United 93: Review Round Up

After searching blogs for reviews of United 93, I was stunned by all the different viewpoints. Nearly all of them were positive, some talked about how they didn't want to feel depressed by watching the film. The exreme leftists went on their usual rants about conspiracy's and their fear of patriotism. Those posts weren't really about the movie, but their hatred of Bush, so they won't be included here. Each link below is coupled with a short sample of the bloggers post. So, after skimming over 23 search pages worth, here's the round up...


Debbie Schlussel When previews for "United 93" were shown in New York City movie houses, the crowd whined, "Too soon!" But "United 93" is not arriving in theaters too soon. If anything, it is arriving too late.It has been almost five years since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, and most Americans have fallen back to sleep. They've forgotten who our enemy is: extremist Islam...

American DigestA COUPLE OF FRIENDS asked me to go with them to see "United 93," but I declined both offers saying I wasn't sure that I needed any reminders other than what I saw in New York on that day. In the end, though, I went to it as I went to the funerals, alone...

Captains QuartersMost CQ readers know that I love films, and I often see provocative movies for the purpose of evaluating them. Munich was one such film that I probably would not have bothered to see otherwise, at least not in the theaters. Oddly, I felt the same trepidation with United 93, but for completely different reasons. I had no real fear that the movie had been politically skewed; I just wasn't eager to relive the attacks of 9/11. Nevertheless, this afternoon the First Mate and I both attended the matinee at our local theater, and while we both were glad to have seen it, we also won't see it again soon...

MoonbatteryIf you haven't seen United 93 yet, please do so at your earliest convenience. This sober depiction of the events of 9/11 is a fitting tribute to the heroes who brought United Airlines Flight 93 down in a Pennsylvania field before the Muslims who had hijacked it could crash it into the Capitol. Without injecting any opinionating, the movie makes it crystal clear why we must aggressively confront Islamic terrorism...

Clarity and ResolveThis is—or should be—the movie of our time. This is the honest look at the evil that came to America almost five years ago to steal our loved ones, to strike terror into our hearts, and to challenge all the good that we exemplify. Well written, superbly acted, and exquisitely filmed, United 93 is a fine movie. But these qualities cause the film to transcend the fact that it is a film, and this leaves the viewer alone with the raw human emotion of considering what it must have been like for our fellow human beings—our countrymen—to go through such horror, just like it did on that awful day...

Damianation!It looks like United 93 will open in third place at the box office this weekend, with around $10-11 million. The new releases RV and Stick It were first and second, respectively, on Friday night. But note the films' respective per-screen averages: RV opened in over twice as many theatres as United 93, but didn't make that much more money...

Junkyard Blog’ve little to add to the discussion of United 93. My thoughts have largely been too personal and not sufficiently interesting to anyone else write down here. It is nonetheless one of those movies you can’t help but talk about, so I can’t help making a few notes. For the best review of the film I’ve seen so far, go read Dave at Garfield Ridge. I’ll agree with almost everything Dave says, including his analysis of the film as a tragedy of complex systems (note that the hijacking was an atrocity; but the film is a tragedy) and his conclusion that “United 93 is the best movie of 2006 so far, and I can’t fathom how any film this year can be more powerful than this one.” If you want more reviews and more discussion, Allahpundit at Hot Air has an authoritative roundup...

PeaktalkFor some obscure reason I always find myself going through the morning of 9/11 step by step, minute by minute, hijacked plane by hijacked plane. Even now there are days when I try to relive it and bring some order into that chaotic morning. If you go and see United 93 – which I did yesterday – you will go through exactly the same, an almost real-time experience of reliving of what happened that morning. And order you need to create as the movie reveals the chaos and confusion that governed the various flight control centers, something brought home poignantly by the fact that a number of the actors are in fact the actual people that manned these centers on 9/11...

ShrinkwrappedLast night Mrs. ShrinkWrapped and I saw "United 93." It was a very intense, often harrowing, experience. Since we knew the outcome from the start, the tension came from the filmmakers ability to induce an effortless suspension of disbelief; you felt that you were int he airport, in the air traffic control centers, inside the plane. The people, while shown with minimal character development (the film proceeds in "real time") were recognizable human beings facing unprecedented situations. It took me several minutes to catch my breath when it ended, yet ultimately, it was a positive and very optimistic evening. The movie also helped me understand something that I have written about many times, yet grasped in a much more visceral way while watching a movie that had the feel of a documentary...

Righty in a lefty StateI went to see the movie United 93 today, and I found the film so realistic that I will now 'remember' the events in the airplane as they were depicted. I can't tell anyone else how it will affect them - but I will say that I think the movie is very important for all Americans to see, and that it affected me less than I was afraid it would. I certainly can understand that many people don't wish to have this experience, or at least not in a theater.. .

The Wide Awake Cafe“Democrats who are against this war should have to wear “I work for Al-Qaida badges at all times”, my husband said on our way home from the movie, United 93. That is the powerful impact that it had on us. It was one of the most gripping movies I have ever seen...

Previously OwnedUnited 93 is an extremely powerful film; an understated and fitting tribute to the people who fought back and eventually lost their lives on that fateful flight. Almost five years later, there ought to be a memorial that does the same thing - here in New York, in Washington D.C. and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania...

Perspecives of a NomadI went to see United 93 today, and must say, WOW! While the story line was, of course, very depressing, the movie was really well done. It never broke down into wild speculation, spectacular special effects, or over dramatization. Instead, it compiles what we do know into a cohesive timeline of the events of September 11th...

The Liberal Lie, The Conservative TruthYesterday I took the opportunity to watch , "United 93, " the just released film about the flight that went down in Pennsylvania on September 11. There has been a little controversy about this film. Some say that it is too early and that we do not need to be reminded on film of that events of 9/11...

Random BlurbingsThere have been three major stories dominating the news in America this week. The President’s slipping approval ratings, a rape case involving some college athletes, and the release of United 93. This is probably the most controvertial movie of the year, and it has been difficult to avoid news stories, op-eds and continual advertising trailers featuring director Paul Greengrass explaining his motives for making it...


Chickenhawk ExpressJust got in from seeing the Saturday afternoon showing of "United 93". I actually convinced my husband to go with me (the last time we saw a movie at the theater was 4 years ago). He was really ambivalent about going but humored me.
There is truly no single word that can describe the movie. It hurt all the way down to my soul, watching the movie and knowing that this was not just some fictional story concocted by a talented writer. This was real. It happened. Not just to the people on Flight 93, but to the entire country. Tears flowed freely at various points in the movie. The telltale sound of sniffing told me that I was not the only one...

Cross Bloggingwent to see United 93 today. It was very well done. They captured the essence of the day perfectly. The stunned silence as the FAA, and Military were watching on monitors and TV screens reflected the way multitudes of Americans reacted that day...

What's Bruinust got back from watching United 93. Not exactly typical “weekend entertainment”. It was a very serious movie, but I enjoyed it very much...

The Freedom Fighter's Journal MAN! For once the reviewers had it right! An awesome movie and a very intense experience that leaves the viewer emotionally exhausted when it ended...

Right from the RightI took my oldest daughter to see "United 93" today. We were both choking back tears and anger as the movie unfolded. Even now, it's difficult to write because the emotions the film evokes are so strong...

Skye PuppyI just got back from seeing United 93 for the second time this weekend. The first time I saw it was Friday afternoon, and I wanted to see it again...

Composite DrawingsI just got back from having seen the movie. I can't really add anything about United 93 to what I've posted in the header, above, but I can say, everything I'd heard already was right. It's a must-see movie...

RF BurnsExcuse me while I get something off of my chest."The 9/11 hijackers are bastard cowards who took the easy way out. No mess, no fuss and no answering questions and no way for retribution. I hope all of their 72 virgins have syphilis..."
Muskegon Pundit I was prepared to cry, so I went alone to the theatre. I was also expecting to be angry, as I was on 9-11 and still am. But "United 93" made me neither sad nor angry. I was proud...

Expose the LeftIt was done extremely well. No politics are involved, just straight facts. I don’t know how someone could review the movie and give it less than an A, but several reviewers did (via Neal)...

Too ConservativeI just got back from watching United 93. As a movie junkie, who has worked in three movie theatres, I’ve seen a whole lot of movies. There is only one other movie which echoes the power of United 93:The Passion of the Christ...

McBlogTake tissues. Take anger management courses first. I took two friends with me to restrain me and still almost broke the chair in front of me. I think my 'eat that, pig f*&^r!' and 'die goat raping motherf&^%er!' when the passengers attacked the Islamic goat-fellating pig-f&*(s was making the neighboring moviegoers nervous though...


The Smoothing Plane“We’re at war with somebody, stop all the flights!", said Sliney.
Indeed we are. Unknown actors made me hate them, and I am angry again. Kill all the terrorists...

Michealakers.net…was the most moving movie I’ve ever seen. Possibly the best movie I’ve ever seen. It took me back to somewhere I haven’t been since September 11, 2001, and it also took me to a place I havent been since July 2, 2005…..

The Ready RoomOn the morning of September 11th, 2001, I, like everyone else in this nation, stood horrified, watching the Twin Towers smolder on the television before me. A TV had been dragged to the main lobby of the building where I was on duty at Bolling Air Force Base base, and dozens of us were crowded around it...

Red StateWe should begin by saying what this film is not. It is not tawdry, jingoistic, exploitative or one-sided: it is not either a whitewashing of or an apologia for persons or institutions; and it is not too soon for this film to be shown...

Thought You'd Never AskI went alone as an act of homage to see the film "United 93" directed by Paul Greengrass that opened this weekend. The theater was crowded, but the moviegoers were unusually silent throughout the film, until the audience burst into applause at the final narrative frames...

Do You See What I See???The movie wasn't what I expected. I expected more of a drama that focused on the action in the plane, but this movie covered a lot more. Most of the really interesting scenes were the opcenter ones...

The Evening of KentThis is one of those movies that could have been done horribly wrong. Remember Apollo 13? Now, try applying the screenwriting on that film to United 93...
Iceman BloggethDespite Hollywood's best efforts, 9/11 will be remembered...

NewsbustersYou can’t miss it on television or radio. There are even some newspaper reports of the cry... “Too Soon...Too Soon!” All accounts are referring to the release of the new motion picture “United 93”, a graphic portrait of the events which unfolded on September 11, 2001...

The Daily BriefSeveral years ago, I lamented on this very blog, how no movies had come out of Hollywood post-9/11 that told our stories of heroism in the ongoing war against the forces of militantly jihadist Islam. I can’t find that particular entry among four years worth of tri-weekly posts, since I can’t remember what I called it, but I remember pointing out that the dust was barely settled on our WWII defeats at Bataan, and Wake Island, before Hollywood had rushed out stories focusing on the heroic resistance, and our national resolve...

In The BullpenI saw the movie United 93 today. This movie is amazing and I highly recommend it to everyone. If you have been living in a cave and don’t know, the movie United 93 is the story of the brave passengers who grounded the plane to save it’s target, either the White House or the Capitol...

TheStupid Shall Be Punished"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." -- John 15:13 I just got back from seeing United 93 tonight, and I'll answer the question that I'm sure is on most of your minds right away -- yes, I did cry...

Leaning Straight UpI want you to go , but I won’t. The reasons why are fairly complicated, as is my feeling about the movie. In certain ways the movie is a good thing and a bad thing...