The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 Review

"The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" reviews

Movie

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2009-10-21 13:38:21

Rating

3.5/5

Provider

CinemaSource

Review

WHAT IT'S ABOUT?

Thirty-five years after the pulse-pounding thriller The Taking of Pelham One Two Three was made, this sleek, faster-paced remake not only improves on a good thing, it showcases a much different New York than its pre-9/11 predecessor. Like the 1974 version, the story revolves around the takeover of the lead car of a subway train by armed hoods headed by their crafty mastermind, Ryder. They kill a cop, take 18 people hostage and give authorities just one hour to deliver $10 million. (Inflation alert: In the first version, it was a paltry million.) It's up to train dispatcher Walter Garber to negotiate with Ryder in a cat-and-mouse game where innocent lives are used as bait. As the film progresses, darker sides of both principals are revealed and become key parts of this ever-evolving time bomb of a movie.

WHO'S IN IT?

In a wildly different bit of casting, The Taking of Pelham 123 stars Denzel Washington in the train dispatcher role played by Walter Matthau in the original, giving it more gravity and making it less sardonic than Matthau's lighter take. For much of the movie it's really a phone connection that brings Washington together with his nemesis Ryder, played to the evil, explosive hilt by John Travolta. Travolta's bad guys (think Face/Off, Pulp Fiction) are always complex and intriguing and Ryder is no exception, proving to be someone much different than we are originally led to believe. This is the actor's best outing in some time and his "face-offs" with Washington give both stars grade-A acting opportunities. They deliver — and then some. Almost stealing the film is the original Tony Soprano himself, James Gandolfini, who plays a slippery NYC Mayor trying to keep the incident from spiraling out of control. Also worthy of praise is John Turturro, who's very fine as a professional hostage negotiator who finds the tools of his trade don't work very well in this situation.

WHAT'S GOOD?

Departing from the original film, which took its own sweet time and merged sly humor with suspense, Pelham 123 director Tony Scott puts his signature stamp on this version even before the opening credits are done, establishing a lightning fast pace and tense tone of high-stakes drama from the outset. Moments of comic relief are kept to a minimum. Despite the high-tech approach, Scott keeps this Pelham from careening off the tracks by emphasizing Oscar winner Brian Helgeland's (L.A. Confidential) smart repartee between the leads and old fashioned movie-making skills designed to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. The riveting storyline is credible and believable at all times.

WHAT'S BAD?

Scott moves things along so quickly you wish there was time for more character development. This applies particularly to Ryder, whose reasons for turning bad aren't so obviously black-and-white and certainly fit the times.

FAVORITE SCENE?

The first direct confrontation between Washington and Travolta is pure gold as the two circle each other and try to spray their territory.

NETFLIX OR MULTIPLEX?

Both. See the new version in a theater and then go home and watch the DVD of the original. Or vice versa. Both are great examples of genre moviemaking at its best.

Hollywood.com rated this film 3 1/2 stars.

Movie

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2009-07-28 15:08:13

Rating

2.5/5

Provider

Review

What's it about?

Criminal mastermind Ryder (John Travolta) hijacks a New York subway train, demanding a hefty ransom to release his numerous hostages. MTA dispatcher, Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) must negotiate with Ryder in order to release his captives before time runs out and the hostages are killed.

Is it any good?

Remaking a film which is already seen as a classic is always dangerous ground. And Joseph Sargent's 1974 crime adventure is certainly a favourite of many, staring the wonderfully understated Walter Matthau and the brilliant Robert Shaw.

Director Tony Scott's latest collaboration with Denzel Washington is an attempt to drag the film into the 20th century, laptops and all.

Scott's flashy visuals and rapid set-pieces are in complete contrast to the subtlety of the original movie. In fact the film, despite its premise, is a complete overhaul of Sargent's story.

Although the movie flies along at breakneck pace the ingenuity and quality of the first film is sadly lacking.

Travolta is perfectly fine as Ryder, chewing the scenery in ample amounts while adding an air of threat to proceedings. Washington's everyman performance as Garber is assured as always, although lacking the humour Matthau instilled in the role.

In fact, Scott's vision completely eliminates the humour of the 1970's version, something so inherent in the original's charm.

Add a completely new and over-the-top ending and you have typical popcorn blockbuster fare, in the vein of previous Scott efforts, which may entertainment some moviegoers but will certainly leave no lasting impression.

Verdict

Another average thriller from the Scott/Washington stable that hasn't managed to capture the heart or the tension of the original. Things just aren't how they used to be.

- Tim Burnett