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The Taking of Pelham 123
2009
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The Taking of Pelham 123
Positive Reviews
72
Negative reviews
26
Average Rating
3.0
/5
original
agenda.predictably
entertaining
hijacking
unfocused
All
Positive
Negative
3.0
The filmmakers attempts to inject timeliness and psychological complexity into the film by tying Travoltas shenanigans in with the faltering economy a ..
Av Club
4.5
Washington manages to breathe real pathos into what could have been a clich ridden character.
Den Of Geek
2.0
Time is also wasted explaining why Washington is more conflicted than your average civil servant.
EW
3.1
Theres not much wrong with Tony Scotts The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, except that theres not much really right about it.
Rogerebert
3.0
Without them, the characters feel like pawns in a glitzy game one thats entertaining but not a classic.
Common Sense Media
4.5
Though bearded and bespectacled, Krasinski doesnt stray too far from his character Jim on The Office, soulful and understanding if a bit unaspiring an ..
Austin Chronicle
1.9
Nonetheless, all flash and no substance makes Pelham a bludgeoning ride, one that would benefit from Scott recognizing that a measure of restraint is ..
3.0
But this is a Tony Scott film, which means it is animated by a restless, absurd need for excess, for energy and speed and rapid, manic, dizzying camer ..
1.5
The former is cool and collected; Travolta, though, is flamboyantly unfocused and over the top which doesnt seem to match up once Ryders true identity ..
Screen Daily
0.5
Under the terrible thug threads and painful acting, theres a fresh and timely character waiting to be unleashed.
Collider
1.0
It is economical in its direction, thrilling in its use of the casual (but still shocking) urban violence which marked much of Seventies filmmaking, a ..
3.0
The movie ultimately buries this notion under too many flashy diversions, when spectacle overrides all else, turning the film into a superficial thril ..
E Film Critic
1.0
But Sargent is a workaday director who can sometimes rise to a good script.
E Film Critic
1.0
If you are lucky enough to have seen the earlier classic, it is more than likely that you will find this version is something to be sneezed at after a ..
E Film Critic
2.0
Washington though is sturdy to a fault.We know and this is not a good thing in a movie that wants to be a nail biting suspense hell bat away any strif ..
Telegraph
3.5
MOVIE REVIEW The Taking of Pelham 123 Director Tony Scott crisply pieces together the hostage drama.John Travolta and Denzel Washington star.
3.8
He takes a baseline pretty good movie and, through sheer conviction, makes it a little better than that.So does Denzel Washington.
San Francisco Chronicle
2.0
Cheating Washington out of Matthaus wonderful sign off look, the film rewards its star with a truly bathetic grin at his pet dog instead.
2.0
Solid performances from Washington and Travolta are wasted on a script that probably wasnt worth making and a movie thats definitely not worth seeing.
Cinema Blend
3.5
There are plenty of tense moments in the movie and the interplay between the characters is very good Tony Scott keeps you guessing as to who these cha ..
Screen Rant
2.5
The new movie, appropriately, is an efficiently engineered piece of studio product, enjoyable enough at times, but with an unmistakable assembly line ..
The Globe And Mail
3.1
The style will be outdated, and theres not much substance going on underneath.
Philly
3.0
The Spy Who Dumped Me is an action comedy withwell, it has action.The Spy Who Dumped Me is an action comedy withwell, it has action.
Philly
2.5
No other actor makes such an art of modulating his performances from situation to situation than Washington.
Village Voice
2.8
The filmmakers make this thrill ride energetic and watchable but also sentimental, too calculated, contrived and disposable.
Sover
3.8
The movie is light on pyrotechnics and special effects and, except for a preposterous climax, surprisingly low key.
ReelViews
3.1
Thus the films final stretch loses the emotional connection, and its fairly patchy overall, but Im giving it a mild recommendation for its good stretc ..
Combust Ible Celluloid
3.0
The result is a climax that leaves you with sweaty palms and on the edge of your seat.
3.8
Though the original movie, based on the novel by John Godey, had an undeniable sense of suspense and some strong performances, it feels dated.
Usa Today
3.1
Raw and unflinching, its a gripping story of revenge that doesnt pull any punches anchored by an electrifying performance from Denzel Washington.
Reel Film Reviews
3.0
Tony Scotts direction is typically fussy and mannered, but effectively suspenseful.
News Review
4.0
For those concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, theres some of that from time to time in the film, but nothing nearing strobe intensit ..
Screen It
1.0
Compare him with the gang leader in the 1974 film, played by Robert Shaw as a tight lipped, ice cool killer, and Travolta starts to look like a joke.
Independent
4.4
This movie hits you like 600 volts from a sparking third rail. Damn straight its electrifying.
Rolling Stone
3.0
And it gives the cast plenty of scenery to chomp on especially Travolta, who shows no mercy as he snarls and spits out every line.Since this is a film ..
Shadows On The Wall
3.5
Its not enough to describe Dead Man as simply an anti western; its an iconoclastic deconstruction of late 19th Century American values and mores, many ..
Pop Matters
3.0
The Taking of Pelham 123 is never actually bad and entertaining enough while youre watching it but its ultimately a case of style over substance.
View London
2.0
Whereas the original, directed by Joseph Sargent, was essentially a well oiled B movie, the new incarnation, directed by Tony Scott, is bristling with ..
Cs Monitor
2.5
This version of the hijacking thriller tale is pretty messy and has all over the map performances and a too showy directorial style.
Deseret News (Salt Lake Ci ..
3.1
Walter anchors this movie like a rock.By itself, the new Pelham is a solid, suspenseful tale all over again, so long as it stays in the subway tunnels ..
Boston
3.0
No one will be surprised when I say its unworthy, whatever it is.Tony Scott directs.
Smh
2.0
With Tony Scotts The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 you get exactly what you might expect.Its Denzel being all serious like and Travolta being all over the to ..
Mountain X
4.5
But the filmmakers dont want to write a thesis: theyre just want to give us a ripping good action movie that isnt stupid, that has a little bit of som ..
3.8
Against all odds and better advice, director Tony Scott, screenwriter Brian Helgeland and main protagonists Denzel Washington and John Travolta take a ..
Toronto Star
2.0
Remakes remind us in an alarming way how much society has changed and how this has altered our perception of the world.
Guardian
3.0
Does Ryder have a hidden agenda.Predictably, Scott is impatient with the originals lower key sense of building tension and hankers instead for simpler ..
Guardian
3.5
Washington and Travolta are both gifted actors who bring a special intensity to their characters, whether portraying heroes or villains.
Reel Talk Reviews
3.1
Because of Scotts reliably indiscriminant overdirection, the film only works in fits and starts
Q Network
3.0
It is here that the emptiness of Scotts style is most painfully exposed.
Daily Mail
2.5
Its easy to imagine why Pelhams producers wouldnt want Scotts professional but dull picture to be compared with the 1974 classic.The original Pelham i ..
Slate
4.0
Life and death waver in the balance in this thrilling remake in which Denzel Washingtons subway dispatcher inadvertently becomes an unknown variable i ..
1.5
Its a dazzle camouflage technique that tries really hard to cover for the lack of true energy, all manic visuals and no substance.
Movies
1.0
Im not sure that any genre of movie, least of all the thriller, can survive such a blast of self consciousness.
New Yorker
2.0
Denzel Washingtons control centre dispatcher Walter Garber is a flawed hero, demoted after allegations of bribe taking and in need of redemption.A ham ..
Express
3.8
Something for everyone is an overused phrase, but indeed Up has it: laughs, tears, exciting action sequences, stunning visuals (and, for their first 3 ..
Mr Brown Movies
1.3
To make it worse, slow motion is incorporated to the point of ridicule, the pretentiousness of Scotts direction so prevalent that it renders the story ..
The Movie Boy
2.5
Still, as a disposable thriller, Scotts Pelham isnt all that bad.
Las Vegas Weekly
2.5
Those who saw the first movie and are expecting a blockbuster will be disappointed.
The Atlantic
4.0
A solidly crafted suspense thriller set on a subway train proves the perfect vehicle for two stars at the top of their game.
Hollywood
3.5
This one ups the ante and has superstars Denzel Washington combating John Travolta.
Tony Medley
3.5
Its probably not as good as the original, but The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 is a decent diversion for a little while, thanks to a good cast that do just ..
3.3
Why I Should See It: The teaming of Denzel and Travolta in this kind of high concept thriller certainly will get people very interested.Why Not: This ..
2.5
This sweet hi def edition of the film delivers big time with another technically perfect A/V transfer and a documentary on the film that was good enou ..
Groucho Reviews
3.8
Its not the most exciting movie Ive ever seen (or even seen this year; that would be Knowing), but it is a solid thriller with good performances and a ..
Aisle Seat
2.0
While Washington plays things straight and Tony Scott assembles the film like a modern day action thriller, its Travoltas cheeky delivery that makes T ..
7M Pictures
4.4
Surprisingly, in a summer full of action packed blockbusters, this cracking remake may be the movie to beat for sheer popcorn chomping thrills.
Movies Tv Guide
2.0
Films like this are primarily designed to sell buckets of popcorn and soft drink.
The Age
3.0
Its contrived, of course, but in the hands of an experienced craftsman like director Tony Scott, it proves to be suspenseful entertainment.
Maki At The Movies
4.0
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 is a classy updating of the original, strong on pace and atmosphere, with Travolta and Washington making a great doubleact.
Mirror
4.0
Washington delivers a Walter whos humanity and personality fuse into an instinct for communicating with a cold killer with straight talk and homespun ..
Varia Gate
3.0
Scotts train is an efficient thrill ride, but it could just as easily be the Piccadilly 123.
Digital Spy
3.0
Despite the cast, character is certainly not a strong point in this action thriller.
Abc
3.0
Will Ferrell capers earnestly through a Journey to the Center of the Earth style comic romp witless of script, wan of invention and pasty of imagery.
Ft
3.8
I ride the subway nearly every day, and have for the last four years.
Christianity Today
4.5
Like being ordered to have long hair and smile on stage, but wondering how to smile with a trombone in your mouth.Or repeatedly told youre not good en ..
News Blaze
0.6
Im probably not the first to say its a train wreck. Starts out good enough, shows ability to the 1/2way mark, but the last 30 mins are just a scriptin ..
Ross Anthony
2.5
Frills dont equal substance.While there are moments of strong tension in this film, theres never much suspense.
Hollywood And Fine
3.0
Pelham as a convincing visual statement of good, clean thriller fun is where I object the loudest.
Brian Or Ndorf
3.0
The opportunity to make something just not bad out of the very well liked The Taking of Pelham 123 was definitely missed but there are elements of the ..
Hollywood Chicago
3.0
Scotts ensemble cast appears unconcerned about the subtleties of character they might have enjoyed with a stronger collaborator.
Sbs
2.0
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Entertainment Times Online ..
3.0
September 21, 2018 Henry Jamess tricks and traps; how to read Anglo Saxon poetry; the modern context of USIran relations; dissent, protest, satire and ..
Entertainment Times Online ..
2.0
With the stampeding horde of giant robots, boy wizards and 3D woolly mammoths monopolising our multiplexes, its a treat to find a good old fashioned t ..
Metro
4.0
Away We Go may be Mendes most coherent critique yet of the vulnerable family module, but it succeeds almost in spite of itself.What we really believe ..
East Bay Express
2.5
Scott is a director who simply cant sustain his movies through to the end.What does Scott have on Denzel
Tony Mack
2.5
Director Tony Scott keeps the remake of the 1974 thriller The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 in constant motion.
Ny Mag
3.5
The middle is clich and the ending somewhat predictable, but the capable lead cast make it somewhat enjoyable.
Review Express
3.0
Overall a good movie, good performances, got your adrenaline going.
Reel Talk Online
3.0
Its a movie that gives you little to ponder and one thats more easily quoted than felt.
Orlando Sentinel
3.0
Knox Leader premium icon Record 424 objections against matchsticks housing Tribunals call PLANS for an 85 townhouse development in Wantirna have been ..
News
5.0
The article requested cannot be found!.Please refresh your browser or go back.
Ny Press
3.8
That it works so well testifies to the skills of the principal figures and the continued potency of the mano a mano premise.
Critics Notebook
3.8
...a film that keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.
Crazed Fan Boy
3.0
As Tony Scott films go, The Taking of Pelham 123 is relatively low key.
The Diva Review
3.0
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Cine Rina
3.0
The film is thus more of a technical showcase than a human drama.
Blog Oregonlive
1.5
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 is the ultimate exercise in redundancy, a bullying, almost completely artless film, a superfluous venture in every possible ..
Brandon Fibbs
3.1
Solid performances cant lift this picture above its own mediocrity, however.
Washington Times
4.0
Hauling their luxurious backstories like matching trailers, hero and villain face off with what seems like contractual symmetry.
Ma Cleans
2.0
With this quiet (not real quiet, mind you, but Tony Scott Quiet), the filmeven with its laughs, which are surprising and severalis a solemn, almost ol ..
Mubi
2.5
Even the 1998 TV movie remake did it better.I guess, the third time is not a charm.
The Movie Kit
5.0
You dont go to either for surprises.Denzel Washington will be enough for most.
Maki At The Movies Blogspo ..
3.0
Youll continue to enjoy Heart and all of its great content and features!
Heart London
1.0
Easily, the best non animated studio movie of the summer so far, starting with a nearly perfect script by Brian Helgeland.
Mcn Blogs
3.0
It doesnt: This is a film about two charming sociopaths that has no idea its a film about two charming sociopaths.(And the cloying, tip toeing score b ..
Leitch Tumblr
3.0
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Giant Blackplanet
4.0
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009) makes no claims that its a true story or based on a true story.This lightning paced thriller of a remake about the h ..
Documentaries About
4.5
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Seattle Post Globe
3.5
Scotts remake of Pelham is never better than it has to be or than you expect it to be, sort of like the popcorn youre eating while watching it.
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The Taking of Pelham 123