A Heck of a Ride

Rating: 9/10 (28 April 2006)

United 93 is as a tense a thriller as they come. The fact that it is a true story and that I (we all) know how it ends didn't keep me from feeling the suspense. Seeing the twin towers burning again brought back the flood of emotion I felt when I saw it in real-time. The film brought out a sense of futility felt by the air traffic controllers, the military, and the passengers on-board Flight 93. The "authorities" were caught off-guard and there were too many links in the chain of command to move the machinery in time.
As the action inside the plane grew to its crescendo I found myself rooting for the brave passengers who realized that no one was going to help them and that their fates were in their own hands. It was an odd feeling knowing that their actions wouldn't save them. But they are owed our gratitude for keeping the plane from its intended target, the U.S. Capitol. This film is a lasting tribute to them.