Despite a strong cast, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 suffers under the excesses of Tony Scott's frantic direction, and fails to measure up to the 1974 original. Read critic reviews
The Taking of Pelham 123
2009, Action/Mystery & thriller, 1h 46m
231 Reviews 250,000+ RatingsWhat to know
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Movie Info
Chaos reigns in the New York City subway system when heavily armed criminals, led by a mastermind named Ryder (John Travolta), hijack a subway train and threaten to kill everyone on board unless a large ransom is paid. Dispatcher Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) uses his extensive knowledge of the transit system in a bid to outwit the hijackers and save the hostages, but one question remains: even if the hijackers get their money, how can they possibly escape?
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Rating: R (Violence|Pervasive Language)
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Genre: Action, Mystery & thriller, Crime, Drama
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Original Language: English
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Director: Tony Scott
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Producer: Todd Black, Tony Scott, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch
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Writer: Brian Helgeland
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Release Date (Theaters): wide
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Release Date (Streaming):
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Box Office (Gross USA): $65.5M
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Runtime:
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Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment
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News & Interviews for The Taking of Pelham 123
Critic Reviews for The Taking of Pelham 123
Audience Reviews for The Taking of Pelham 123
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Travolta is obviously miscast but its not as distracting as I feared. Overall its a solid remake that, while not as good, still updates the original in interesting ways.
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Having never even seen or even heard of the original I can't really compare it, But the film itself is very good, A strong cast put in a good performance, But John Travolta was great and a very good villain, Denzel Washington was great but he always is, Some great action and some good car stunts too, The story has been done before but a few clever differences make this film stand out, Very gripping and very entertaining.
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I can not remember I was ever bored watching a Movie with Denzel Washington. This was a one great Thriller.
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A group of hijackers negotiate with a subway dispatcher. Tony Scott's over-direction, which occasionally worked in <i>>True Romance</i> and <i>Crimson Tide</i>, makes this film almost unwatchable. Quick cuts, sharp pans, and an ever-moving circle around characters, Scott allows no subtlety in performance or presentation. Denzel Washington does his best, and John Travolta can play unhinged, but their performances aren't enough to keep the film engaging. The story falls apart as many of the plotlines remain undeveloped and unresolved. James Gandolfini's mayor is set up to be spurious, but this story goes nowhere, and the ending of Ryder and Garber is predictable and improbable. Overall, Washington is a great actor, but this shouldn't go in his highlight reel.
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