World Trade Center (2006)

Not a masterpiece, not a disaster either.

World Trade Center (WTC) focuses on the emotional point-of-view rather than hatred.

9/11, a date when the world saw evil. What were you doing then when the planes struck the WTC? I could still remember what i did that day. I was hanging out at my friend's house. We were watching Roma vs some other team (Sorry i forgot). Before the match started, we noticed the players and fans observing a minute of silence. Sensing something amiss, we switched to Channel News Asia. The image of the WTC crumbling down like a house of cards was mind blowing.

Mind blowing, however, is not an adjective in this new Oliver Stone motion picture. WTC starts fairly well for the first 20 minutes. The building up is spectacular and tasteful. You cannot see the planes crashing into the buildings but imagination can do wonders. The remaining of the movie is a slow burning affair, like how officer John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno (Micheal Pena) fighting to stay alive and escape a slow torturous death.

The story unfolds around the PAPD. Officer John McLoughlin (Nicholas Cage) led a team into WTC. Before they could start their rescue mission, the tower collapsed and the team were trapped under tons of rubble. McLoughlin and Jimeno survived. They began their fight for survival and talked with each other to stay alive. The cameras then focused to their women in their lives. Oliver Stone alternates the story line to add a feminine side to the movie.

The movie ends with a nice heart warming note. Again focusing on not revenge but on the good in human. A comfortable movie but don't expect sparks to fly. For once, Oliver Stone steers clear of controversy. But is it really a good idea?
3/5