The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 — The 1974 version of The Taking of Pelham One Two Three is the kind of movie they don’t make anymore, and there’s no clearer evidence of that than Tony Scott’s remake starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta. Only in the pre-blockbuster era could a hangdog character actor like Walter Matthau headline a mainstream thriller populated almost exclusively by lumpy middle-aged men. Directed by Joseph Sargent, the original Pelham is an action movie with very little action by contemporary standards, but it does offer ticking-clock suspense and a vivid snapshot of gritty, grimy ’70s New York and its dyspeptic denizens. If you haven’t seen it, skip the shiny new version until you’ve remedied that oversight.
If, on the other hand, you’re already up to speed with the 1974 Pelham, it can’t hurt to give Scott’s take a whirl. It’s never better than it has to be, but as bone-rattling, state-of-the-art action movies go, you could do a lot worse. Travolta takes over the Robert Shaw role as the lead hijacker of the subway train, while Washington fills Matthau’s shoes as dispatcher Walter Garber. Calling himself “Ryder,” the hijacker cuts loose one subway car and holds its nineteen occupants hostage, demanding a ten-million-dollar ransom from the city of New York. If he doesn’t receive the money within one hour, he’ll start killing the hostages — one per minute until the ransom arrives.
Scott employs his usual array of techno-trickery to goose the suspense — freeze-frames, super-slow motion that suddenly bursts into super-speed, a music score set to a jackhammer beat and volume — but he also employs a strong supporting cast, including John Turturro as a hostage negotiator and James Gandolfini as the mayor. He and screenwriter Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential) attempt to stir up some comic-book psychodrama between Garber and Ryder, but it’s the suspense inherent in the original scenario that keeps this Pelham on the fast track.
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra — Not satisfied with being bludgeoned senseless by Michael Bay’s Transformers sequel this summer, the American moviegoer also embraced this CGI overdose based on the line of Hasbro toys. What, you thought we were going to say “based on the novel by Tolstoy”?
I Love You, Beth Cooper — What happens when the geeky valedictorian (Paul Rust) declares his love for the hottest girl in school (Hayden Panettiere) during his commencement address? Another formulaic teen comedy happens, that’s what.
Wings of Desire — Just in time for the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Criterion Collection comes through with a deluxe two-disc edition of Winged Desire, Wim Wenders’ lyrical meditation on angels hovering over a city divided by the Cold War. Features include the 2003 documentary The Angels Among Us and a commentary by Wenders and star Peter Falk.
