The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009)
- thereviewers
- Feb 9, 2015
- 2 min read
The Taking of Pelham 123 tells the story of armed men who hijack a New York City subway train and hold 17 passengers hostage in return for a $10 million ransom, while MTA employee Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) tries to outthink, outsmart, and outtalk the hijackers in order to save the hostages.
Overall Review Score
8 out of 10
Review
Based on the novel of the same name by Morton Freegood, The Taking of Pelham 123 is a reboot of the original 1974 film and 1998 film that is set in post 9-11 New York. The Taking of Pelham 123 displays the intense relationship between John Travolta who plays an angry and calculating villain in Ryder and Denzel Washington who plays determined and vilified MTA employee Walter Garber. Director Tony Scott manages to prevent the film becoming stale or boring through through careful camera shots and an intense high-octane script prevents this film from being stale and boring. Although, at times, the hostages seem generic, uninterested and equally unfearful of their potential impending doom. This distracts the audience from what is otherwise a film about the unusual relationship between Ryder and Garber and how the difference between right and wrong is a very fine line. Overall, while The Taking of Pelham 123 does suffer from some problems and appears at times to move-away substantially from its source material (the original book), it is a well-made film that is enjoyable to watch.
Reviewer 1's score & comments:
Score: 8 out of 10
Comments:
An exciting and tense thriller that captivates the audience and never lets them go. Beautiful acting by both John Travolta and Denzel Washington make this an enjoyable film that I could watch time after time.
Reviewer 2's score & comments:
Score: 8 out of 10
Comments:
The Taking of Pelham 123 is a reasonably good film that takes the audience through an action-packed thriller set underneath New York City. While the film does suffer in places from somewhat unrealistic scenes and silly characters, overall it is a well-made thriller that will entertain the audience.
Comments