If you like Scott you can argue that too much is better than too little. This movie has a vision and sticks to it.
Comment
07/31/09
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009)
52
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:201
Fresh:104
Rotten:97
Average Rating:5.4/10
Consensus: Despite a strong cast, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 suffers under the excesses of Tony Scott's frantic direction, and fails to measure up to the 1974 original.
Australian Theatrical Release:
Aug 27, 2009 Wide
US Box Office: $65,452,312
Synopsis: 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... [More]
Starring: Denzel Washington, John Travolta, John Turturro, Luis Guzman
Director: Tony Scott
Reviews for The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
41 - 60 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Compare him with the gang-leader in the 1974 film, played by Robert Shaw as a tight-lipped, ice-cool killer, and Travolta starts to look like a joke.
07/31/09
The stage is set for a cat and mouse duel that only becomes increasingly conventional before a finale that just isn’t a patch on the clever and inspired ending of the original.
07/31/09
A typical Tony Scott all-style-no-substance production, this combines flashy direction and good performances from its two stars, but it's never a patch on the original film.
07/31/09
Tony Scott indulges in his usual flashy pyrotechnics, which almost cover up the gaping craters in the plot.
07/31/09
The Taking Of Pelham 123 delivers the kind of barefaced popcorn thrills we're often embarrassed to admit are a good thing.
07/31/09
The fact that A-list film-makers such as Scott and Helgeland can't even be bothered to come up with a dumb movie explanation to justify the moronic nature of their work feels symptomatic of the contempt Hollywood increasingly has for its audience.
07/31/09
Scott has updated the setting, but, more significantly, he's refashioned things in tone, style and theme, deftly recasting it to fit the standard template of the contemporary Hollywood action film.
07/30/09
Director Tony Scott pushes all the right buttons, crafting a worthy -- and in many ways, a superior -- update.
07/17/09
At its best when it's not trying too hard to show how gritty it is.
07/15/09
In the moment, it all feels very dangerous and urgent and important, but in retrospect it seems almost silly. What is The Taking of Pelham 123 meant to be? Drama? Spoof? It succeeds and fails at both at the same time.
07/14/09
A good movie, but don't expect the best thriller of the summer in a flick that's sometimes as eventful as getting stuck between 34th and 42nd Streets on the A train in NYC.
07/03/09
Because of Scott's reliably indiscriminant overdirection, the film only works in fits and starts
06/30/09
Ultimately, the film reminds us that human life is precious and worth preserving%u2014and all in a smart summer blockbuster.
06/24/09
Nothing if not self-aware, this update of Joseph Sargent's 1974 thriller begins by rearranging the class dynamics.
06/24/09
With his goatee and fake tattoos, it's safe to say you've never seen Travolta quite like this before. He's hardcore, and it works. As for Washington, he infuses this fine thriller with the kind of humanity it needs to ground it.
06/20/09
There's a serviceable thriller somewhere in this remake of the 1974 drama.
06/19/09
It entertains the way it wants, as shiny, shallow popcorn fun.
06/19/09
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 begins in disarray.... But as undependable as director Tony Scott is, his two leading actors are not going to lose their way.
06/18/09
Filled with speeded-up camera work, which makes the movie pratically unwatchable for migraine sufferers like me.
06/18/09
Latest News for The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
August 27, 2009:
10 Hair-raising Moments With John Travolta
Travolta's brutal butch hair -- or lack thereof, handlebar moustache aside -- in this week's remake of The Taking of Pelham 123 got us nostalgic for ol' dimple chin's former... More...
June 19, 2009:
Submit to the RT Show and Earn a Cool $100
Time for the weekly update, folks. As always, thanks to everyone who has submitted reviews and helped contribute to the show. Every week, we continue to bring you a lively,... More...
June 15, 2009:
Watch RT on Current TV
This week, The Rotten Tomatoes Show will be looking at the movies that opened over the weekend, with help from you (the Rotten Tomatoes community), the Current TV community, and... More...
June 13, 2009:
Denzel and Travolta co-star in remake of classic hostage drama. 
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