“The Taking of Pelham 123” does what a good remake should: it holds true to the spirit of the 1974 original while bringing something new to the mix. Director Tony Scott, working from a Brian Helgeland script, wisely keeps the focus on the psychological interactions between the two central characters although he does manage to throw in two adrenalin-pumping action sequences. A sociopath who calls himself Ryder (John Travolta), aided by three cohorts (Luis Guzman, Victor Gojcaj, and Robert Vataj) has commandeered subway train Pelham 123 and taken 18 passengers hostage. He makes his ransom demands to Walter Garber (Denzel Washington), the dispatcher unlucky enough to answer his call. Garber is facing suspension for suspicion of taking a bribe. Ryder’s demand: he wants $10 million in 60 minutes or he will start killing hostages. When a hostage negotiator (John Turturro) tries to take over for Walter, Ryder’s reaction turns violent. Meanwhile, the Mayor (James Gandolfini), nearing the end of his term, joins the increasingly difficult negotiations with Ryder in the metro control room.
To his credit, Washington plays the paunchy Walter as a normal Everyman, with a 9-5 job, a family, and financial troubles, and totally disappears into his role. He demonstrates how an average person, when placed in a dangerous situation, can do something heroic. And Travolta, an extremely effective villain, creates the looks and mannerisms of a man who has tipped to the other side of sane. The chess match between these two, which does not exist in the original, is definitely the highlight and the main reason to see “the Taking of Pelham 123.” 6/10/09
1 comment:
“The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3” with Denzel Washington and John Travolta, directed by Tony Scott is a “thrill a minute” story of “hostages and murder” below the streets of New York City. This film suffers from the fact that is a remake of a movie made in the 70’s that everyone saw and which critical comparisons can be made. To me this is a completely different film than the 30-some year old flick it is being compared to. I believe it would fare much better on its own as an original picture. I came out of the theater saying to myself, “I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to others”. After reading some reviews I felt guilty for liking it. One reviewer I read said that there was” too much subway and not enough New York City”. This film was not about New York City it was about some very bad people kidnapping hostages and asking $10M in ransom. I thought Denzel Washington was perfect for his role as a middle management city employee thrown into a situation not of his making and out of his job description. I also thought Travolta was great as a very believable bad guy and the brains behind the caper. I even liked “Tony Soprano” as the lame duck Mayor of New York. I guess I am the only one who liked it! I had better stop enjoying these films and then going through the self-deprecation afterward. I give it a 4 bagger (popcorn) out of a possible 5.
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