It’s often hard for a remake to live up to the original, and the “Taking of Pelham 123” tries its hand at doing so.
It’s often hard for a remake to live up to the original, and the “Taking of Pelham 123” tries its hand at doing so. Walter Garber (played by Denzel Washington) is a demoted subway dispatcher who ends up in the middle of a hostage situation, answering the call from head criminal Ryder (played by John Travolta). Ryder and his band of bad guys hijack the Pelham 123 train and demand a $10 million ransom from the mayor (played by James Gandolfini) in exchange for the passengers’ release. While Garber is sitting behind a microphone in the transit system’s office, he develops a tension-easing rapport with Ryder, who barks orders from the train conductor’s quarters on the train. As they wait for on the pending money drop, Garber –– with the help of Camonetti, a New York Police Department hostage negotiator (played by John Turturro) –– is forced to engage in a verbal cat-and-mouse high jinx to keep the passengers safe. Washington, as seen in most of his films, maintains a calm demeanor while Travolta is unbelievably hyper in this role. The clock ticks down to the wire and there isn’t much suspense to this thriller. The Hollywood ending is incomplete and leaves a question mark for viewers. The original “Pelham” made in 1974 had a much better ending, and the remake comes up short. If you haven’t already caught the original with Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw, please watch it and judge for yourself. I give it 2.5 out of 5 stars. ______ Copyright 2009 Chicago Defender. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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