Walter Matthau,
Robert Shaw,
Martin Balsam,
Hector Elizondo,
Earl Hindman
... see more 
On a quiet midday in New York, along the Lexington Avenue subway line, the train designated "Pelham One Two Three" -- so named for its station of origin and time of departure -- makes its way down the... read more
DVD Release Date: May 15, 2001
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Stats: 901 reviews
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Flixster Reviews (901)
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April 18, 2009I don't expect perfect realism in my films but even allowing for dramatic license, I found Pelham 123 just had a bit too much "Alka-Seltzer TV ad" faux authenticity for my taste. Everyone in this movie is oh, so colorful, ethnic and ready with a perfect one-liner. After a while,... read more
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December 21, 2011Fantastic pure great fun, perfect cast, a sharp script, funny and smart. Go watch it, now.
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September 1, 2011This movie follows the standard hijacking of a moving vehicle plot, and adds the old 70s realism to it. I really liked Matthau in this movie, he was funny and serious at the same time, which is what he's good at of course. But other than him, none of the actors really stood out... read more
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May 29, 2011I'm not all that surprised that this was a great movie, but it was completely different from anything I was expecting. The most interesting thing, by far, is the refusal to have a main character at all. No one really dominates the storyline; it's the plot that is the soul driving... read more
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May 21, 2011Tense crime thriller without a lot of needless flash thrown in. Excellent performances from a talented cast and a succinct ending.
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January 2, 2011Probably one of the best heist movies and New York films ever made. The score is also pretty bombastic and unbelievably nuts. And one of the best endings I've ever seen.
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October 22, 2010Having watched the remake first, I would definitely say the film was tweaked for the better and there were small differences between the two, althought the main plot remained the same, I think I preferred the ending to this
Quite curious about the names used in the robbery, di... read more -
July 27, 2010A New York City subway train is hijacked by a group of 4 men and a ransom of 1 million dollars is demanded for the safe return of the 17 passengers. Well plotted, heist movie has a refreshingly simple plot. Story isn't corrupted by the needlessly complicated gimmicks which ofte... read more
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October 23, 2009A little bit dated maybe, a bit naive and unfortunately a little bit racist but this classic 70's thriller has some great characters and what it lacked in action, it made up for in intrigue, dialogue and performance. Future action/thrillers should take note (although a remake isn... read more
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Critic Reviews
June 10, 2009
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic
March 4, 2008
Todd McCarthy, Variety
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three is a good action caper about a subway car heist under the streets of Manhattan. Full Review
March 4, 2008
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
Superior exercise in urban paranoia; the superb location work of director Joseph Sargent goes a long way toward tempering the artificialities of the plot. Full Review
August 26, 2003
Jessica Winter, Village Voice
Darkened encounters with the ghost of Abe Beame don't come more giddily thrilling. Full Review
May 21, 2003
Nora Sayre, New York Times
It's the only action picture I've seen this year that has a rousing plot. Full Review
September 8, 2009
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
One of the decade's great defenses of New York Full Review
July 3, 2009
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Smart, tense, and funny, Joseph Sargent's thriller is a product of its times, reflecting New York in the 1970s and part of a cycle of urban paranoia movie, such as French Connection and Dog Day Aftern... Full Review
June 14, 2009
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
Surly humor powers the movie as much as the ticking-clock premise does. Full Review
June 12, 2009
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
This is gritty, entertaining 1970s filmmaking at its finest. Full Review
June 8, 2009
Chris Cabin, Filmcritic.com
An archeological specimen from nearly two decades before the advent of the Metrocard Full Review
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