The second of two excellent 9/11 films

Rating: 9/10 (13 August 2006)

Normally, I am not a fan of Oliver Stone, having only slightly liked a few of his films. I also know about his penchant for conspiracy-spouting in his films, and I took that with me into the film. What I saw, however, was a truly inspirational, realistic, and gritty film that left me in awe of the two brave men depicted in the film, and how the extraordinary events of a day that will forever be in our memories affected even the most normal of people. I have also seen United 93, which was an incredibly realistic and powerful film. Thankfully for myself and every other viewer of World Trade Center, Mr. Stone left his conspiracy soapbox at home, and presented another film about 9/11 in the same vein as that earlier film. It doesn't present anyone as a hero--just a bunch of ordinary people caught up in one of the worst losses of life in our nation's history. However, by the end of the film, you learn that there is a hero in all people, and that when called upon by circumstances, everyday people can become truer superheroes than any comic book character ever was. I highly recommend this film to everyone, though its more graphic sequences may be unsuitable for younger viewers (under 13). In fact, I think both this and United 93 should be required viewing for anyone who wants to understand why this--like Pearl Harbor for my grandparents and JFK's assassination for my parents--is the day my generation will remember exactly where each one of them was when it happened. For those who died, we can not--should not--ever forget.