The Taking of Pelham 123
Tony Scott puts Denzel Washington and John Travolta through their paces in this big-ticket upgrade on a 70s underground classic.
(That’s underground as in subway, not Andy Warhol territory, by the way.) Ostensibly based on John Godey’s novel, not Peter Stone’s screenplay for the 1974 film, this adaptation represents an evolution, but not necessarily an improvement.
The plan is essentially unchanged, at least at first. A group of armed men hijack the titular New York subway train. They decouple all but the lead carriage, hole up between stations, and the leader, who calls himself “Ryder” (John Travolta) calmly informs the radio controller that the City has just one hour to cough up a $10 million ransom to secure the lives of the passengers.
Cast details
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John Travolta
Born: 18 Feb 1954
Englewood, New JerseyTop rated films View all Pulp Fiction - BLU-RAY Version (1994) 
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Denzel Washington
Born: 28 Dec 1954
Mount Vernon, New YorkTop rated films View all Man On Fire - BLU-RAY Version (2004) 
On the face of it, it’s a bewildering scheme. Escape seems unlikely. But there’s no question these men mean business. When the Transit dispatcher, Walter (Denzel Washington) is replaced by a professional hostage negotiator (John Turturro), Ryder signals his displeasure by shooting the train driver dead. Walter is returned to his post, too late for his colleague, but still with an outside chance of saving the day.
The first Pelham is remembered for three things: the color-coded criminals (a conceit that Quentin Tarantino ripped off for Reservoir Dogs); a vintage Walter Matthau performance; and the clever kicker.
Scott’s streamlined version – written by Brian LA Confidential Helgeland – axes (i) and (iii) entirely, and substitutes Matthau’s baleful Transit cop with Denzel’s disgraced manager, demoted to the dispatcher’s desk after accusations that he’s taken a bribe.
From this dubious original sin Helgeland fashions a textbook redemptive arc for Walter, and a contrived connection between the civil servant and the crook he immediately pegs as a fellow Catholic. The two men take turns playing priest and penitent, detective and quarry, while Scott desperately tries to rev up the action, crashing several police vehicles as the authorities race the ransom money across town.
The Taking of Pelham 123: John Travolta
A moviemaker who instinctively feels the need for speed (as Tom Cruise put it in Top Gun), Scott isn’t exactly playing to his strengths here. His hyperactive crabbing camera moves don’t so much disguise the talk-talk at the centre of the script as distract from it. The relentless sideways shunting motion becomes such a tic that when a real action sequence presents itself – a runaway train careering down the tracks – Scott contrives to make it look almost inert; as thrilling as a stop light.
More than anything, though, Pelham mark II reflects how New York has cleaned up its act over the last three decades. The racially-obsesssed vernacular of the 70s has gone, for the most part (Travolta lets off a few cracks at the expense of the Italians, but no one else rises to that challenge).
The rank but pungent smell of the old boroughs has given way to scratch-and-sniff references to Terrorists, Wall Street excess and a philandering mayor (James Gandolfini). Perhaps as an unintended side-effect, the colourful character bits fleshed out in the original by stalwarts like Hector Elizondo, Jerry Stiller and Martin Balsam (to name but three) are steamrollered by the new movie’s twin star turns. Even a reliable scene-stealer like Luis Guzman barely gets a word in edgewise as John and Denzel trade call and response.
It’s an uneven fight – but that is by design. Travolta, goateed and tattooed, goes for the jugular, ranting and raging entertainingly, but to diminishing effect. Washington is the tortoise in this race: slow and steady. No prizes for guessing who comes out on top…
Yup. That would be Walter Matthau. As simple as 1; 2; 3.
Reviews
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Most helpful members' reviews (3)
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35 out of 38 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
wait till it comes out.!!!!
how can you review a film before its out???never viewed is no opinion,,,,,
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14 out of 18 people found this review helpful
The Taking Of Pelham 123
Why has this film been made?
Are there no other decent screenplays available? -
8 out of 9 people found this review helpful
This looks....
....a bit pants.
The one with Walter Matthau was class.
I don't understand the point.
Couldn't they have left it alone?
I don't see how the story could be as believable as it was back then.
I know I haven't seen it, but it just seems a lot less plausible nowadays. -
Most recent members' reviews (2)
View all -
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Brilliant
I saw this at the cinema....and loved every minute of it. Travolta was absolutely brilliant. I was glued!
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Very Boring
I was expecting a lot more from this film with who made it and who the stars were. But i found it slow and boring.
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- Jackandy from Swansea
- Posted 01 Aug 2009 10:32
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35 out of 38 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
wait till it comes out.!!!!
how can you review a film before its out???never viewed is no opinion,,,,,
-
14 out of 18 people found this review helpful
The Taking Of Pelham 123
Why has this film been made?
Are there no other decent screenplays available? -
8 out of 9 people found this review helpful
This looks....
....a bit pants.
The one with Walter Matthau was class.
I don't understand the point.
Couldn't they have left it alone?
I don't see how the story could be as believable as it was back then.
I know I haven't seen it, but it just seems a lot less plausible nowadays. -
6 out of 8 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
A Different Film From The Original
From what I have seen and heard, this is only loosely based on the original film. If you see it expecting to see a remake then you will be disapointed.
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5 out of 5 people found this review helpful
Watch it!
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5 out of 5 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Tunnel Vision
Excellent, a real decent remake. Unlike the original which stared Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw but lacked the relationship building, this version featuring an over-weight Denzel Washington and the leader of the hijack, the excellent, John Travolta really goes for the interactivity between the two main characters.
Although the premise is the same as the original film there are certain marked differences which certainly enhance the story.
I can't say much more as I would give too much away but go and see it for yourself, you won't be disappointed.
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- Maynard from Gillingham,
- Posted 06 Aug 2009 10:34
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4 out of 6 people found this review helpful
The original?
I agree with the previous comment - after all, 'view' comes before 'review'!
Anyway, why should it 'live up to' the 1974 film? Surely, the 'original' is the novel by John Godey, not its 1974 dramatisation - or the 1998 one for that matter. -
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Very Boring
I was expecting a lot more from this film with who made it and who the stars were. But i found it slow and boring.
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- Jackandy from Swansea
- Posted 01 Aug 2009 10:32
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Great Action Film
Full of action from start to finish, and brilliant acting: Denzel Washington plays a Subway worker who has to save NYC passangers from a hijacker (John Travolta). The dialogue between them is fantastic throughout and the pace of the film will keep you on the edge of your seat. I also like James Gandalphini (best known for Tony Soprano) playing the mayor of NYC!
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Just 3 stars?
I really can't help but think giving this film an average rating is really unfair - but that's how it was - average.
The direction was superb and so was the acting. Ryder (Travolta) was such a great character and he played it almost perfect. The same can be said for Garber (Washinton). So where did it go wrong?
The whole hostage plot was very dull and unoriginal, but the relationship that developed between the two main characters was memorable. The conclusion I came to is that everything plays out exactly how you'd expect it to, with no big plot twists or anything to take you by surprise. The ending itself felt as if it was cut short too.
I'd recommend giving it a watch, but not one to add to the collection.
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- Jim89 from Kilmarnock, Scotland
- Posted 10 Aug 2009 16:46