World Trade Center Universally Powerful

     World Trade Center is an astounding motion picture with probably more heart than any other movie this year. However, being supreme doesn’t equal perfection. 2004 saw a movie with a similar plot minus the truth in Ladder 49, a movie that starred John Travolta and Joaquin Phoenix. While World Trade Center portrays the tragic events of September 11th without crossing any uncomfortable lines it still falls significantly short of the high bar set by Ladder 49.

     Oliver Stone does an exceptional job in presenting an uplifting and heartfelt story in World Trade Center without bringing any politics or unnecessary melodrama to the film. However, while his direction is great it isn’t really definitive and the result is somewhat generic. Anybody could have directed World Trade Center since it doesn’t have the style that a landmark feature of this caliber deserves to have.

     World Trade Center stars Nicholas Cage and Michael Pena as John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno, respectively, two of the many police officers that went inside of the World Trade Center following the tragic act of terrorism. When the towers collapsed, John and Will are stuck in the rubble. The movie tells their story of survival as well as the stories of their wives, played by Maria Bello and Maggie Gyllenhaal, who sat idly by holding less than a thread of hope of their husbands returning.

     The scenes that represent the terror within the towers before they collapse are absolutely terrific and had there been a few more of them instead of running full steam ahead into the rubble then World Trade Center could have been among the year’s best. Instead, it will have to just settle for being the second best movie about September 11th this year. United 93 wins the grand prize for its documentary style and lingering suspense with heart-stopping payoff.

     There are still many reasons that you should see World Trade Center, though. In fact, it is a flick that every American should see. The movie reveals the good that humankind is still capable of. There are heroes among us – everyday supermen – and World Trade Center portrays two of them along with numerous others that risked their own lives to save them.