Today’s quick review: The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3. Denzel Washington stars as Walter Garber, a train dispatcher for the New York subway. But his ordinary day takes a turn for the worse when a man calling himself Ryder (John Travolta) takes a subway car full of passengers hostage. Forced into the role of hostage negotiator, Garber must talk his way through a volatile situation and figure out what Ryder’s plan is before Ryder begins killing hostages.
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 is a hostage thriller set in New York’s subway system. Denzel Washington plays an everyman thrust into an unusual situation, one which threatens to unearth secrets from his own past. John Travolta plays an oddball criminal who combines intelligent planning and an affable demeanor with an unpredictable temper and a violent personality. Much of the movie is spent on the negotiation between Garber and Ryder, with Garber trying to pick up useful information from their conversation and Ryder trying to ensure that the ransom money is delivered on time. These tense conversations are the main draw of the film. Apart from defining the two characters, they deliver a steady drip of information about Ryder’s plan and effectively build up the tension before Ryder’s deadline.
Watch The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 if you’re in the mood for a decent hostage thriller. Unlike other movies in the genre, there is not a lot of action, but the tension remains high enough that this is not a real detriment. The film’s attempts at stylization—low frame-rate shots and peculiar swipe cuts—are more distracting than helpful, but otherwise the execution is clean. Denzel Washington and John Travolta both deliver solid performances as characters that are good but not great. The movie does not distinguish itself in any significant way, but it is a worthwhile entry in the genre and worth a watch when you are in the right mood for it.
6.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it 6.5 to 7.0 for decent execution but nothing too special.