Now on DVD : 'The Taking of Pelham 123' - Travolta, Denzel and danger on the subway tracks.

November 3, 12:28 PMBoston Movie ExaminerTim Estiloz

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    Hollywood loves remaking a classic... and often the question that begs to be asked is... "why"?    For me, that certainly was the case connected to the new film, "The Taking of Pelham 123".

    The classic 1974 original film boasted a great cast headlined by Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw as the plot's primary adversaries in an unusual, high-stakes battle of wits and raw nerve... with the lives of a hijacked subway full of hostages hanging in the balance. 

     The original cast and film set the bar high for any potential remake... with it's richly layered characters expertly played by Matthau, Shaw, Hector Elizando and Martin Balsam.  The plot had suspense and moments of humor too ... and an authentic depiction of New York City's urban and financial erosion during the 70's.   The original film remains one of my favorite guilty pleasures that I love to see again and again.

      Denzel Washington in the film, "The Taking of Pelham 123"

  So when I heard, Hollywood was remaking this film, I had my doubts about it's ability to improve on the original; let alone reinvent the wheel on this minor classic.    However, while the new "Taking of Pelham 123" has it's flaws... it also avoids being the abysmal mess it could have been... thanks in large part to the performances of Denzel Washington and John Travolta.  Both men are recast as the original film's adversaries who are thrust into a suspenseful game of chess with a handful of innocent lives and millions of dollars in ransom money as pawns.  

    In this fast paced remake, directed by Tony Scott... Denzel Washington plays Walter Garber, a NYC Mass Transit Authority official who's been demoted amid a scandal in which he's been accused of taking a bribe.   Washington's Garber is not a hero... he's just an everyday city worker trying to get through the day at work and get back to his wife and kids after his 9 to 5 shift.  Enter, John Travolta as Ryder, a brutish, tattooed thug with a moustache, gun and a crew of heavily armed comrades... who commandeer a subway train, Pelham 123.   Travolta and his criminal crew hijack the train, block the track access and demand 10-million dollars in cash within a one-hour deadline.   Travolta announces he will kill a passenger for every minute the money hasn't arrived past the deadline.

            A climactic scene from "The Taking of Pelham 123"

     In the original film, the ransom was only one million dollars... so, inflation plays a role here in this update... as well, as a sideline plan by Travolta to cash in on an even bigger payout using the hijacking to affect Wall Street gold prices.  Travolta's lead hijacker is a cold, calculated killer with severe anger management issues and a king sized grudge against the city of New York and it's establishment.  

    This is a hijacker who wants payback in more than just cash... he also has a personal score to settle with the city he feels wronged him.   Travolta plays Ryder as a manic, almost over the top wild man with brains.  This portrayal is in stark contrast to Robert Shaw's cool, calculating criminal in the 1974 original.  Travolta plays Ryder in this film with almost the same borderline "over the top" venom as his bad guy in the film "Face Off".  However this time, the obvious viciousness of his character seems to make more sense here... and gives the audience a basis for his anger and seeming lunacy.

    Washington's Garber has the purely coincidental misfortune to be the dispatcher that initially receives Ryder's call demanding the ransom.  Garber is a fish out of water - a city employee thrust into the role of hostage negotiator.  However, Ryder forms a bizarre bond with Garber over the course of their subway intercom conversations.  When a real NYPD hostage negotiator, superbly played by John Tuturro tries to take over the negotiations.... Ryder without hesitation kills a hostage demanding Garber get back on the line.

    What follows is a psychological game between the two men... as their tense negotiations peel away the layers of each man's personality, veneer and personal backstory displaying surprising revelations.   All the while, the clock is ticking away to a tense deadline with ever more potentially deadly consequences.

    James Gandolfini is quite entertaining as a New York City mayor embroiled in the negotiations... who's more initially concerned about getting out of office than dealing with another urban crisis.  Again, Turturro and Washington also give the film a nice chemistry as the two form a fast respect for one another under tense circumstances.   What's missing in this remake... that gave the 1974 original more texture were the far more defined co-hijackers.   

    Hector Elizondo in the original film was chilling as cold blooded killer with an itchy trigger finger.  Martin Balsam as the alienated subway conductor turned hijacker gave also gave the film some nice texture and comic moments.   In this remake, the stage is primarily Travolta's among the hijackers... with the minor exception of Luis Guzman as the turncoat subway conductor.  In the remake, the other hijackers are nothing more than bodies brandishing automatic weapons designed to look menacing and nothing more.

    However, it's the interplay between Washington and Travolta that make this film worthwhile.  They connect and make you feel their oddly respectful relationship as it's evolves... though the two never share a scene together until the film's final act.   That relationship between Washington's Garber and Travolta's Ryder are the film's core asset... especially salvaging it's worth when the film ultimately becomes implausibly formulaic and cliched with it's racing in the streets, car-crashing chase finale... which ends with Garber and Ryder confronting each other face to face in a truly cliched resolution, during which the villain refuses to be taken alive... rather than return to prison.

    Still despite a flawed third act that's seems like director Scott tried to shoehorn an entire film's worth of action sequences into the final 20 minutes... "The Taking of Pelham 123" is a snappily paced, well acted thriller that's worth seeing for the performances of the key players themselves.   However, I strongly suggest finding the 1974 original for a more overall satisfying film viewing experience.  The final frame... of the final scene in the original is a priceless cinematic moment.

     That said, the modestly entertaining remake of "The Taking of Pelham 123" isn't perfect.   But then again... neither is the New York City subway system.

    For more info about TV entertainment reporter / film critic, Tim Estiloz visit : www.TimEstiloz.com and see his video interviews with many of Hollywood's top film and TV stars on his You Tube channel: FilmFanTV  ... and video reviews at Boston Latino TV : http://bostonlatino.tv/