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FilmEdge.net reviews THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123 (2009)
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The new and improved PELHAM is entertaining, certainly. But it falls short of what it could have been: a psychological dance on a tight wire between the good guy and the bad guy who, we find, may not be so different after all. The good guy is named Walter Garber (Washington), an MTA director who’s been bumped back to dispatcher pending the outcome of a bribery investigation — the name change is a nod to Matthau, who starred as Zachary Garber in the original film. The bad guy (Travolta) asks to be called “Ryder” and we know little about him except that he’s a Catholic, and he’s holding 19 subway passengers in car #6 on the Pelham Bay line hostage while demanding a $10 million ransom from the city of New York. The story is exciting, intriguing, and relentless — most of the time. The dialog is brutal and gripping — most of the time. The plot devices are clever — most of the time. But most of the time is not quite enough to raise this PELHAM up beyond the everyday run-of-the-mill cops and robbers flick.  The lead actors bring little to the screen we have not seen from them before. Travolta is his affable bad-guy best, trading quips with an oddly underwhelmed Washington who, once again, plays Everyman. But there are some excellent turns by the supporting cast, most notably John Turturro as hostage negotiator Lt. Camonelli, and John Benjamin Hickey as Deputy Mayor LaSalle. Their stellar performances are balanced on the negative side by Aunjanue Ellis as Washington’s wife Theresa, and a plodding James Gandolfini as the politically apathetic Mayor of New York City. In general, the acting is flat and uninspired. The 19 hostages seem strangely calm. A sub-plot meant to explain why one hostage has a laptop with a live Internet feed is clumsy and a little embarrassing. But the ingenious use of the Internet in the story is clever. Adapting writer Brian Helgeland does a very good job of making present-day connectivity important to the story. There is plenty of action. The choreography of police cars and motorcycles racing across Manhattan is exceptionally well done. The story moves clearly and quickly, almost in real time. Garber is forced to deal with Ryder and his demands as Lt. Camonelli gives him a crash course in hostage negotiation. Each of the major characters is forced to make an admission during the film, and each has the opportunity to use the situation aboard the subway car as a means of personal redemption. But after an hour and 15 minutes of such adrenaline-fueled intensity between criminal and civil servant, the audience expects the characters to at least look a bit tired.  THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3 is just uneven. There are a few moments of brilliance. But these few moments are not enough to make the film satisfying. The oddest thing, though, is that when all is said and done, PELHAM is a pretty darned entertaining movie. It’s easy to pick out the faults of the film. Somehow, the good bits come together well enough to make the movie watchable and rather enjoyable as well. The car crashes are spectacular, and the special effects are seamless. David Shire's musical score in the original PELHAM was named one of the top 10 film scores of all time by National Public Radio music expert Andy Trudeau; on the other hand Harry-Gregson Williams' score in this remake is disjointed and forgettable. The language throughout the film is vulgar, and there is graphic violence. The film will be disturbing to younger children; it earns its “R” rating. If the usual bill of family-oriented summer films is too tame for your cinematic taste, try taking THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3 for a ride. Three and a half stars for this uneven, but action-packed, thriller. Compare FILMEDGE's review of Tony Scott's remake with our take on Joseph Sargent's 1974 THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE. |
