The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3


Starring: Denzel Washington, John Travolta, Luis Guzman, John Turturro, James Gandolfini
Directed by: Tony Scott
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Thriller
2009
Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A mysterious man (John Travolta) takes hostages aboard a New York City subway car. He begins a dialogue with a transit operator (Denzel Washington) with the demands of $10 million in one hour, or he will kill one hostage every minute.

Review:

Tim: The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 is not a great movie, because it feels too similar to too many other movies. The Denzel Washington-Tony Scott collaboration has worked well over many years, but I think it is time to break this marriage up. These films are all blending together, and starting to feel a bit redundant. That is too bad, because this movie is a bit different from all those others- even if it doesn't exactly feel that way. Still, Scott and Washington know what they are doing, and so, this movie does enough right to work.

The real reason for this film's success is because it is a remake of a good movie based on a very solid novel. The story is the main reason to see this movie- not the actors, the action, the direction, or any other reason. This is a story-first film, and that is why it works. The movie unfolds is very good fashion, and manages to stay exciting and engaging for the audience. Without a solid story here, this film could have been a disaster.

The cast is decent, but not terrific. Denzel Washington does a good job, gaining some weight for the role and playing it as an every day everyman- not a hero, specifically. This is appreciated, but it still feels all too familiar. Washington has gotten into a bit of a lull lately, playing very similar roles in nearly every film. He really needs to change it up. Still, he is a quality actor, and works here. I suppose John Travolta works as well. He definitely opts to go over-the-top in his portrayal of the film's villain. He certainly hams it up (a bit too much in my opinion), but he does a good enough job. One of the big draws for this film was seeing Denzel Washington v. John Travolta (I believe this is their first film together, unless I'm missing one). The Washington-Travolta back and forth is pretty entertaining.

Tony Scott is a good enough director to give us an exciting adrenaline ride. While I wish he would tone it down a bit with his unique visuals (they just as often distract from the film as add to it), he still gives us a pretty entertaining film. The problem here is that it felt like Scott was going for the lowest common denominator. This is a good movie, but that's all it is. It never for a moments flashes even a hint of brilliance or of wanting to be something more. I appreciate when films try hard to give us something new or truly amazing. Even if those movies fail (and many of them do), the effort is still appreciated. This film felt like it was playing it safe- with Scott directing, and action movie staples Washington and Travolta in familiar positions, it is not a surprise that this film worked. I wish everyone involved would have taken a few more risks.

Still, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 is pretty much what we expect- a good thriller that will keep the audience entertained. I long for movies to at least shoot for greatness, but I suppose I can respect a movie that simply doesn't try to foul it up. Playing it safe is what helped this movie to be fairly good, even if it is a bit forgettable.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Broken Arrow, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, Inside Man, Deja Vu, Man on Fire, Out of Time