Remakes of classic films can be tricky for Hollywood. In order for them to be successful, they have to maintain the essence of the original while bringing the plot and characters into the present society. The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 shows a great effort of paying homage to the original 1974 version by casting Denzel Washington and John Travolta in the lead roles.
Four assumed terrorists hijack a New York City subway train, along with its civilian passengers. Ryder (John Travolta) heads the criminal group and demands $10 million in exchange for the hostages’ lives. Walter Garber (Denzel Washington), a demoted subway dispatcher, is the first person to notice irregularities with the train’s behavior. Ryder takes a special liking to Garber and will negotiate with him alone.
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 is nothing if not fast paced. In a way, this movie is much like a NYC subway ride. The story jerks the audience around in a quick manner taking sharp turns and all the while keeping you in the dark. The main power source to this ride is the very entertaining scenes between Washington’s Garber and Travolta’s Ryder. Travolta once again dons the role of the sociopath walking the very narrow line between psychotic and genius, something at which he may be the very best. Ryder is an example of an over-the-top character that works perfectly in his story. Some of his behaviors that may be viewed as unrealistic are probably from people that do not have a lot of New York experience. Ryder represents the darker and repressed side of New York, but maintains an uncomfortable quirkiness that confuses the audience to decide whether they should be appalled or simply laugh. On the other end of the spectrum, Garber is brought to life by that very familiar Denzel poise. He stays calm under extreme circumstances, installs confidence in anything he does, and always seems like he has the situation under control. Washington does a good job of pulling back that unshakable poise as he is portraying a civil servant thrown into a very extreme situation. Although, that restraint does not last very long as Garber probably adapts a little too quickly and much more competently than someone in his position should.
Director Tony Scott (Crimson Tide, True Romance) did not forget about the supporting characters even though Travolta and Washington are the real meat and potatoes of the film. In a lot of ways, the supporting characters in this movie have more depth than many other films with a hostage type scenario. The audience actually gets to know a little about some of the hostages’ backgrounds. Even though it’s only a teardrop of information, it’s enough to engage the audience and make a connection to the characters so they are not just expendable bargaining chips for Ryder. Another noticeable upgrade to the hostage plot is James Gandolfini as the not-so-bumbling mayor of New York. Usually the mayor is clichéd in these types of films as the egotistical politician who only cares about his career and is usually clueless about the gravity of the situation. At first glance that’s exactly what you get from Galdolfini’s character, but the film ends up revealing a much more competent public official than movie goers are used to seeing. And to round it out, John Turturro plays NYC hostage negotiator Camonetti. Turturro is a great actor and way too good for some of the films he’s been in lately, he somewhat returns to form in this film as the low-key, righteous defender of New York. Unfortunately there was just not enough screen time for the audience to get a proper amount of background on Camonetti. His scenes are engaging, but they always ended a little flat.
Besides the very fine actors in this film, the omnipresent star of the movie is the city itself. The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 shows NYC in a light that not many movies or television programs choose to portray, that being an accurate one. Scott is able to show the harshness of New York without turning it into “Hell on Earth,” but anyone who’s yet to make the trip will be sure to get a heaping spoonful of grit in their popcorn. Not to say this film doesn’t have any inaccuracies, actually it has a ton. However, they are mostly reserved for lifetime New Yorkers who know the subway system as well as the dispatchers themselves. Most people that have been to the city will appreciate the overall tone of the film, although after seeing it some future visitors might opt out of the 6-train for a cab ride.
Story: 7.5
Acting: 8.5
Writing: 7.5
Captivation: 7.5
Replay Value: 7.0
Total = 7.6
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