The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

Remake of the splendid 1974 Walter Matthau vehicle Discuss this article

A remake of the splendid 1974 Walter Matthau vehicle, this action movie sees Denzel Washington taking over Matthau’s role as Garber, a downtrodden New York Transit Authority cop who finds himself embroiled in a hostage situation on the titular subway train. Washington’s as solid an actor as one could ask for, though his previous collaborations with director Tony Scott – crime flick Man On Fire and sci-fi actioner Déjà Vu – were both underwhelming. More worrying is an appearance by John Travolta as the lead hijacker, which brings back unpleasant memories of the abysmal Swordfish. Travolta earned back goodwill with Hairspray and Bolt. Let’s hope this return to action isn’t another step backwards.

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