This is a remake of an older film made in the 1070s and judging by other reviews- an improvement. It is an intense ride and both Denzel Washington and John Travolta shine. The late Tony Scott excelled in making certain types of films and this is the kind of film that he was happiest making, as opposed to elder brother Ridley who tends to choose more cerebral fare. Taking of Pelham 123 is a ride you don't wanna miss. Go see it.

Joseph Sargent was a well respected director of mostly television, but he also helmed a number of feature films over the years. This may very well be his best. (I won't hold "Jaws: The Revenge" against him.) It's a masterfully directed, well plotted crime thriller, and one of the finest of that genre to come out of NYC in the 1970s. It doesn't boast wall to wall action, instead focusing on telling an actual story, but when the action scenes do take place, they're utterly gripping and nail biting. Best of all, the movie does have a good sense of humor, paying itself off in a couple of ways.Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam, Hector Elizondo, and Earl Hindman play a quartet of ruthless men who hijack an NYC subway train and hold almost 20 passengers hostage. Their demand? One million dollars in cash (back then, it would have been a lot of money), to be delivered in ONE HOUR. Otherwise, the passengers start getting executed. Intrepid Transit Authority lawman Zachary Garber (Walter Matthau) is the calm, level headed Everyman hero who tries to appease the bad guys while ensuring the hostages come out of the situation unscathed.Sargent and his top notch filmmaking team (including such luminaries as cinematographer Owen Roizman and editor Jerry Greenberg) craft a well paced bit of entertainment, enhanced by a dynamic and forceful music score by David Shire. There are some fun quips among the dialogue, and the performances are all right on the money. There's no scenery chewing here - even loose cannon Mr. Grey (Elizondo) is fairly low key while causing an overt amount of trouble for his co-conspirators. Shaw is a smooth villain, while Matthau is as amiable as he's ever been. In addition, there's a steady parade of stars and familiar character actors filling out a great many roles: James Broderick, Dick O'Neill, Lee Wallace, Tom Pedi, Beatrice Winde, Jerry Stiller, Nathan George, Kenneth McMillan, Doris Roberts, Julius Harris, Alex Colon, Michael Gorrin, Christopher Murney, Sal Viscuso, Bill Cobbs, Joe Seneca, and Tony Roberts. Most impressive!"The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" is a truly great thriller, one that reels you in early on and scarcely takes a breath until its satisfying, blatantly humorous denouement.Remade for TV in 1998, and for theaters in 2009.10 out of 10.

I found an old copy of the original John Godey novel when I was a teenager, and after reading it I immediately sought out the first filmed version of the novel. I remember thinking the movie followed the novel fairly well. Decades later, I found a DVD copy of the movie in my local library, and decided to give it another look. While my memories of the novel have faded, I thought the movie was still a great thriller. There isn't a wasted moment - it gets right to business very quickly, and the rest of the movie unfolds at a brisk (but wisely not TOO fast) speed. The cast is very good, with Robert Shaw finding the right tone to portray a bad guy who is very smart and dangerous. Walter Matthau also does well in a mostly serious role, though he adds some subtle humor to his words on occasion to make sure the movie doesn't get too serious for its own good. Definitely a lot better than the remake with John Travolta, which was too slick and loud for its own good.

"We are going to kill one passenger a minute until New York City pays us $1 Million.""The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" is a perfect example of a tension filled, wonderfully constructed, and extremely entertaining thriller. It's a testament to "Pelham" that it has been remade twice--once as a made-for-TV movie, and the other as a big-budget action picture. However, the decision to produce these remakes hasn't yielded satisfying results. Peter Stone earned an Oscar nomination in 1974 for his screenplay, which is adapted from John Godey's 1973 novel. You can count among its biggest admirers Quentin Tarantino, who borrowed the color-coded nicknames of the villains in the film for his band of thieves in "Reservoir Dogs."Four armed men hijack a New York City subway train and demand $1 million dollars which must be delivered in 1 hour for the release of the passengers held hostage. Lt. Zachary Garber (Walter Matthau) of the New York City Transit Police must contend with City Hall, the demands of the hijackers, and the ticking clock in his efforts to save the passengers and bring the hijackers to justice. The initial hijacking plan doesn't seem to make any sense because their options are so limited. At one point Lt. Garber jokingly says: "They're gonna get away by asking every man, woman and child in New York City to close their eyes and count to a hundred." But there is a clever getaway plan coordinated by Mr. Blue (Robert Shaw), who plays a former mercenary soldier. His team members include two professional criminals and a fired motorman (Martin Balsam) with a grudge.The main strength of the film is the acting. Shaw, Balsam, and Elizondo each get to play to their own specific skill set. Shaw is cool, devious, and calculating. Balsam is a working class, somewhat decent, criminal. On the other side of things, Matthau is at his sardonic best as Garber. Little time is spent on the back story, subplots, or exploration of motives. It's about a subway train, the bad guys, the good guys, hostages, and money. That's it. comparing the original to the 2009 Tony Scott- directed remake, where substantial screen time is devoted to such concerns, the movie falls well short. Do yourself a favor: instead of watching the remake, seek out the original. It's an urban thriller with charisma and a vitality all of its own.