Customer Reviews

National Geographic: Inside 9/11 (Commemorative Edition)

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is the first documentary produced for television that links America's 9/11 event to the burgeoning army that defeated the Soviets in Afghanistan in 1980. That army came to be known as Al Quaeda. After defeating the Soviets this group of multinational mercenaires, led financially and spiritually by Osama bin Laden, decided to take on the other remaining world power, the United States. This is the linchpin for events from Sept. 11, 2001 and everything that has happened since that time.

This is a scintillating documentary told in allegorical detail of events around the world. It pinpoints the assassination of New York Rabbi Meir Kahane as the signature event that launched Al Quaeda's campaign in the United States. Kahane had been a Jewish leader in New York that rallied worldwide support and opinion against Soviet and Middle Eastern mistreatment of Jews with great success. His assassination was a new entry in modern history and a great success for Al Quaeda.

There is so much going on in this four-hour epic that it cannot be adequately described in a review. The first two hours authenticate the historic development of Al Quaeda and its plans to destroy the World Trade Center. The back two hours are a blow-by-blow account of events leading to 9/11. This film moves at a rapid pace and is far more engaging than the movie HBO showed in the middle of the night, "The Hamburg Cell", about the conspirators from 9/11 and their plotting in Germany.

I urge anyone that likes documentaries, American history, or good filmmaking to acquire this CD at the earliest possible moment. Until another production comes along that casts these events together in greater detail, with better production values and a beefier script, this will remain the authoriatative television documentary on this subject.

Kudos to the National Geographic Channel for producing this outstanding program and taking up the gauntlet dropped by The Discovery Channel and The Learning Channel, which formerly did this kind of programming well but now seem more interested in televising "reality" programs about police chases and motorcycle mechanics.

The National Geographic Channel, which is currently airing an equally outstanding documentary on the failures of hurricane Katrina, is now the best option on cable for this kind of ex post facto documentary. This film is its best work to date and should be in everyone's library that enjoys knowing what the hell is going on in the world.

I have about 12 9/11 DVDs and this one, without a doubt, is the best one. If you only want to buy one 9/11 DVD, this is the one you want.

There are 2 discs. Disc 1 is about 4 hours long and has 2 parts. The 1st part is a chronological run down of all of the known events leading to the 9/11 attacks. I have to admit that I was surprised how much National Geographic was able to put together. The 2nd part of disc 1 gives a minute by minute run down of all of the events that took place on the day of the attacks. Once again, I was surprised how much National Geographic was able to put together. You'll hear accounts from those on the planes (via recorded phone calls) and accounts from those who were near or on the floors of the Twin Towers that got hit by the planes. These accounts are chilling. There was about a solid hour during the 2nd part of disc 1 where I had the chills. You will be utterly speechless by the end of the 1st disc.

This is a DVD that every American should see because on 9/11 we all asked ourselves, "How could something like this have happened?" Well, this DVD answers that question and we really should pay attention to that answer so that it won't happen again. So many people could have prevented this tragedy and we didn't.

This DVD goes in to a great level of detail which I personally like, but someone with ADD or a short attention span may have a hard time sitting through a 4 hour-long documentary, though I personally was rivetted to my TV throughout all of disc 1. I recommend watching the 1st disc in 3 or 4 parts, though once you start watching the 2nd half, you will not be able to stop.

This DVD is amazing! I'm glad I bought it and I really think you should buy it, watch it and remember/learn how destructive hate can be and how important it is that we all do what we can to prevent this sort of thing, because it CAN happen again.

I just viewed this DVD. The release date on this one is 2005, it has 2 DVDs and it does not have the Commemorative Edition in black at the top of the DVD. So the picture here is a bit misleading but the front cover itself looks like the one here.

Disc 1: To be honest I didn't watch it all. I do not, in any way, wish to "understand" terrorist actions or the finatics that take part in it. Yes,there's theories of "conspiracy" with all the warning signs prior to 9/11 but since I'm not privy to government secrets I have no way of knowing if they're warranted or not. No matter what major event happens, there's always a conspiracy theory that follows. I didn't want this DVD for political reasons. But I will say, I'll never understand why America allows people to gather for the simple purpose of spewing forth hatred and violence toward others. We have freedom of speech but I do not believe that talk of this nature is what our forefathers were thinking of.

Disc 2: This disc is why I want this DVD. It shows a minute by minute account of Sept. 11th from the terrorist finatics at the various airports to the sounds of emergency beepers going off on the emergency personnel trapped in the tower rubble. This DVD has short accounts by survivors of the towers, rescue personnel and a few family members that lost loved ones. No lengthy, tear at your heart, interviews. My imagination can do that quite nicely without actually hearing the words.

So 4 stars because all I want is disc 2 and I wish these two discs had been sold separately. I love the way NG laid out the whole program. Each time showing the time of what was about to happen. I could follow the entire day, minute by minute. This is what I want and if there's other programs put out in this same format, I'm not aware of them so I have no way to compare.

This is a well-made documentary about the 9/11/2001 airline-based terrorist attacks against the World Trade Towers (successful), Pentagon (successful) and White House (unsuccessful).

I can't agree with the one-star conspiracy theorists that people who like this DVD are just gullible followers. You can hear Osama Bin Laden (translated) tell us the difference between his terrorist buddies and the USA is that we love life and they love death. Not too difficult to determine who the baddies are, eh?

The first disc provides background on terrorism in general and the individual 9/11 attackers specifically. The second disc focusses on the events of 9/11, alternating between the various hijacked aircraft and the ground targets. It also includes interviews with survivors and relatives of victims, and has a narrated still-photo gallery.

There are many 9/11 documentaries but I doubt any are better than this National Geographic effort.

I rate this as 5-stars not from a vantage-point of enjoyment, but from a place of assessing it's importance.

This should be required viewing in schools, government, and elsewhere to truly understand how events unfolded. Yes, it provides background on the "seeds" that later sprouted so horrifically.

National Geographic was thorough, accurate, respectful yet honest, and well-rounded.

This is not a propoganda piece at all. NGS simply presentes information, photos, video footage, interviews & comments and background history on Afghanistan, Mujahadeen, Soviet Union in the Middle East in the 1980's, the 1993 bombing of the WTC, and other pertinent information which any of you can look up elsewhere to corroborate it.

This is not "easy" to watch. Any person with a heart and conscious will cringe at alot of what you will see and hear. Whatever your politics (and/or conspiracy theories), just watch this to appreciate your fellow everyday Americans. You really feel like you are "there" when you see this.

I don't recommend younger children watch this alone, and I would strongly encourage parents to discuss this with their children, no matter the age.

My own comment is: While the terrorists themselves committed these acts and are responsible, Americans truly need to learn and understand what America as a political entity and military power has done through the many decades to other countries and peoples.


Kind regards,

Scott T. Shier, Michigan

I had this dvd for some time now. Then a week after 5/1/2011 the date The U.S. found a killed 9/11 Mastermind Osama Bin Laden the National geographic channel aired this very program. After the momentus killing of this mass murderer i wanted to see the entire program again to refresh the history leading up to the dreadful day in us/world history. The year by year and step by step story behind 9/11 is very detailed. I am a history buff so i enjoyed/endured the it.

Using this review section to berate a documentary for not telling a story that lines up with a particular set of conspiracy theories is a misuse of this site, and it is worse to proceed to advertise other websites and DVDs. I'm waiting for this film to be released, but when it originally aired, it received rave reviews from a number of credible people.

Inside 9/11 takes us on a vivid journey, starting with the origins of militant Islam and the genesis of 'The Planes' plot all the way to zero hour. The documentary utilizes a unique hyperlink filmmaking style that riveted my eyes to the screen. There are countless moments I wished to turn away . . . but could not. While Inside 9/11 details the face of evil, it also shows the selfless courage of so many who sacrificed their lives to save complete strangers. First person accounts complement stark video coverage in telling the story. I've watched several of these films; Inside 9/11 provides the most complete detailing of a day that will never be forgotten. The film succeeds because it blends the micro(like the ticket agent who gave Atta his ticket) with the macro view of 9/11. I felt like I had lived through 9/11 again . . . this time with understanding.

Today,Tommarrow and in the Future we will always remember today. When planes got hijacked and when the buildings fell and when millions of lives were lost. Ten years and counting we will always remember September 11 2001.

When you put this in your DVD Player, be prepared for a full blown journey into what led up to September 11th, you will be taken into the training camps of Al Queida, you will learn how an ordinary 6'5" Saudi with wealthy background became America's most dangerous terrorist.

This DVD is as compelling as it gets, it is over 3 1/2 hours long and leaves no stone unturned, unless you are one of those conspiracy theorists who believes 9/11 was an inside job, which I am inclined to believe to a point that Bush and his flunkies knew there was an attack on the way and did nothing to stop it simply on the basis that they wanted to go to war with someone.

But enough of my opinions, that's not what this review is about, there is not one boring minute in this documentary, if you want to see what led up to 9/11, then you owe it to yourself to see this video, I have so many 9/11 documentaries on my shelf but if I want to sit and show someone why 9/11 happened, I'll show them this one.

Get it, you will not be disappointed.......whether or not you wish to believe what is in this documentary or not is subject to your interpretation of the facts within the DVD.