The Taking of Pelham 123 is a remake of the classic 1974 original of the same name, and also based off of the novel written by John Godey of the same name. Though I haven’t read the book of this yet, there were several differences between the original and the remake. It was an okay action movie, which makes me sad to say because I love Denzel Washington and John Travolta. Great actors but the film itself dragged them down. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it, and it was certainly re-watchable, mainly because of those two. But the execution of it felt weak.

Directed by Tony Scott, I was really looking forward to it, specially after learning that he also directed Enemy of the State and Man on Fire. Unfortunately my expectations were set too high that the film felt rushed.

Genius use of names and terms

Now, I have never ridden the NYC Subway, but upon reading, Pelham is a real station, but not located as it says in the film. In the film, I love how they named it Pelham (a bit used when riding a horse), and Travolta’s code name in the film was “Ryder”. And it just occurred to me that he was being the “rider”, and the subway was his horse, and using a “Pelham”, he has command over it.

The decision to have both intentional and unintentional casualties helped the film to stand out from the other hostage-heist genre. The first death was that of the transit police, which was avoidable honestly but a necessary kill. The motorman and the ex-navy guy’s death were important ones. It pushed the audience to think that this film may not have a happy ending. And if it did have a good ending, more collateral damage had to be made.

It gives us the idea that Travolta’s character was dead serious. Whenever he does his countdowns, it wouldn’t feel empty anymore because of those, and people will be anticipating it from then on. Ramos’ death due to accidental discharge was sort of a break in the storyline, and it gives us the feeling that things are about to get serious.

Characters

• Denzel’s performance was always top notch, and this didn’t disappoint. Most of us are used to him being in action scenes, but this was more of a narrative on his part, and little bit of action scenes towards the end. He had to make do with what little props he has while inside the transit station. Play with his tone with the words, add some facial expression while talking and negotiating. It still felt authentic and not over the top. Though I liked his performance more in Inside Man.
• Travolta’s loud wall street character fits very well with how he talk, dress, and move. Though I would also say that Travolta was too good to be in this role that his character didn’t do him justice.

Regarding their chemistry, I couldn’t really say. They had limited screen time together, and it was only towards the end of the film. The interaction was brief but intimate. The entirety of the heist, it started and ended with the two of them talking.

The use of the moving train freeze-frames added more to that subway vibe fast-paced lifestyle. Aside from that, cinematography-wise, there wasn’t anything special, to be fair, majority of the film was shot in enclosed spaces (train terminal station and inside the subway train itself)

“Check me!” The moments in the film where Travolta’s character confirms the time that he has with that of Denzel’s. Which for me also represents his time before he fails and meets his end. This phrase stuck with me because of how he says it and what it represents.

Conclusion

Even though the settings of the film seemed stagnant and boring (Pelham subway train and train station terminal) their conversation will keep you on your toes. The Taking of Pelham 123 is a very enjoyable crime-heist film and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the genre.