United 93 (2006)

This is a simple, powerful, and uncomfortably in-your-face docudrama about what it might have been like to be aboard United Airlines flight 93. The only one of the four hijacked jets to fail to hit its intended target, UA 93 crashed in a field in Shanksville PA because of the actions of a group of passengers and crew who attempted, unfortunately without success, to take back the plane from the hijackers.Their heroism caused the plane to crash nose first into the ground. They sacrificed themselves because there was nothing else to be done.I was chilled to the bone by this film. It is stark, uncompromising, and to its credit, it does not try to portray the hijackers as subhuman or the passengers as mere victims. Every member of the cast comes across as a complete and fully fleshed out human being.Not for the squeamish, but it is of great historical importance.

Universal did a fantastic job on untied 93 and pictured what happened on 9/11 and the planes . But the people did a great job. Paul greengrass did a great job too.

A dramatised account of United 93, one of the four flights hijacked on 9/11. We see the events of that fateful day unfold from several perspectives - the passengers, crew and hijackers of United 93, several air traffic controllers in a few major control centres and from the perspective of the military, in particular US air defence at NORAD.Intense, realistic and utterly compelling. Mixing dramatisations of actual events, eg the air traffic control scenes, with best guess estimates of what happened in United 93 we have a movie that is part-docu-drama, part-fiction (though probably quite close to the truth). This gives the movie a great grittiness.Very well set up too. The scenes of passengers and crew getting on the plane are like any flight. This makes the movie even more engaging, as it shows it the characters were just everyday people going about their everyday lives, until fate changed that.Even when action is called for, there's no gung ho, Bruce Willis-like heroics. It's all pretty realistic and engaging.The sense of realism and real people is helped by having a cast of largely unknowns. Many of the air traffic controllers and some of the USAF personnel are played by themselves. No Hollywood pretentiousness and glamour.And then there's the tension. Director Paul Greengrass builds the intensity well, and ends the movie at the height of it, i.e. perfectly.Even though you know how it is going to end, you can't look away for a second, it is that compelling.Superb movie.

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, United Airlines Flight 93 was hijack by racial militant Sunni Islamist terrorists, whom intent to use the aircraft as a weapon against the United States. Forty-four people were aboard the plane: 37 passengers, two pilots and five flight attendants. As terrified passengers phoned loved ones, they learned the horrifying outcome of the other hijacks planes and realized they would have to take control of the airplane from their assaulters if they hoped to avoid a similar fate. This is the story of their courage. Directed by Paul Greengrass, and released into theaters five years after the attacks on the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon. The movie tries really hard to dramatically reenacts what happened on the doomed flight that Tuesday morning—as well as depicting the confused air-traffic controllers, military personnel and government officials desperately trying to save the passengers and stop the terrorists. Not only that, but Greengrass and crew, casted a number of largely then-unknown actors and real professionals, then filmed the movie in a Faux Documentary style using separate isolated stages. The final product plays out in Real Time across its nearly two-hour running time. Using the facts that are known, quick cuts and hand-held cameras to create a sense of real-time verisimilitude. United 93 delivers, what might be, said, one of the most historical accuracy film, ever made. Yet, don't be foolish to accept this movie as historical document. Movies are fiction - even documentaries give a particular view of events, and editing can be used to distort the relative truthfulness portrayed. This film is only, almost a historical accuracy masterpiece. However, maybe the film might be, too real, allowing the inaccuracies of 9/11 to accurately portray as well. Rather than stripping down the confusion to make things easier for an audience to follow, all of the misinformed fragments are out there, just as it was in real life due to how rapidly things were unfolding. Different groups referred to the wrong planes by the wrong numbers. There were differing reports on how many planes were out there. After American Airlines Flight 77's impact with the Pentagon, the news reported a fire on the National Mall when there was none. It made the movie hard to follow. Another thing, since the movie is in real time, there is tons of slow & mundane parts that could be cut out, but wasn't, like the boring chitchat between passengers and crew in the beginning. It's also sucks that none of the dialogue given to the passengers were that memorable, outside from the phone calls. Since, there is a large supporting cast with little to no back-story explain in dialogue, it's really hard to relate to some of them. None of them, really stood out. Added the fact, that few of the passengers on the plane's names are mentioned in movie and you get, why I had problem, figuring out who some of these people are. There is also some controversy between some of the family members of the passengers and the investigative officials as to whether the passengers managed to breach the cockpit before the plane crashed. In my opinion, I think the movie depict the right ending. However, I don't believe the way, the movie portray the pilots, Jason Dahl (J.J Johnson) and LeRoy Homer Jr (Gary Commock). I doubt they were killed immediately, seeing how the terrorist need help to gain control of the plane and how to lock the door. While, the movie might seem exploitation, the film was made with the cooperation of all of the passengers' families with their blessing. Yet, there is a few things in value, besides the movie being somewhat a curiosity memorial. About the critics calling this movie, biased American propaganda, I have to say, the film is really, not. The film doesn't really explore the political conflict between the United States Government and Al-Qaeda that much. Nor does the movie depict the attackers as over the top clichés Arab terrorists. Instead, the movie depict the attackers, as deeply misguided religious zealots, who happens to be real human beings as well. Also, to all 9/11 Conspiracy Theorists that believe Sept. 11 was an inside job. It's clear to state out by the research, I done for this report, that United 93 was not shot down by an American aircraft nor safety landed in Ohio. The American Government isn't that strong, to cover all of those inaccuracies. In the end, I can't say, the movie is entertaining. First off, it's really upsetting to watch, no matter, how many times, you watch it. At the time, I first saw this movie in 2006. There is a great deal of discussion about whether America is ready to revisit Sept. 11, 2001. I still, kinda feel that it was too early for a movie to be made, about the subject. Recently rewatching it, I felt the same sense of dread that gripped me then. It's such a downer. Even, the predictable ending is bittersweet, at best. It's still too fresh on the mind of most Americans. Overall: While, United 93 is a story of stomach-wrenching horror and tremendous courage. Knowing the tragic outcome of that horrible day will make you feel depressed. While, I can't recommended others on rewatching it. I can say, at least, keep in mind, that a few people onboard United 93 sacrifice their lives, for the chance that others may live. It is still a powerful, poignant reminder that freedom is not free and every-day life is a gifted, not to be wasted. United We Stand Always & Never Forget.