Product Details

• Actors: Nicolas Cage, Michael Peńa, Maria Bello, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Connor Paolo
• Directors: Oliver Stone
• Writers: Allison Jimeno, Andrea Berloff, Donna McLoughlin, John McLoughlin, William Jimeno
• Producers: Chantal Feghali, Debra Hill
• Format: AC-3, Blu-ray, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 2.0)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region A/1 (Read more about DVD/Blu-ray formats.)
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Paramount
• DVD Release Date: June 3, 2008
• Run Time: 129 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (230 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000JMK6LM
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #90,348 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "World Trade Center (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray]" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Regardless of whether it was "too early" in 2006 to dramatize the events of September 11th, 2001, World Trade Center succeeds as a tribute to the courage and sacrifice of those who served at "ground zero" in the wake of terrorist attacks on the WTC's twin towers in New York City. Removed from the politics of war and terrorism (yet still, like all films, inherently political in expressing its point of view), Oliver Stone's potent drama focuses on the nightmarish ordeal, and subsequent rescue, of Port Authority policemen John McLoughlin (Nicolas Cage) and Will Jimeno (Michael Peña), who were buried deeply within the rubble of the WTC after the twin towers collapsed. Granted, it's only the film's historical context that distinguishes it from any other dramatic rescue story, but in focusing on the goodness of humanity in response to the evil of terrorists who remain unnamed and off-screen, Stone and first-time screenwriter Andrea Berloff create an emotional context as powerful as anything Stone has directed since Platoon. Even as he resorts to some questionable tactics typically lacking in subtlety, Stone refrains from much of the blunt-force filmmaking that has made him a critical punching bag, rising to this challenging occasion with a heartfelt and deeply American portrait of unity – personal, familial, and national. Flaws and all, World Trade Center serves an honorable purpose, reminding us all that for those fleeting days in September 2001, America showed its best face to a sympathetic world. --Jeff Shannon

Product Description

"World Trade Center is a film about heroism and the best in all of us," raves Good Morning America’s Joel Siegel. Academy Award winner, Nicolas Cage stars in the unforgettable true story of the courageous rescue and survival of two Port Authority policemen who were trapped in the rubble on September 11, 2001 after they volunteered to go in and help. Academy Award winning director, Oliver Stone reveals an intimate look at the events of the day as seen through the eyes of the survivors, their families and their rescuers

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Respect, Mr. Stone April 2, 2007

By H. Schneider

Format:DVD

I remember Sep 11 like this: I was visiting in Shanghai, came to my hotel room in the evening, not so late, turned on CNN as usual, and saw a plane fly into one of the towers. It took me quite some time to understand what I had just seen. I called my wife and asked her to turn on TV at home. She had not heard yet.
I never felt more American than on that day.
I am German, by the way.
When I heard that Oliver Stone was making a movie about this, I could not believe it. Too early, too monumental, too emotionally loaded, too ideologically simple. This could only become a bad film.
It hasn't. It is a simple story about confusion and heroism and survival. Well done.
You never see a plane fly into anything. You only hear people talk about it, but there are also some who don't believe it. It shows you the segmented vision of people who are near the center. People watching TV in Shanghai probably knew more of what actually happened right at the time than those caught in the middle of it.
Stone stays away from explicit interpretation, he leaves that to the spectator.

34 of 40 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Oliver stone directs attention to people, not events, in new 9/11 film August 8, 2006

By Kyle R. Pierson

It would have been easy for Oliver Stone to focus his attention on the people watching as the planes struck them in the tower. It would have been more dramatic to concentrate on those who lost their lives as opposed to those who survived. It would have been more action-packed, if Mr. Stone had followed the news reels, instead of narrowing his vision to just a small team of heroes trapped inside the rubble. A less experienced director would have made all of those mistakes. Stone chose to cast light on what really became of America during the moments of September 11, 2001. None of us need to be reminded of the thousands of lives that perished. What "World Trade Center" does remind us of, is how people from across the nation and around the globe came together; how hundreds risked their lives to save only a few, and why peace is not something Americans can take for granted. Although many a tear was shed at the premiere featuring local police and fire officials, the movie had an uplifting message. Everyone in the audience that I spoke with loved the movie and many were surprised that the film wasn't more depressing. I was encouraged by the way the film was crafted and quite pleased with the end result. New information had come to light that I had not been aware of and it was interesting to see how those directly involved were effected. I understand that for many, the thought of seeing a recreation of those horrific events will prevent them from venturing out to their local theatre. I, for one, believe that the film was tastefully done and there's good lessons to be learned by all. There was only one actual shot in the film that I questioned. It was news footage of one of the people jumping to their death from one of the top floors.... However, that scene later explains the sound that the firefighters heard as bodies crashed around them. There was so much confusion from within the buildings that brief glimpses of news footage needed to be shown so that the viewers could better understand what those inside did not. I had expected to break down during the film, but intermixed with the drama of the situation is some slight humor between the two trapped Port Authority officers as they struggled to maintain composure and keep themselves alive. I applaud all involved with the project on a job well done. I never felt that the film took advantage of the terrible situation, but instead, paid incredible respect to the men, women, family, and friends who lives were cut short and forever impacted. "World Trade Center" is a fitting tribute to America and for what our nation stands. Read more ›

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Very well crafted. December 21, 2006

By Brian Manley

Format:DVD

Oliver Stone has made a very compelling and respectful portrayal

of one of the most inspiring stories of survival in our time.

I've seen a lot of movies in my life and this one is one of the few

that have stayed with me for days after seeing it. I was engaged from

beginning to end. World Trade Center also feels like one of Stone's

earlier films like Salvador or Platoon.Very raw.

There are a few minor flaws. The only complaint I have is the portrayal

of Staff Sargeant Karnes. It simply stands out too much in comparison

to the natural portrayal of the rest of the characters.

This is still a good film and an important film. Anybody who snubs

Stone for not making the conspiracy film they expect from him need to

get over it and see this. If he wanted to make a conspiracy film he

would have. He wanted to spread some hope. How could anyone have a problem with that? Thank you,Oliver!

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It is the story it is trying to tell January 1, 2007

By Melissa J. Newman

Format:DVD

The main part of the story is about two NYC police officers who are trapped in ruble and are rescued. It would not do justice for the 9-11 victims to tell every story of everybody that died or survived on that day. That is probably 6000 individual stories (survivors and people who died). All of their stories deserved to be told, and hopefully somebody somewhere is creating a website or a book to do just that. Some of them would be interesting enough to be made in a movie, but most likely they would better served by being made into a book that can be read one story at a time without any time boundness and dramatization that are required of movies.

As for this movie, it did the job is was designed to do. Is it a movie I would watch over and over again? No. Is it a movie I would recommend to others to see? Yes.

As for me, I went into the movie without having been exposed to the news coverage of the events day in and day out. I did not know how I would react seeing the dramatization of the "evils" of that day. I was glad that the movie did not focus on the dramatization of the airplanes crashing into the WTC. It was just shown on a TV in the background. I am also glad that it had zero coverage of the Muslims preparing for the day or whatever. They do not deserve the film time.

The movie told the story that it was designed to tell, and it did it very well. I feel sorry for the reviewers who are so exposed to hollywood dramatization that they cannot handle or accept true reality. The movie is the truth, not TV hollywood.

Oh, the marine person was not just thrown in. He was the man who found them, and the film did a very good job of showing his personality and his dedication to his task.... Everyone portrayed in that film is a real life hero, not a hollywood actor. They deserved to be treated as such. Read more ›