The Taking of Pelham 123

This weekend I was fortunate enough to escape the Michael Jackson hype through Times Square and enjoy a late movie starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta.

“The Taking of Pelham 123” is a remake of the 1974 version of the film. Both are based on the novel written by Morton Freedgood. Passengers on a number 6 train go for a ride with its hijacker, who is named Ryder, and his heavily armed entourage.

I have never seen the original, I’ve only heard of this film recently. I wasn’t even aware John Travolta was in it. Though I knew it would be based around a bad guy and his crew, some hostages and a certain negotiator who would somehow save the day, I grew optimistic when I finally learned Travolta played the bad guy (he plays them so well).

The movie is a bit predictable, but what I liked is how they portrayed New Yorkers. Being a New Yorker from day one, I grow tired of us constantly being painted as the slick mouthed city slickers with no manners. This movie is not guiltless of such, but after watching the movie, “Fighting,” in which I took offense on how they made New Yorkers look on screen, I appreciated the recognition of New York heart represented by Denzel Washington’s character. He plays Walter Garber, an MTA dispatcher who was demoted to Rail Control duty after being under investigation for taking a bribe. But his character is that of a devoted husband and father whose instincts run on good moral and tough dedication, a simple civil servant who goes a long way, our true modern day hero.

Ryder (Travolta), is a very smart, thought provoking criminal who seems to be akin to Garber and asks to negotiate with no one but him. The conversations between the two consist of significance behind the actions that neither are proud of. Ryder bases his actions on what he thinks is rationality and force of hand. He has his image of who the real bad guys are. He pushes the buttons of Garber, and sees a bond between the two.

The police chases are unrealistic to me, but it’s still entertaining. The roles are played by strong characters; I like John Turturro’s role as the lieutenant and James Gandolfini plays a good mayor. His character pokes fun at political scandals we often see today in the media. All in all, these characters play strong headed, tough, sharp guys who get the job done. That’s what New Yorkers are really all about.

I enjoyed it overall, but I wouldn’t recommend it for its story line. I would only recommend it for the actors who bring the story line to life.

Written by: Jazzy D.

Reviewers Rating: 7
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