of the almighty dollar, but when it comes down to an exploitation film like this, it is just plain despicable. Adding to the overall tedium are the pointless conversations from the control tower and the passengers on the doomed flight chattering away on their cell phones.- God forbid that somebody should be without one. The overall quality of this film resembles a hastily contrived "tv movie". Poor propaganda does not an engrossing film make. Absolute rubbish, this is not worth your time. So "let's roll" straight out of this movie.To say liberties were taken with the story is an understatement. How did the terrorists smuggle that bomb making equipment on board after the baggage search? Also, to call this film boring is to praise it to high heaven. It defines dull. It is about as exciting as watching paint dry or grass grow. Unfortunately, I had to endure it again as a class project. This time out the jerky motion of the hand held camera gave me a headache.I also tried to stay awake for it, but I did doze off. They were still in the control room when I awoke. I really don't want to get off on a tangent here, but, dear reader, I think you get the picture.Zero Stars.