'The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3' review

John Travolta (Credit: Stephen Vaughan/Sony)

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It’s just a regular day on the job for New York City subway dispatcher Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) until he encounters Ryder (John Travolta), a madman who hijacks one of the trains, taking the passengers hostage and demanding the city pony up $10 million in one hour or everyone dies. Ryder refuses to speak to a hostage negotiator (John Turturro), insisting instead to deal only with Garber. So it’s up to this average guy to keep the situation in check while the mayor (James Gandolfini) decides how to proceed.

The buzz: “Pelham” first appeared as a novel in 1973 and has already been filmed twice—once as a 1974 cult classic starring Walter Matthau and then as a 1998 TV movie with Edward James Olmos—but this star-powered high profile summer release has a shot at becoming the best known version yet. It’s the fourth collaboration between Washington and director Tony Scott (after “Crimson Tide,” “Man on Fire” and “Déjà vu”) and also the first of Travolta’s films to be released since the tragic death of his teenage son.

The verdict: This sturdy example of straightforward action filmmaking wouldn’t merit much interest if not for the acting match-up at its center. Washington and Travolta spend much of the running time apart, but the combination brings out the best in both stars. Travolta has done the over the top villain thing before, but when’s the last time he was actually cool on screen? He’s notably energized and a pleasure to watch here—cracking wise and grinning with a maniacal purpose that becomes more understandable with time. And, yes, Washington covers familiar ground as the hero, but he’s a convincing Everyman in a role that downplays his physicality to focus on his skills for staying cool under pressure. There’s nothing groundbreaking or even all that memorable about “Pelham”—its thrills come from well worn notions of suspense (Will Ryder execute a passenger? What happens when Ryder and Garber finally meet?) and the proven charisma of its stars. But sometimes that’s enough.

Did you know? “Pelham” spent four weeks filming in New York’s actual subway system, the longest and most extensive shoot to ever be approved by NYC Transit.

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