 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
World Trade Center
- Review Date: December 12, 2006
- PG-13
- Genre: Drama
- 2006
Common Sense Media says
Inspiring 9/11 account too much for younger kids.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this film isn't appropriate for younger kids and may be too much for sensitive teens. It includes explicit images of the World Trade Center Towers collapsing, mostly from inside the buildings (with crashing/exploding sound effects). It also features potentially upsetting television footage and recreations of Ground Zero, the air filled with smoke and dust, with fires burning. Early on, you see a body falling from a tower (and cops' horrified reactions); later, several men are crushed by the falling building; one dies on screen, gurgling blood from his mouth as another observes (again, horrified). At the hospital the victims' injuries are visible (broken limbs, bloody faces). Family members waiting for news are tense and sad, and some argue; a woman cries about her lost son; a pregnant woman vomits; some characters smoke cigarettes and use occasional harsh language.
What's the story?
"Based on actual accounts of surviving participants," WORLD TRADE CENTER builds on details. Port Authority Police Department Sergeant John McLoughlin (Nicolas Cage,/a>) begins a routine day on 9/11, then leads his team on a mission to help people escape the World Trade Center, but the towers fall and trap him and rookie cop Will Jimeno (Michael Pena). Injured, they hang on for long hours. The survivors' waiting comprises much of the film, their fear and character exposed in tight close-ups. Unable to move, their heroism is defined by their pain and fortitude, rather than comic-booky action. We also see TV viewers around the world, shocked at the destruction, and worried families including Will and John's. John and Will essentially talk each other into staying awake, and there is a supremely subjective moment experienced by Will -- the film's effort to reconstruct what went on in the men's minds during this most grueling experience. In another subplot, we see Ground Zero through the eyes of hardnosed Marine Dave Karnes (Michael Shannon), who, according to an epigraph, goes on to seek "vengeance" during two tours in Iraq.
Is it any good?
September 11th remains a difficult day to remember, even as it's increasingly mythologized and recast in media images. While it may not be time for all viewers to see the images of devastation in Oliver Stone's World Trade Center, others will appreciate the uplifting point as it focuses on a small group of people to recount a vast tragedy.
Will and John's story is more effective than the heavy-handed representation of Marine Dave Karnes. A kind of military guardian angel, he looks at Ground Zero and proclaims, "It's like God made a curtain with the smoke, shielding us from what were not ready to see." It's an outsized, quintessentially Stoneian moment (think: Willem Dafoe dying with arms outstretched in Platoon), resolutely apolitical and burdened with mythic meaning).
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the relationship that develops between the two survivors, John and Will: How do they keep each other alive by sharing personal stories? How does the community get through the waiting and grieving? How do the kids react to their fathers' unknown status? How do their mothers answer their questions in ways that are honest and also comforting?
Families can also talk about their own recollections of the day and answer any questions kids may have about the tragic events.
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
NOT AT ALL FOR KIDS OR TWEENS
Very, very disturbing and violent. Extremely depressing and traumatic. There are so many deaths and the profanity isn't the worst. Not recommended for 13+ and under.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
*yawns*
even though i'm american, 9/11 never affected me, and still doesn't. this movie was interesting, but dragged on and on... so boring. i know the movie wasn't supposed to point fingers at anyone, but people take these things so personally in my opinion.
Was this review useful?
|
|
April 9, 2008
AGE
A must see movie for ages 12 and up
A graphic intense movie, showing what happened on 9/11. This movie is worth watching. It has a good moral and can show first hand what happended on 9/11
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Another important movie.
This is pretty intense, and probably would not be good for teens under 17, but older ones would benefit from this personal experience of two firefighters trapped in the World Trade Center on 9-11. I was brought to tears a number of times.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
I sobbed half-way through.
This was a truly heart-wenching movie. It made me realize what it was like during the tragedy for the families and the victims. Although, no one will ever really feel how they did. Not something for kids under 13.
Was this review useful?
|
|
| Studio: | Paramount Pictures |
| Director: | Oliver Stone |
| Cast: | Maria Bello, Michael Pena, Nicolas Cage |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Run time: | 125 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | August 9, 2006 |
| DVD release date: | December 12, 2006 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | intense and emotional content, some disturbing images and language |
Review It
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
Already seen it? What do you think?
More from Common Sense Media
Top advice and articles
