ROTTEN TOMATOES: Critical Consensus: "United 93" Is Best-Reviewed Drama of 2006

Critical Consensus: "United 93" Is Best-Reviewed Drama of 2006

by Binh Ngo | April 27, 2006

This week we have "United 93," a somber movie about 9/11. We also have lighter fare in "RV," "Stick It" and "Akeelah." What do the critics have to say?

Is it too soon for the studios to make movies about the terrorist attacks on Sept 11, 2001? Directed by Paul Greengrass (Bloody Sunday) with a cast of unknowns, "United 93" re-enacts the hijacking of United Airlines flight 93 and its eventual crash into a field in Pennsylvania, killing everyone on board. Critics say, while difficult to watch, "United 93" is made with skill and treats the subject matter with respect, never resorting to the aggrandizement Hollywood is known for. As of this writing, "United 93" is Certified Fresh with a Tomatometer reading of 93%, the best-reviewed drama of 2006 for movies with at least 50 reviews.

If you've been to a Starbucks lately, you'll notice that you're seeing more on the walls and chalkboards than art decor and beverage suggestions. It's hard to miss those "Akeelah and the Bee" note cards and stickers. That's because besides making caffeinated beverages, Starbucks is dabbling in movies as well. The movie centers on Akeelah who, through the tutelage of a mentor played by Laurence Fishburne, rises above the odds to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee contest. Despite its predictability, "Akeelah" is doing quite well with the critics, scoring 84% on the Tomatometer. Critics say its star Keke Palmer's winning performance makes it easy to forgive the film's flaws.

If "Stick It" does well at the box office, will we see the writer of "Bring It On" pen a movie about sychronized swimming? For all we know, that script is probably done, just waiting for a greenlight from studio execs. While that movie may hold promise, "Stick It" fails to score well with the critics with a reading of 21% on the Tomatometer. Filled with teen speak and shopworn cliches, the movie may appeal to teenage mallrats, they say.

In Robin Williams' latest comedy "RV," his family dreads the prospect of taking an extended road trip with him in a Winnebago, and with a reading of 32% on the Tomatometer, so do the critics. The reason? The movie's not that funny. While "RV" does have the occasional chuckle, it's a mediocre effort at best.

Notable Paul Greengrass Movies:
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81% -- The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
91% -- Bloody Sunday (2002)
59% -- The Theory of Flight (1998)

Recent movies about the Spelling Bee:
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41% -- Bee Season (2005)
98% -- Spellbound (2003)

Related Items

Movie:	The Theory of Flight
	RV
	Akeelah and the Bee
	Spellbound
	Bee Season
	United 93
	Bloody Sunday
Celeb:	Paul Greengrass
	Robin Williams

(1-19 of 19 posts) | Reply

renny2077 writes:
on Apr 28 2006 12:05 AM

Of course United 93 will get cirtical acclaim. They'll do anything to get us to watch the movie.

(Reply to this)

tyler8186 writes:
on Apr 28 2006 08:41 AM

In reply to this comment (#834566)
what are you talking about?

(Reply to this)

Now it's dark writes:
on Apr 28 2006 10:30 AM

It's so awesome that they can profit from tragedy like that.

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Sportswiz writes:
on Apr 28 2006 11:25 AM

Of course.....people claiming the only reason they made this movie is to make money off of it.....then theres the left wingers whos think its just a propaganda piece.....I am going to see it tonight and take it for what t is worth....A realistic interpretation of what happened on flight 93, and I will most likely do what I did that day...weep.....

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South_park300 writes:
on Apr 28 2006 04:24 PM

what about world war 2? not tragic? well there are plenty of movies that earned profit from that.

people need to get over themselves. these 9/11 movies were inevitable

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D79 writes:
on Apr 28 2006 07:45 PM

charlie sheen told me that the goverment shot down that plain...what about the other 3 planes? no love for them?

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Now it's dark writes:
on Apr 28 2006 08:37 PM

How about another mass murder, like Columbine? With the same realism. Make a sweet wad of cash. Might have to pay off the victims families with 10% of the take, but that's the cost of doing biniss.

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South_park300 writes:
on Apr 28 2006 08:43 PM

on a funny and morbid note, when my older brother first saw the united 93 trailer in the theater, he thought it was for Snakes on a Plane

there actually is another 9/11 movie coming out this year. and correct me if im wrong, but I think it stars Nic Cage as a fireman going into one of the buildings after the plane hit, and the tower crumbles, and he's trapped and has to get out.

like i said earlier though, there are TONS of movies out there based on real life tragic events, and they all make money. to single out this one would be pointless. get over it

EDIT: actually, i am correct about the nic cage movie, it's called "World Trade Center" look it up on this site or imdb

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IMAmoose24 writes:
on Apr 28 2006 09:35 PM

Charlie Sean is an Idiot. He states that men never walked on the moon. He and Alec Baldwin need to shove it. They both have no respect for the families hurt by this tragic event.

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jeremyd4 writes:
on Apr 28 2006 10:29 PM

In reply to this comment (#834572)
Elephant...

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alsanali writes:
on Apr 29 2006 06:51 AM

In reply to this comment (#834568)
It's so awesome that people think 9/11 is the ONLY tragic event in history and seem to ignore any tragedy that takes place outside of the US. I love how insular some people can be.

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Now it's dark writes:
on Apr 29 2006 07:45 AM

In reply to this comment (#834576)
That itself is a tragedy.

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crazydiamond writes:
on Apr 29 2006 10:32 AM

its rediculous to complain aboout a movie like United 93 beign made. It's a piece of history every single tragic event in American history is made into film or talked about being made into a film, that may be bit of an overstatement, but you knwo what I'm getting at.

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Jaka Tavers writes:
on Apr 29 2006 11:47 AM

To make money from a tragic event is exploitation. The more time that passes after that event, the less exploitive it is. That's why some people think it's too soon to profit from this. I think that since it's America, making money is what comes first.

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carlos1231 writes:
on Apr 29 2006 03:13 PM

well i just finished seeing it and its definelty not a hollywood type of film its very non-hollywood. it looks very authentic and plays out in real time so u feel like ur actually in that plane...definetly best movie of the year so far very powerful

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superboy168 writes:
on Apr 29 2006 04:36 PM

[b]9/11 is a huge conspiracy and it never happened!!![/b]
go to www.loosechange911.com

and check it out for yourself

so in my opinion this movie is full of sh*t!!!

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Bane Of Anubis writes:
on Apr 29 2006 06:21 PM

[b]Of course it is[/b]
Of course it's a conspiracy -- we don't even exist... We're all just figments of an imagination. I think a good point someone brought up regarding the illogicality of this conspiracy: if the us govt spent so much effort to send our economy into a recession so that we could go attack the middle east, how come we didn't spend that much effort in placing those WMDs that never showed up? At some point, I would hope logic prevails over the asinine nature of this conspiracy theory.

As for being insular, everybody's that way (and, duh, it's not the ONLY -- like capitalization is emphasis, here, dude -- tragic event, just the most recent, to RT pun it, the freshest). You think the people in China give a flying flip about 9/11? Do you think Europe cares about the drug cartels in Latin America? Perhaps we should take care of ourselves first.

So, if we pull out of Iraq, can we stop sending food to 3rd world nations? I'm all for building a wall around this nation of ours, but most people out there want their cake and want to tell people how to eat it, too.

It's all about the DADADAR Moo Moos.

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synergyred writes:
on Apr 29 2006 09:42 PM

I can't help it but I feel as if it's too soon for all of these 9/11 movies. We're not far away from it to truely look at the tragedy objectively. Not to mention that I'm sure a lot of people that lost family members would rather that they didn't have constant reminders of their loss in Hollywood.

I'm not seeing these movies. I have nothing agaisnt other people seeing them and I hope those that do enjoy them. I'm just not comfortable sitting down to a 9/11 movie, not yet.

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SLICKMAN120 writes:
on May 02 2006 09:11 PM

In reply to this comment (#834584)
And that's a good outlook. I wish more people would have that mentality about this film instead of BLINDLY bashing it's intentions. As for myself, I saw it on sunday and was so moved by this film I couldn't keep for burting out crying. This film was made with dignity without the focus on profit, and I can honestly say that I understand the impact 9/11 made after watching it. Not to mention how the families who ahd vitims of the crash all supported the film being made and even supported it after. That right there should say something. But IGNORANCE in this case is not bliss for the people who never see it with negative intentions. Shame on those who feel this was just to make a profit, go see it, then i'll respect your opinion.

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