National Geographic Video - Inside the Pentagon

Rating:
Summary: Pentagon
Review: I was planning to write a review on this for a couple of months, but the reviewer from Chicago really stole my thunder. Indeed, there is too much emphasis on 9/11, the proximity of the event being so close to the production time of this film. It gives some glimpse into the inner workings and the physical structure of the Pentagon, though as the previous reviewer pointed out classified areas underground are off limits, and the analysis is really lacking. Instead of analyzing the Pentagon in a broader political context, the film wraps it in the flag, but this was somewhat inevitable given the events of Sept. 11th. The Pentagon directly employs hundreds of thousands of people, only the Post office employs more -- almost a million workers now. And the Pentagon is responsible for indirectly employing millions of others as defense contractors and subcontractors. It is the nerve center of the military - industrial complex and a bastion of America's defense against enemies, whose number seemed to have increased since the end of the Cold War.

I am hopeful, however, that just as with the Cold War, the Pentagon will be instrumental in getting us successfully past our current hurdles.

Rating:
Summary: Made in April 2002, decent, though too much focus on Sep. 11
Review: There were too many cheerleading sessions guised as interviews with Rumsfeld and the other spectacle-eyed swagger sticks, but the overall video is decent, showing many aspects of the rebuilding efforts and documentation of the attack. Strategically, they did go into the Pentagon as a command structure and showed how it is basically a brain for the largest organization known to man (which is pretty cool). Some stuff about the original commision of the building, though not too much.

The real disappointment was too much focus on the "mindset" of everyone, instead of taking you on an actual tour of the place. National Geographic tells you about millions of square feet, but seen is almost nothing. They do go inside boardrooms not normally allowing cameras (ooohh, ahhhh) and some other crevaces like the parking lot security office (after a suspicious manilla envelope is sighted on the grounds).

What would have been INCREDIBLE, is if they had shown Pentagon Library, or any part of the virtual CITY that's underneath street level (there are reportedly more floors underneath than above). And I would like to have AT LEAST seen the inner courtyard. Or maybe a tour of the "A-ring", inner-sanctum of the top dogs. Something other than a memorial for September and the whining of top generals that they need more more more. A bit of a dissappointment.

Rating:
Summary: A Waste
Review: This DVD is not nesecary for anyone to watch. 90% of the DVD revolves around 9/11, and only the remaining 10% is how the Pentagon, and the Armed Services work. Very little (10 minutes) is spent focusing on new technology that will be availible in the future.

Of the 90% talking about 9/11, 75% is propoganda for the "war on terror." If we want propoganda, we can turn on the television and watch it for free, not pay for a DVD or a DVD rental. The 15% reolving around 9/11 that is not propoganda, it talks about how the attacks effected the Pentagon, and how it all worked before, and after.

This is a waste of money, the only good part is the 10% talking about how the Pentagon & the Armed Services for in conjuction with each other. There is an interesting piece on the coast guard, however, that merely falls on the borderline between interesting information, and propoganda.

Rating:
Summary: A thorough history of the Pentagon
Review: This National Geographic DVD features a very detailed history of the Pentagon,from it's initial planning to it's construction and how it has changed through the decades. There is also a detailed report showing the terrorist attack on the Pentagon in photos,as the plane hit the building,and has interviews with survivors of the attack.
There is footage of military leaders discussing the attack filmed in 2002 and a tour of parts of the building. The documentary also has an interesting photo history of the running of the Pentagon over the years and a timeline of it's history.
If you want to know about the Pentagon,then this is the documentary to get.