United 93 DVD Review

One of the best films of 2006 is also one of the most difficult to watch. There was a lot of discussion during United 93's theatrical release that it was just too emotionally powerful a film to sit through in theaters. Now on DVD, United 93 is an absolute must-see for anyone who can handle the challenge of reliving the events of one of the most devastating days in America's history.

Filmmaker Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy) walks the audience through the tragic events of September 11, 2001 when four airplanes were hijacked and used as missiles to destroy targets in America. United 93 tells its story in real time, letting the events unfold as they actually occurred on that fateful day.

The families of United Flight 93 cooperated with Greengrass and helped make sure their relatives' stories were told with honor, respect, and as accurately as possible. Greengrass chose to avoid any 'name' actors and also was able to get a lot of the real people involved in the events (including air traffic controllers) to play themselves in the film. The result is a realistic, incredibly moving tribute to the men and women who lost their lives when terrorists attempted to take over the skies on 9/11.

The Bonus Features

The only difference between the two editions of United 93 DVDs is that the 2-Disc Limited Edition includes an additional 50 minute featurette entitled 'Chasing Planes: Witnesses to 9/11.' 'Chasing Planes' is a documentary chronicling the events of 9/11 featuring interviews with civilians and military personnel on duty on September 11th, as well as news footage from the day. Well worth the few dollars more, the United 93 2-Disc Limited Edition is the better choice of the two DVDs.