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Columbia Pictures
Escape Artists
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Relativity Media
Scott Free Productions
Not part of a collection.
I can't get it out of my head. I'm gonna die today.
Armed men hijack a New York City subway train, holding the passengers hostage in return for a ransom, and turning an ordinary day's work for dispatcher Walter Garber into a face-off with the mastermind behind the crime.
CinemaSerf
Feb 22, 2025 · via TMDB
It’s not really fair comparing this with the much more sophisticated 1974 version of this story as Tony Scott has taken a fairly broad-brush to that template and pretty much re-characterised the whole story. That’s a story about a gang of well organised criminals who plan a daring hijack of a subway train in New York, USA. Their plan is simple enough. They seize one car and then their leader “Ryder” (John Travolta) demands $10 millions within the hour or the bodies will start mounting up. His contact in the control room is “Garber” (Denzel Washington) and soon wheels are in motion to get the cash. What’s not so clear, though, is just what the agenda of these criminals is. It’s not an excessively large sum of money and we know that “Garber” is under investigation for bribery, so is there something more sinister going on here? What is obvious is that these guys mean business and are not afraid to demonstrate that fact! Tony Scott has managed to convey something of the claustrophobic nature of the tunnels well here and Harry Gregson-Williams’s aggressive score also helps build the tension but for me, Travolta just doesn’t deliver anything on the scale of menace I wanted here. Sure, his character is vile and violent but with the story relying on a degree of ambiguity for much of it’s substance, his unsubtle and charm-free performance is all just too one-dimensional to keep the intrigue sustained. Washington, likewise, just doesn’t impose himself on the story anywhere near enough to give us any real sense of panic and the other supporting efforts are all a bit too underwhelming too, delivering a great deal of wasteful shouty dialogue as this thing rather lumbers along as if it were stuck at the lights, too. It probably didn’t need remaking but it does remind you just how good Robert Shaw was on the less is more front.
r96sk
Nov 15, 2023 · via TMDB
Having seen (and truly loved) <em>'<a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/unstoppable-2010/" rel="nofollow">Unstoppable</a>'</em>, it's impossible not to see <em>'The Taking of Pelham 123'</em> as a rather pale incarnation of that 2010 flick (which also has Tony Scott as director and Denzel Washington as lead!). How strange that those two came together to make two very similar movies so close together. In the end, here, there is enough done to separate them, but early on especially I felt like I was watching the same film almost. For the record, that other release is so vastly better than this... so I'd recommend that more if you want a train-centric production from Scott and Washington. With all that noted, this 2009 film is still a fairly enjoyable 1hr 40mins or so - despite some questionable editing choices. A big reason for my positive rating is the aforementioned Washington, who gives as good a performance as he always tends to give - which is why he is probably my favourite actor, him or Leonardo DiCaprio anyway. John Travolta does well though, even if I kept getting <em>'<a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/face-off/" rel="nofollow">Face/Off</a>'</em> vibes throughout. Here, he made me laugh a few times and the guy has some good dialogue/delivery of said dialogue. Even if that latter element is hit-and-miss elsewhere. The rest of the cast are alright-to-meh, nice to see James Gandolfini though. It's, taking everything into account, all worth a watch, I'd say.
JPV852
Apr 12, 2021 · via TMDB
Saw this one many years ago, probably when it came out on Blu-ray, and decided to give it another watch at random, and... pretty much lined up with from the first go around. Nothing amazing nor has any great twists, but the performances from Washington and Travolta made the movie worth the time. On the downside, as with many of his later films, Tony Scott's choppy direction was a bit annoying. **3.5/5**
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Denzel Washington
Walter Garber
John Travolta
Ryder
John Turturro
Lt. Camonetti
Luis Guzmán
Phil Ramos
James Gandolfini
Mayor
Michael Rispoli
John Johnson
Gary Basaraba
Jerry Pollard, motorman
Alex Kaluzhsky
George, teen hostage
Alice Kremelberg
George's Girlfriend
Katherine Sigismund
Mother-hostage
Jake Siciliano
Boy hostage
Gbenga Akinnagbe
Wallace, hostage
Jason Butler Harner
Hostage who can't urinate
Victor Gojcaj
Bashkim, hijacker
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor
Therese Garber
John Benjamin Hickey
Deputy Mayor LaSalle
Ramón Rodríguez
Delgado, MTA worker
Tonye Patano
Regina, conductor
Chance Kelly
ESU Captain
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ESU Guy
Victor Cruz
Maintainer Three
Saidah Arrika Ekulona
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Sean Meehan
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Todd Susman
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Officer Moran / NYPD Liaison
Zach Poole
LaSalle's Aide
Reuben Jackson
Reporter at MTA
Sean Nelson
ESU One
Mike Houston
Money Car Driver
Frank Wood
Police Commissioner Sterman
Brian Haley
Police Captain Hill (MTA)
Maria Bartiromo
Financial Reporter
John Lavelle
Team Member (NYPD)
Peter Bucossi
SUV Driver
Steve Routman
Heckler
Nick Loren
Tunnel Commander
Daniel Stewart Sherman
ESU Lieutenant Staley
Adrian Martinez
Cabbie
Jordan Gelber
Commuter
Joe Forbrich
ESU Guy
Jason Cerbone
ESU Guy
Michael Mihm
ESU Desk Officer
René Ifrah
Money Car Shotgun
Tommy Bayiokos
Garber's Hero Transit Cop (uncredited)
Frank Anello
NYPD Officer (uncredited)
John Farrer
Subway Passenger (uncredited)
Justiin Davis
Lewis (uncredited)
Craig Haagensen
Camera Operator
Tobias A. Schliessler
Director of Photography
Alexander Witt
Second Unit Director of Photography
Rico Torres
Still Photographer
Renee Ehrlich Kalfus
Costume Design
Al Cerullo
Pilot
Chuck Picerni Jr.
Stunt Coordinator
Scotty Richards
Stunt Coordinator
Jalil Jay Lynch
Stunt Double
Nick Loren
Stunt Double
Aaron Vexler
Stunt Driver
Bill Young
Stunt Driver
Chris Cenatiempo
Stunt Driver
Cort Hessler
Stunt Driver
Donald J. Hewitt Jr.
Stunt Driver
Joe Bucaro III
Stunt Driver
John Cenatiempo
Stunt Driver
Roy Farfel
Stunt Driver
Blaise Corrigan
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Brian Knutson
Stunts
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Stunts
Chad Randall
Stunts
Chuck Zito
Stunts
Clay Cullen
Stunts
Danny Aiello III
Stunts
Derrick Simmons
Stunts
Dorian Kingi
Stunts
Erik Stabenau
Stunts
Jennifer Lamb
Stunts
Jonathan Arthur
Stunts
Kimberly Shannon Murphy
Stunts
Kimmy Suzuki
Stunts
Mickey Giacomazzi
Stunts
Peter Epstein
Stunts
Steve Picerni
Stunts
Tracey Ruggiero
Stunts
Mark Mahoney
Tattooist
Peter Bucossi
Utility Stunts
Tony Scott
Director
Alexander Witt
Second Unit Director
Chris Lebenzon
Editor
Denise Chamian
Casting
Jason Blumenthal
Producer
Todd Black
Producer
Gary A. Hecker
Foley
Harry Gregson-Williams
Original Music Composer
Christopher Boyes
Sound Designer
Paul Massey
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Kami Asgar
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