Movie: “The Taking of Pelham 123”
Director: Tony Scott
Rating: Rated R for violence and pervasive language.
Release:
Running Time: 2 hrs 1 min
Starring: Denzel Washington, John Travolta, James Gandolfini, John Turturro… IMDB listing
Verdict:
This dark, fast-paced remake of the 1974 Walter Matthau film is a credit to both of its stars, but it follows a troupe that has been played out, ridden into the ground, dug back up, and ridden into the ground again by Hollywood.
Here’s how it goes. Terrorist takes hostages. Terrorist proves to be complicated, volatile character with a surprise motive. Terrorist pulls a fast one on dim-witted cops. Everyday man gets caught up in the incident. Everyday man proves to be a complex, vulnerable character. Terrorist makes a break for it. Everyday man pursues and lays down some justice. Pelham 123 does it very well, but it’s been done over and over and over.
The movie is great, but for my buck, I’d just as soon have waited until it came out on DVD. There just aren’t a great number of action sequences to justify the extra expense of seeing it on the big screen.
Synopsis:
Denzel Washington plays a disgraced New York City subway dispatcher Walter Garber who finds his ordinary day thrown into chaos when a subway train is hijacked by four men arms with machine guns. The lead hijacker, who calls himself “Ryder” demands ten million dollars in one hour. As they wait for a lackadaisical Mayer to scrape up a ten million dollar ransom, Garber and Ryder form a report through a series of tension-laden radio communications. But the more Garber learns, the more uncertain about Ryder’s intentions he becomes. As the deadline approaches, Garber scrabbles for more time even as he wonders whether its money that Ryder is really after.
Review:
The Story
Despite the entirely convincing performances of its characters, the swift pacing of the film, and the up-close and in-your-face cinematography, the story at the core of this film is tired and all too familiar. It’s the same story you’ve seen in countless other hostage films: Die Hard, Die Hard 2, Passenger 57, Speed, Speed 2, Under Siege, Under Siege 2… and on and on and on…
While The Taking of Pelham 123 is a drastic improvement over the 1974 original, it’s just too predictable to provide the thrills audiences look for in a big screen experience. It offers little in the way of innovation and no unforeseeable twists that satisfy the film’s hour and half build-up.
The Cast
Washington and Travolta are both pitch perfect in their roles. Washington brings credibility to his otherwise far-fetched role as the everyday man swept up into extraordinary events. Travolta, in the mean time, delivers a memorable performance as a determined man on the edge. By luck or excellent casting, Pelham 123 casts both actors in the roles they play best, and to their credit, neither one ever slides into the cliche of their role. From start to finish, both deliver gripping performances.
One of the few surprises of the film is James Gandolfini, who steps out of his usual role as the toughest guy in the room to provide a darkly satirical distraction from the film’s headlong rush. Cast as the jaded and self-involved Mayor who has had his fill of office, Gandolfini is certain to draw snickers with his take on career politicians.
The Conclusion
The Taking of Pelham 123 will make an excellent addition to any guy’s DVD collection after it’s released. I recommend waiting until then to see it.
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Further Information
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