The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

Director Tony Scott's remake of the 1974 classic is a four star reimagining lost amongst one star gimmicks and flourishes. An immensely impressive opening half begins to quiver towards the end and finally pops and deflates at the climax. In fact, Pelham runs almost in a reverse build-up to most films. It seems as if Scott didn’t realize how intelligent and ultimately entertaining the early chapters were and in place of an intense and slow burning nail biter emerges and wildly excessive action flick.

Scott is certainly no stranger to style as all his films pulsate with a manic energy, zoom shots, quick cuts assembled in an almost eccentric but to and often amusing end. Here thankfully, I found such freeze frame and camera swirls not to be distracting, just entirely unnecessary. The reported budget for this film was a mind melting $100 million and I literally cannot tell you what they spent it on. The cast is small, aside from the perfunctory action scenes most of the film is set in a stationary train in a dark tunnel or the rail control center. If there has ever been a benchmark for a 'not needed' budget, this would be a front runner. Of the aforementioned action scenes, the films most embarrassing sequence comes shortly after the hour mark and involves an absolutely ridiculous police chase that involves defiance of physics and of logic. That being said, it is ultimately the characters that take central stage and the movie succeeds fully because of the stellar cast.

Replacing Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw are Denzel Washington and John Travolta respectively. Washington stars as Walter Garber a timid, but thoroughly likeable and charismatic subway operator and Travolta as Ryder, the man on the other end of the line; a criminal who has hijacked Pelham 123 and is one part over-the-top, one part smooth talkin' and one part brutal killer. Both these veteran actors pull off their rolls fantastically. Travolta is a far better rounded villain then he was in Swordfish or The Punisher, never playing the character one note, or as a messy collage of traits. Garber is an innerly flawed man, overweight, aging, with strains both on his professional and personal life and Washington makes him into a real sympathetic person about a man in the moment.

As we have seen in many movies before, a bond forms between the two men, as Garber frantically tries to fulfill the demands of a $10,000,000 dollar ransom for the lives of his captives on a subway car. But unlike other similar flicks the kinship does not remain all smiles and sunshine, nor does a contrivance of their friendship lead to the villain’s downfall. That coupled with an equally intelligent twist there is plenty to admire in Pelham but also enough to scoff at. Joining the duos ranks are two other solid rolls fulfilled by John Tutturo as a hostage negotiator and James Gandolfini as the New York City mayor. In fact, it is almost a four man show, with Travolta and Washington carrying the bulk weight of the film. While still a testament to how Hollywood continues to unearth the classics of the past, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 is also a testament to how a film that has fallen to its bluster can be saved by its leads.

© 2009 Simon Brookfield