And it all comes tumbling down

Rating: 1/10 (21 August 2006)

Anyone who lives in the US is aware that Americans are extremely good at ripping off their own; from the White House to the local gas station, they're all out to screw you with deception, misleading commercials, inflated prices, etc. Why? Because the American way of life revolves around one thing and one thing only: MONEY. If you have it, you're OK, if not, you're nothing and no-one. This is often called the "American Dream". Americans don't care who they harm or hurt in pursuit of the "mighty dollar". Watch any US cable TV for examples. US movies are not exempt from this practice and this movie, WORLD TRADE CENTER, in particular, is a prime example of yet another great rip-off, i.e. dwelling on the public's still-raw emotions of 9/11 and cobbling together a generic disaster movie, knowing full well that it WILL make it at the box office simply because of the title! Every American will probably see this movie eventually. Had this movie been entitled anything else such as "Buried Alive!" or "Three Days in Hell", it would flop en route to the box office. WTC, directed by Oliver Stone (who really should know better and rise above cheap box office money tricks) is actually NOT about the 9/11 attacks and events at all, but merely about a few select individuals who happened to be involved in the attacks, as were TENS OF THOUSANDS of other people. This should have been a gripping, riveting movie that kept us glued to our seats for two hours and which wracked us with a gamut emotions. Instead, it's another generic mish-mosh of some 9/11 scenes and a "Day-In-The-Life of..." humdrum disaster flick script. Remember the 'Airport' movies and 'Earthquake'? Same thing, different color. Remove Nicholas Cage from the movie and you've got . . . squat. For such a powerful theme, i.e. 9/11, this flick sure does disappoint and I found myself bored to tears through most it as it was so predictable with all the schmaltzy script and cheesy acting. I guess Oliver Stone too has fallen prey to the 'buck', forsaking content, information and entertainment value; the entire POINT of a movie. Any movie. I sincerely hope that one day a good movie IS made about the events of 9/11, even if it is 4 hours long. This one sure ain't it. I suspect that anyone who DID lose someone in the attacks will not be impressed that their loved ones are given the briefest mention in this two-hour 'infomentary'. This flick could have taken place anywhere in the world, in any building at any time. Picking the 'Twin Towers' as the 'theme' was simply deceptive. My condolences to the victims of 9/11, I wish this movie had offered an explanation or perhaps closure for some. I have a 14-month old daughter. I wonder if one day I will be able to let her watch a movie that accurately portrays the events of 9/11. So far, it seems not. Overall rating? Simply pooh and an embarrassment to the film industry at large.