World Trade Center

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Title: World Trade Center

Year of Release: 2006

Date Viewed: September 1st, 2011

MPAA Rating: PG-13

"And the rockets red glare

The bombs bursting in air

Gave proof through the night

That our flag was still there"

Until September 11th of 2001, The Star Spangled Banner (United States national anthem) was simply a routine for most Americans. It's traditionally performed before every organized sporting event. And some schools instruct our youth to recite both that and the Pledge of Allegiance before every school day as a way of paying respect to the country's founders. But the song and especially those italicized lyrics hit home on a personal level like never before following the surprise suicide attacks by a group of religious extremists that took the lives of nearly three thousand civilians. The motives are still debated except for the ultimate goal which was to paralyze the country into fear and despair. That didn't happen. After the initial wave of shock and confusion, Americans from all cultures and backgrounds set aside their partisan differences to mourn the loss of their fellow citizens and encourage each other to stay optimistic for the future. There was a felling of unity that many had never experienced before. The country's spirit was still alive. The flag was still there.

A movie based on the September 11th events was inevitable. But when news of upcoming major Hollywood projects hit the media machine, there was a lot of protest and skepticism. Many believed it to be too soon and insensitive to financially capitalize on a national tragedy. There were also some concerned questions about how the subject matter would be handled. Will it be a political rally? Will it follow the Titanic/Pearl Harbor formula? Will it be a conspiracy theory? The announcement of Oliver Stone signing on to direct a project titled "World Trade Center" gave legitimacy to that last question. But if the skeptics knew exactly what Stone and screenwriter Andrea Berloff had in mind, there wouldn't have been much of an issue at all because the message is a vital one in that special spirit of unity that gradually (and unfortunately) became lost again over time.

Part of what made the tragedy so memorable was how there was never a reason to anticipate it. The movie follows the fact-based accounts of two Port Authority police officers. Their September 11th morning started the same way as all others. With a routine. The opening shot is a darkened bedroom illuminated only by a digital alarm clock; the first thing most everyone sees every morning.

The two police heroes follow a typical routine of showering in the morning, driving to work ahead of rush hour dawn and checking in for assigned duties. Will Jimeno (Michael Pena) has a lot to look forward to in life. His law enforcement career shows promise and a new daughter is months away from joining the family. John McLoughlin (Nicolas Cage) is a veteran Sergeant with the more impressive resume and the more stressful home life. In recent years, he's been falling out of touch with his wife and children.

The ordinary day turns into an unforgettably dark event when two hijacked commercial airplanes crash into the two World Trade Center towers. McLoughlin leads a group of police volunteers in an attempt to rescue trapped civilians inside one of the buildings. But before they could even make their initial ascent, the two buildings crumble to the ground and kill most everyone within its destruction radius. McLoughlin and Jimeno are the only surviving members of their squad but are trapped and injured underneath the rubble. Nobody outside of their claustrophobic prison knows if they are alive or dead.

Stone's film begins as a view from the outside looking in. He doesn't even bother to recreate the fatal plane crash because the realization of danger is more powerful than actually witnessing it. All we ever see of the crash is a passing shadow. Just as how the real events unfolded, there is first rampant fear and confusion. The officers depicted in the picture learn all their information from phone calls of family members watching the early aftermath on television; still not knowing who was behind it and why. It's not until McLoughlin and Jimeno fall victim to the wreckage when the movie shifts to the inside looking out. Now begins a film solely about the victims and the grieving families. With the exception of a brief audio clip of President George W. Bush addressing the nation, there is no mention of terrorism or politics. The trapped policemen have nothing to do except struggle to stay awake while waiting and hoping for a rescue team to hear their painful cries for help.

To balance out monotony, Maria Bello and Maggie Gyllenhaal deliver heartbreaking performances as the officers' wives. They eagerly anticipate the phone call that will confirm their husbands' fate but fear the undesired outcome. Being spontaneously thrown into this psychological pit of despair can cause one to lose a clear sense of the world around him/her. The actions of Jimeno's wife can seem irrational or even comical when seen out of context but are so true to life for anyone that can vividly remember their last experience of trauma. It's the basis for psychological horror but the filmmakers are able to grow it into something more meaningful; like a clearer understanding of what's truly important in life. Whatever falling out McLoughlin had with his wife doesn't hold a candle to the possibility of them never seeing each other again. What could seem as the end of the world yesterday is now meaningless in the present.

I often see fellow bloggers comment that movies like this won't have the same effect on people who live outside North America. I can't entirely agree because it depends on what kind of effect they're referring to. World Trade Center is sure to bring back the butterflies that lurked in the stomachs of everyone who watched the events unfold through the media outlets. For those who cannot fully relate to that scarring experience, there still remains the universal messages of doing what's right and never losing hope even when the light seems unreachable. The world witnessed the best and worst of mankind on September 11th, 2001. This movie is a celebration of the best.

Rating: 9

DOA: Dead or Alive

Title: DOA: Dead or Alive

Year of Release: 2006

Date Viewed: November 17th, 2010

MPAA Rating: PG-13

"Princess Kasumi, your brother is dead. Your destiny is to lead your people."

Those are the first lines spoken in the movie. My reaction was laughter. Talk about cutting right to the chase. Since the movie wasted absolutely no time in getting to the point, I was half expecting the next lines to be "I have avenged my brother. My people are safe again." Cue the end credits.

DOA doesn't care much about its story. I wish it had. Movie studios don't seem to notice or care that modern videogames contain rich art, including well thought-out storylines. The DOA games provided every playable character with a backstory; something that could be further expanded upon through sequels or spinoff projects. This live action adaptation was a great opportunity to present these tales on the grandest stage; the big cinematic screen. Instead, the studio decided to go a different route. Amplify the campiness and hire Corey Yuen to direct enough over-the-top fighting scenes to fill the traditional ninety minute running time. Despite the disappointment over my ideals not being met, I didn't really mind too much since I enjoy over-the-top action as much as anyone could. So instead of rich art, I was treated to mild enjoyment of a somewhat lazy effort.

To my surprise, there were actually a lot of things accurately adapted from the game. It's probably the result of seasoned game-to-film director Paul W.S. Anderson serving as a producer. The jury is still out on whether or not this guy is a good filmmaker. But it's clear that he at least respects videogames enough to possess the right amount of general knowledge to give fans plenty of familiarity comfort.

Dead or Alive is the name of an invitational martial arts tournament held on a remote island. A huge cash prize is promised for the winner. Many of the character backstories are unaltered from their original vision. Ayane is chasing Kasumi for assassination. Zack is a cocky athlete with bad hair that overestimates his ability to woo the ladies. Bass and Tina are a father/daughter pro wrestling tag team. Other characters like Gen Fu and Brad Wong are included but dismissed early on; victims of first round elimination never to be heard from again. I was also pleased to see a wise selection of fight arenas. Locations like the beach and the castle balcony are taken straight out of the game with accurate real world dimensions.

Only a few characters and situations are sidetracked from their origins. Helena is not a French opera singer in this story. She is relegated to the one-dimensional ditsy stereotype role that should have already been filled by Tina. There is a non-secret twist in the story that sets up a subplot for the villain. The island's ruler, Donovan (Eric Roberts), is the mastermind behind the tournament. Unbeknownst to the contestants, they have all been injected with an information gathering nanobot that tracks every movement. As the contestants progress through the tournament, data of their fight patterns are recorded into Donovan's new technology that will allow him to emulate and master all the fighting techniques of his subjects. When optimized, his product is planned to be sold to the world black market, allowing other warlords the potential for increased stronghold in their respective areas.

The early fight scenes are unsatisfactory. The style certainly fits the mood. That's not the problem. Flashy exaggerated strikes followed by crowd pleasing finishing moves is the way to go. Gravity laws do not apply here and that's perfectly okay. However, there is no rhythm or flow to the action. Fighting videogames are usually sloppy, but they still show more consistency than what Yuen's choreographers offer here. The technique is reminiscent of an ESPN highlight reel. It tries too hard to please with the cool looking stuff while failing to generate excitement from conflict. For fight scenes to be truly exhilarating, they need to be shown in real time or at least realistic time. Otherwise it's just noisy fireworks without the eye candy. One likely reason for this choice in presentation could be compensation for the lack of athletic talent. Acquiring actors with attractive bodies was higher on the priority list than having experienced martial arts students. It's understandable that the movie needed to stray away from authentic action. But in this case, more time is spent dancing around the action to cover up for the actors' faults. Too much CGI and wires ruin the illusion of battle. The only female actress that seemed tailor made for the challenge was Sarah Carter (Helena), who can proudly claim to have the best fight scene in the movie; a gauntlet sword battle against a few dozen of Donovan's henchmen. By the time the third act rolls around, the action is given room to breathe, somewhat redeeming the earlier mistakes.

The DOA games have only been half serious with the rest firmly tongue-in-cheek. The movie neglects the former and embraces the latter. And I have to admit, the results are smile-inducing for weird folks like myself. There is something oddly amusing about watching an attractive lady ask her foe to snap up her bra just before knocking him unconscious. A standout casting choice is Kevin Nash in the role of the buff wrestler Bass. His natural comedic timing has enough power to make a lame scene work. On his way to battle his daughter Tina in an elimination bracket, he discovers her sleeping in the same bed as Christie, out of context. His reaction is gold.

It's too bad I can't say the same for my own reactions toward this mixed bag. On one hand, there is enough quantity of chop-socky fun to satisfy the part of us that hasn't yet grown out of Saturday morning cartoons. On the other hand, the material suffers from its own shallow approach, surely disappointing the strong wings of the fanbase. The movie isn't meant to be taken seriously, but that doesn't mean the production deserved the same treatment.

Rating: 5