Robin PottratzReview: Travolta, Washington shine in fun "Pelham 123" *** stars out of 4
June 14th 2009 20:54
Everyone can sympathize with John Travolta right now. He hasn't done much publicity for The Taking of Pelham 123, in which he plays a badass ex-con with a fu manchu and a neck tattoo who hijacks a subway train...and in turn a city. He is still mourning the loss of his son Jett and he hasn't made any public appearances since his death. Which is what makes this review of Pelham 123 such a joy to write. Travolta knocks it out of the park as Ryder, a former wall street slave who does time for embezzlement and takes his revenge on the city by taking over a train and its hostages.
The film, which is a remake of the 1974 original, was directed by one of the most criminally underrated directors on the planet, Tony Scott (True Romance, Top Gun, Man on Fire), so already I was intrigued...however nothing can prepare you for the terrific cat and mouse game between two seasoned vets Denzel Washington and John Travolta. Washington is consistently stellar no matter what he does...and he is sharp as the bland subway dispatcher Walter Hobbs (a nice nod to the star of the original film Walter Matthau). Hobbs had been recently demoted due to an investigation of bribery, and his mundane world is shocked when he is thrust into the unexpected role of hostage negotiator when the tattooed psychopath Ryder takes over a train, kills the conductor and threatens to kill passengers if he doesn't receive $10 million dollars in an hour.
So begins the real pressure packed ride of Pelham 123. Scott does deliver the overcaffinated camera work that sometimes make his movies a chore and tosses words on the screen to make sure we understand every situation...condescending? yes...but I can learn to overlook that.
The film plays out over 106 tense minutes...until Hobbs goes down into the tunnel and you see the unbelievable way that Ryder plans to escape. The film doesn't always ring true as a morality tale and sometimes the way that contemporary relevance is entered doesn't always work...but the film is put together in such a competent and exciting way that those things don't really matter.
All of the supporting players are top notch...John Turturro is solid as a conflicted hostage negotiator who can never quite handle the whole situation. Luis Guzman displays rare subtlety as a scorned former MTA employee enacting his revenge. The gold medal for supporting players goes to James Gandolfini as the Mayor of NY. Gandolfini does a great job echoing Rudy Guliani in the ways he still plays to constituency but acknowledges his own infidelities and faults.
However, it is hard to take your eyes off of the center ring. Travolta gives his best performance in years as a man who has been pushed to the absolute brink of life. He claims that he "fed NY breakfast every day," and is reduced to criminal madness as a result of their lack of gratitude. He feels a kindred spirit in Hobbs, their discussions about his indiscretions as well as Hobbs bribery investigation, have a calm rapport that is almost touching. It is great to see Travolta this thoroughly invested in a role again...and I hope it can continue.
Washington uses his hangdog expression to perfection in the same way that Matthau did in the original. Some have complained that he is too dull for the film...but Washington hits the perfect pitches of this broken man who is given a new lease on life with the help of a psychopath on the other end of a radio.
The Taking of Pelham 123 is a great piece of summer entertainment. It doesn't always fly, but despite its bumps in the road...it eventually succeeds due to the strength of its director and stars. Especially Travolta...who seemed to be in hibernation for many years...welcome back John, hope to see more of you like this.
John Travolta having a ball as the villainous Ryder in "The Taking of Pelham 123"
The film, which is a remake of the 1974 original, was directed by one of the most criminally underrated directors on the planet, Tony Scott (True Romance, Top Gun, Man on Fire), so already I was intrigued...however nothing can prepare you for the terrific cat and mouse game between two seasoned vets Denzel Washington and John Travolta. Washington is consistently stellar no matter what he does...and he is sharp as the bland subway dispatcher Walter Hobbs (a nice nod to the star of the original film Walter Matthau). Hobbs had been recently demoted due to an investigation of bribery, and his mundane world is shocked when he is thrust into the unexpected role of hostage negotiator when the tattooed psychopath Ryder takes over a train, kills the conductor and threatens to kill passengers if he doesn't receive $10 million dollars in an hour.
So begins the real pressure packed ride of Pelham 123. Scott does deliver the overcaffinated camera work that sometimes make his movies a chore and tosses words on the screen to make sure we understand every situation...condescending? yes...but I can learn to overlook that.
The film plays out over 106 tense minutes...until Hobbs goes down into the tunnel and you see the unbelievable way that Ryder plans to escape. The film doesn't always ring true as a morality tale and sometimes the way that contemporary relevance is entered doesn't always work...but the film is put together in such a competent and exciting way that those things don't really matter.
All of the supporting players are top notch...John Turturro is solid as a conflicted hostage negotiator who can never quite handle the whole situation. Luis Guzman displays rare subtlety as a scorned former MTA employee enacting his revenge. The gold medal for supporting players goes to James Gandolfini as the Mayor of NY. Gandolfini does a great job echoing Rudy Guliani in the ways he still plays to constituency but acknowledges his own infidelities and faults.
However, it is hard to take your eyes off of the center ring. Travolta gives his best performance in years as a man who has been pushed to the absolute brink of life. He claims that he "fed NY breakfast every day," and is reduced to criminal madness as a result of their lack of gratitude. He feels a kindred spirit in Hobbs, their discussions about his indiscretions as well as Hobbs bribery investigation, have a calm rapport that is almost touching. It is great to see Travolta this thoroughly invested in a role again...and I hope it can continue.
Washington uses his hangdog expression to perfection in the same way that Matthau did in the original. Some have complained that he is too dull for the film...but Washington hits the perfect pitches of this broken man who is given a new lease on life with the help of a psychopath on the other end of a radio.
The Taking of Pelham 123 is a great piece of summer entertainment. It doesn't always fly, but despite its bumps in the road...it eventually succeeds due to the strength of its director and stars. Especially Travolta...who seemed to be in hibernation for many years...welcome back John, hope to see more of you like this.
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