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Denzel Washington, John Travolta, James Gandolfini, John Turturro, Luis Guzman ... see more see more... , Michael Rispoli , Gary Basaraba , Todd Susman , John Benjamin Hickey , Aunjanue Ellis , Lee Shepherd , Saidah Arrika Ekulona , Jason Butler Harner , J. Bernard Calloway , Gbenga Akinnagbe , Tonye Patano , Ramon Rodriguez , Alexander Kaluzhsky , Katherine Sigismund , Alice Kremelberg , Victor Gojcaj , Robert Vataj , Jake Richard Siciliano , Anthony Annarumma , Víctor Cruz

A New York City subway dispatcher draws on his extensive knowledge of the subway system in order to outsmart a dangerous criminal mastermind who's hijacked a subway train in this remake of the 1974 th... read more read more...riller inspired by John Godey's best-selling book. Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) is drifting through his daily routine when he receives word that a heavily armed gang of four has hijacked a subway train and is holding all of the passengers hostage. Led by cunning master thief Ryder (John Travolta), the gunmen will begin executing everyone aboard should the authorities fail in delivering ten million dollars in the space of just one hour. With the tension in the tunnels rising, Walter races to save the hostages before the shootings start. But through it all, there's one part of Ryder's plan that Walter can't quite comprehend: even if the thieves do succeed in getting their money, how could they possibly get out of the tunnels undetected? ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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60% liked it

617,031 ratings

Critics

51% liked it

215 critics

R, 1 hr. 46 min.

Directed by: Tony Scott

Release Date: June 12, 2009

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DVD Release Date: November 3, 2009

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Stats: 23,890 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (23,890)

  • jmanard52
    January 8, 2011
    jmanard52
    Im not sure how good the original wsa but this was a different take on your normal terrorist/criminal hostage movie. Decent acting, ok action. It was what it was.
  • SirPant
    October 13, 2011
    SirPant
    I liked the original Taking of Pelham but I don't think it so good it didn't warrant a remake. That said, I'm not particularly fond of remakes but I was pleasantly surprised with this one. They certainly updated it and made the story a little more realistic in some ways but then ... read moreagain, they also messed up in many ways. Not bad but not great, it is what it is, you'll probably know whether it's for you by looking at the poster.
  • kenstachnik
    October 2, 2011
    kenstachnik
    Can some one explain to me why Denzel stopped to call his wife when he only had 7 minutes to get across town and deliver the money?
    Oh yea I know why, this script blows.
    Skip this one and check out the original.
  • danperry17
    September 7, 2011
    danperry17
    Corny and clumsy but surprisingly exciting. Solid action flick, with another steady "average man" performance by the always enjoyable Denzel Washington. As a bad guy, John Travolta surprised me. He was better than expected. Made me want to check out the original: straight-ahead s... read moretory with some of the cooler editing I've seen lately. Worth a screening.
  • ythelastman89
    June 2, 2011
    ythelastman89
    Honestly, I really like Tony Scott's adaption just as much as the original. He does a very interesting thing here that's sort've polar opposite from the original; making it a character driven piece. A lot of minor characters were dropped and you get to know your two opposing side... read mores a lot better. It doesn't hurt when you have two Hollywood legends like John Travolta and Denzel Washington as your leads; they make these characters their own. John Travolta's scheming mastermind is just as bizarre as he looks. By the end, you're sort've just at odds with what his intentions are. Denzel Washington's job is a lot less difficult, but he always turns in solid performances no matter what. Concerning the plot, it covers a lot more ground and there is certainly more excitement going on. Thankfully it's not just the same old hostage scenario. Visually, Tony Scott uses his classic hyper-saturated, hyper-edited style that seems to really work here. What I like is that this isn't by any means a shot for shot of the original, it has it's own purpose. Given the chance, this is a really good movie that wasn't given the reputation it deserves.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    May 21, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    The remake of The Talking of Pelham 1 2 3 is an average action film that offers good action but with a shaky plot. I enjoyed the film, but felt that there was many things that could have been done better. Tony Scott slightly redeems himself and would later redeem himself fully w... read moreith the 20910 film Unstoppable. I say redeem because before this he directed the crap film Domino, which I thought played out more like a bad MTV music video while the viewer trips out on LSD. But with this remake he manages to recapture some of the fire he previously had with Man On Fire. Though not perfect, The Taking Of Pelham 123 is a good film with a blend of action, suspense and thrills. The film could have been better. But it's certainly entertaining. One thing is for sure, whenever Denzel Washington and Tony Scott get together, they always make something entertaining, and with Pelham 1 23, it's no exception. John Travolta whom I thought has had a rather sketchy career since the glory days of Pulp Fiction give a good performance, and is probably one of his best performances since Pulp Fiction. I certainly much preferred his role here than his role in Swordfish. I thought his character here was more interesting, cold blooded and more developed than his character in Swordfish. This remake of the classic film is an entertaining time waster, nothing perfect, but nothing bad either. A good cast holds the film together and has the best direction from Tony Scott since Man On Fire. Luckily for people that enjoy Tony Scott, his following film, Unstoppable would be even more action packed and thrilling. The Talking Of Pelham 1 2 3 is a good, entertaining film and delivers good thrills and good action.
  • erika250
    May 16, 2011
    erika250
    This film is about a guy that hijacks a New York City subway. He keeps people on the subway until he gets a certain amount of cash. Ryder gave subway dispatcher and the cops 1 hour to get the money to him. Will they make it or will everyone on the sub way get killed.
    Pros
    Good a... read morecting and plot
    Fast paced.
    Cons
    Lacking action
    Does not seem real to me.
  • CreedsDelight
    April 26, 2011
    CreedsDelight
    I absolutely loved this movie. It was so entertaining!

    Plot: In The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, Denzel Washington stars as New York City subway dispatcher Walter Garber, whose ordinary day is thrown into chaos by an audacious crime: the hijacking of a subway train. John Travolta st... read morears as Ryder, the criminal mastermind who, as leader of a highly-armed gang of four, threatens to execute the train's passengers unless a large ransom is paid within one hour. As the tension mounts beneath his feet, Garber employs his vast knowledge of the subway system in a battle to outwit Ryder and save the hostages. But there's one riddle Garber can't solve: even if the thieves get the money, how can they possibly escape?

    John Travolta gives an amazing performance as the crazy criminal mastermind Ryder. Though it's no Pulp Fiction, his performance still deserves some recognition.

    The art direction for this movie is beyond explanation. I was speechless.

    Director Tony Scott keeps you entertained from the first nine words of the film: "I got 99 problems but a bitch ain't one."

    I highly recommend this entertaining thriller!
  • garyX
    April 5, 2011
    garyX
    A ruthless gang of machine gun toting criminals hijack a subway train to extort $10 million from New York City. A remake of the cult classic of the 1970s which went some way to "inspire" Tarantino when he wrote Reservoir Dogs, The Taking Of Pelham 123 is a typical Scott-Washingto... read moren collaboration and demonstrates the usual glossy skill each possess when making a mainstream Hollywood thriller. I was tiring of the inevitable Tony Scott visual masturbation by the time the credits had even finished but for the most part, it's a very efficient potboiler. It's very much a two man show as the dialogue between Denzel and a rather Village People looking Travolta is the best aspect of the film, affording Scott an opportunity for more of the kind of "personal revelations at gunpoint" he showcased during Phonebooth and the subway tunnel makes a suitably claustrophobic setting. Unfortunately, once the story leaves that location it's just a load of unnecessary and bog-standard car chases and the whole thing lacks the wit and character of the first version. An efficient but altogether pointless remake that's impossible to recommend over the far superior original.
  • DreamExtractor
    February 27, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    Exciting, but predictable, and slow at times

View All The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 Reviews

Critic Reviews

Anthony Lane
June 15, 2009
Anthony Lane, New Yorker

Can a director be arrested for the attempted hijack of our emotions? Full Review

Ben Mankiewicz
June 15, 2009
Ben Mankiewicz, At the Movies

Washington demonstrates his really remarkable ability to make us forget he's a movie star and completely believe he's a flawed but noble civil servant. Full Review

Ben Lyons
June 15, 2009
Ben Lyons, At the Movies

I was really disappointed by this. Full Review

Peter Rainer
June 12, 2009
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

Whereas the original, directed by Joseph Sargent, was essentially a well-oiled B movie, the new incarnation, directed by Tony Scott, is bristling with high-tech gimcrackery and over-the-top camera flo... Full Review

Colin Covert
June 12, 2009
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Set in a nightmare New York City, the subway hostage thriller batters our nerves like a tom-tom. Full Review

Kenneth Turan
June 12, 2009
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

The film does what a good hostage negotiator does: It distracts us from what's going wrong and pulls us into the story. Full Review

Lou Lumenick
June 12, 2009
Lou Lumenick, New York Post

The new Pelham, although no classic, is a lot of fun if you're in the right mood.

Stephen Whitty
June 12, 2009
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger

We've been waiting too long for a sharp little urban thriller with a couple of tense scenes and one fine, bold performance. Given the time, we'll grab this express train, happily. Full Review

Andrew O'Hehir
June 12, 2009
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com

Helgeland's story is so formulaic and the characters so stock that we're just sitting there waiting for these guys to perform like circus animals. Full Review

Liam Lacey
June 12, 2009
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

Most disappointing is the new film's reluctance to even attempt to match the ingenuity of the original movie's celebrated one-two punch ending. Full Review

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    • Ryder: She was an ass model.
    • Ryder: You're my god damn hero.
    • Phil Ramos: I can't get it out of my head. I'm gonna die today.
    • Ryder: Life is simple now. They just have to do what I say.
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