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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
Denzel Washington is that valuable paradox, the relatable supernova. [But] it's too bad the movie around him isn't better -- the '74 edition, propelled by David Shire's incredibly badass theme music, kicks the remake's behind all the way to Coney Island.
This sturdy example of straightforward action filmmaking wouldn't merit much interest if not for the acting match-up at its center.
It's easy to imagine why Pelham's producers wouldn't want Scott's professional but dull picture to be compared with the 1974 classic.
The new Pelham is a solid, suspenseful tale all over again, so long as it stays in the subway tunnels and airless offices of the transit department.
John Travolta’s wildly successful post-comeback crusade to become synonymous with crap continues with The Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3, Tony Scott’s bracingly awful remake/desecration of the classic ‘70s thriller.
A reasonably interesting but curiously routine heist movie that will be appreciated more by new riders than those familiar with the superior 1974 incarnation.
It's entertaining enough to make it worth checking out but ultimately forgettable, unlike Scott and Washington's previous collaborations.
Scott keeps things tense while allowing for the occasional blast of humor.
The only surprise in the new Pelham is that there's nothing to replace the narrative ingenuity of the original. In fact, there's almost no ending at all.
Although diehard fans of the original should stay far, far away from it, the new Pelham provides a level of engagement that puts it a notch or two above today’s standard action-movie fare.
The original is considered a classic, though it was miscast. This one is no where near classic.
Updated for 2009, this enthralling subway heist thriller grabs you and never lets go. It's all about greed and money.
Director Tony Scott may not suffer from attention-deficit disorder, but he is convinced you do.
There’s not much wrong with Tony Scott’s The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, except that there’s not much really right about it.
Top CriticTravolta barks and giggles and screams, as if creating a memorable nemesis was simply a matter of calling more attention to yourself than anyone else.
I can think of worse ways to while away a hot, sticky summer afternoon than ducking into the air-conditioned comfort of the multiplex for a couple of hours worth of jacked-up, seat-rattling, subway-heisting action.
all meaningless movie mechanics, nothing more.
[A] rollicking tale that unspools in urgent real time... and is jam-packed with literally breathtaking action.
The movie might leave audiences feeling a lot like hostages themselves, at the hands of the director. Who seems to have a bit of a contact high with all the grating noise, grit and funk of runaway trains. Somebody needed to put the brakes on this guy too.
Pelham would've been better served by a handful of Ritalin, or perhaps a director who wouldn't dare sacrifice rollicking suspense to feed his meaningless camera fetishes.
Top Critic
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:
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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:
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June 13, 2009:
Denzel and Travolta co-star in remake of classic hostage drama. 
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