Sony Pictures | 2009 | 106 mins. | Rated R
Helmed by high octane director Tony Scott, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 is a remake of a 1974 film that starred Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw. The acting of John Travolta and Denzel Washington elevates a story that probably runs around twenty minutes to long. Even so, it’s hard to consider Pelham much more than a standard action film. Despite the gallant efforts of Tony Scott and screenwriter Brian Helgeland much of the hijack/hostage material seems dated.
New York City Transit Authority official Walter Garber (Washington) is a man just trying not to make waves. Recently demoted while he is investigated for taking a bribe, working the dispatchers desk is just his latest humiliation. His hopes of keeping a low profile are dashed when the subway out of Pelham City station is hijacked by four gun-toting criminals, led by the mysterious “Mr. Ryder” (Travolta).
Ryder makes his demands known to Garber: $10,000,000 in cash in 60 minutes, delivered to his location. For every minute thereafter that the money is not in his possession, he will kill one hostage. When Garber is hastily taken off the microphone and replaced by hostage negotiator Camonetti (John Turturro, Ryder demands Garber return, or he will kill a hostage. Things a ratcheted up again, when Ryder learns about the bribery scandal involving Garber; valuable information the hijacker can use against Gerber as the clock slowly ticks down.
There’s little doubt Travolta is really enjoying playing the bad guy here. Though for most of the film, I found him to be a bit over the top—frequently bug eyed and semi-manic, some of the dialogue he delivers borders on nonsense. Travolta’s best work comes when he and Washington level with each other in some of the conversations. Having the relationship between Gerber and Ryder at the core of the film comes at the expense of the characterizations of Ryder’s accomplices. The only one with any presence is Luis Guzman, and he seems to have that in nearly every role he plays. One positive upgrade from the original version of Pelham is the portrayal of the NYC mayor. Originally portrayed as a sniveling jerk; here he is far more active and clearly modeled on Mayor Bloomberg, with his one dollar salary and penchant for subway riding. James Gandolfini does a great job in the role.
As a whole, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 adds nothing new to the action genre. As a story, the filmmakers play it safe; Garber is briefly considered a possible accomplice, but that is neatly brushed aside. Similarly, Travolta is finally figured out, and his high roller reality is interesting, but none of that is really explored. In the end, it comes down to two guys squaring off. If the two men weren’t acting heavyweights John Travolta and Denzel Washington, it’s pretty safe to say that The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 wouldn’t be as interesting as it manages to squeak out.
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 arrives on Blu-ray with a strong 1080p. 2.39:1-framed transfer. The film’s grain structure is left intact throughout, providing to the image a film-like quality; other signs of artificial image manipulation are not present. Close-ups of faces reveal every pore, imperfection, and stubble of facial hair. Several birds-eye view shots of New York City look great; there’s not a soft edge or dulled detail to be seen, and the image retains impeccable clarity in every shot and at any distance. The film features a broad range of color presentation; the interior of the subway car takes on a somewhat murky, green tint, with not much opportunity for sparkling hues, but the scenes above in New York City and inside the control center feature a nice, clean, and clear palette that looks wonderful, from bright yellow taxis to the Mayor’s red tie. Black levels are beautifully rendered; the subway tunnel scenes deliver pitch-perfect dark shadows that retain an inky tone. Flesh tones are accurately rendered.
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 boasts an impressive DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Though The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 is primarily a dialogue-heavy film, there are still opportunities for the soundtrack to shine. Listeners will not only hear but also feel the subway car speeding down the tracks in one early scene. The rear channels are fully utilized throughout. Several scenes featuring gunfire erupt nicely, particularly those shots that reverberate through the subway tunnels. Music enjoys a crystal-clear and distortion-free presentation with robust low-end support, and dialogue reproduction is consistently faultless.
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 has the following Special features:
• Two Audio Commentaries: The first features Director Tony Scott discussing the film’s ability to stand alone from the original, Scott’s initial involvement with the project, casting, the challenges of the shoot, and more. Track two features Writer Brian Helgeland and Producer Todd Black. This is a fairly cut-and-dry track that covers the expected angles with the appropriate level of enthusiasm and insight. They discuss the ensemble cast, getting the project off the ground and the challenge of delivering a quality picture, set design and more.
• No Time to Lose: The Making of Pelham 1 2 3 (1080p, 30:25) this looks at a bunch of topics, including pitching the film to Sony and Denzel Washington, updating the look and feel of the film, the challenges of the shoot, the work of the actors and the research that went into crafting the most realistic characters possible, etc.
• The Third Rail: New York Underground (1080p, 16:15) takes viewers behind-the-scenes of the public transit system in New York City and shooting in the city’s real subway system.
• From the Top Down: Stylizing Character with Danny Moumdjian, the Lab Salon (480p, 5:17) looks at getting the right haircut in Hollywood.
• Marketing Pelham (1080p, 7:04) contains various trailers for the film
• CineChat enabled
• BD-Live Enabled
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