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.
Comment
06/18/09
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009)
51
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:203
Fresh:104
Rotten:99
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
61 - 80 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Filled with speeded-up camera work, which makes the movie pratically unwatchable for migraine sufferers like me.
06/18/09
Scott has ratcheted back on nearly all of his bad habits.
06/17/09
Apparently, the movie needed remaking with Arabic numerals, which is probably as good a reason as any.
06/17/09
Like swimming laps in bowl of room-temperature oatmeal.
06/17/09
It's Hollywood at its best in deflecting the audience with gloss so they don't notice the thriller's emptiness.
06/17/09
Dark humor, great interaction between the characters, and cinematic comments on racism, gender bias and a changing world - it's a great crime picture. I'm talking, of course, about the 1974 version.
06/16/09
Travolta as the crazy man and Denzel as the every man make this movie a summer treat.
06/16/09
Stout performances and Helgeland's screenplay keep "Pelham" grounded.
06/15/09
Can a director be arrested for the attempted hijack of our emotions?
06/15/09
Top CriticWashington 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.
06/15/09
I was really disappointed by this.
06/15/09
Despite implausible contrivances left and right, the film moves quickly and is entertaining.
06/15/09
The interminable final act of Tony Scott's heretofore modestly entertaining thriller turns the modulated cool of a Michael Mann film into a brash, loud Viagra ad. This is the great disappointment of the summer so far.
06/14/09
To watch the original Pelham and then to watch the new remake is to witness, irrefutably, the decline of mainstream Hollywood filmmaking.
06/14/09
(Director Tony) Scott ... uses the camera like a little boy shouting, "Look at me, look at me," instead of simply telling the story.
06/14/09
Good movie ruined by some amazingly bad moments.
06/14/09
The commandeered plot is like the film's train. When you first get on board it just sits on the track. Once the story begins moving, you can predict each stop along the route.
06/14/09
Under all the layers of MTV circa 2003 there's a tight, good story that's been barely changed from the original, and there are some good performances trying to poke their way through the ADD editing.
06/14/09
Not your average bombs-away summer blockbuster, The Taking of Pelham 123 is goofy but enjoyable, with its stars, notably Travolta's wired performance providing most of the fireworks.
06/13/09
Latest News for The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
August 27, 2009:
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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:
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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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