The only things for sure in this life are death, taxes and that any movie starring John Travolta as the villain will suck. Swordfish, Battlefield Earth, Face/Off, Broken Arrow, The Punisher — the list goes on. If Travolta's playing the heavy, the movie's going to sink like a stone. Until now: With The Taking of Pelham 123, this rule finally has its exception.
Travolta stars as Ryder, the leader of a crew of kidnappers who seize a New York City subway train and demand $10 million in exchange for the passengers. Ryder gives the Mayor (James Gandolfini) an hour to pony up with the cash or he'll start shooting one hostage every minute until there's no one left to kill. These demands are angrily delivered to train dispatcher Walter Garber (Denzel Washington), a city employee with troubles at work that extend beyond just a hostage situation.
As time ticks away toward the deadline, the conversations between these two men form the heart of Pelham 123, and both actors are riveting. Travolta gets most of the movies big speeches (well written by Mystic River scribe Brian Helgeland) and carries them off well, but it's Washington (sporting middle-aged paunch and graying hair) who's really the lead here. His Garber is cool under pressure and on the radio, a guy who knows every aspect of the system and will use that knowledge to his advantage. In this way, Garber's no different than Ryder; a parallel the movie exploits.
I know I'm being a bit cryptic here, but I don't want to spoil the plot for you. Much of the fun of Pelham 123 is figuring out where exactly this train is rolling to. From the start, it's obvious that the kidnappers are after more than a measly $10 mil. (The mayor's first response to the low-ball demand: "Pay it!") How much more exactly? The answer can somehow be gleaned by figuring out what kind of a man takes an ass model to Iceland.
The director here is Tony Scott, the filmmaker responsible for '80s blockbusters (Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop 2), formula action flicks (The Last Boy Scout, Crimson Tide) and at least one excellent movie (True Romance). In recent years, Scott has been known more for his overbearing style than the quality of his films. I assumed going in that Pelham would be characterized by tight framing, quick camera moves, fast editing and at least once scene in which the camera whirled around two people having a conversation. All of that was true, and it was just as distracting as I feared. But the relentless style also provided the film a forward momentum (especially in the first half) that works in its favor.
The plot finally derails in the third act, with the filmmakers finagling a way to get Washington and Travolta together. At that moment, the characters stop acting like thinking people and begin going through the action-movie motions that lead to chases and shootouts. Before that point, however, The Taking of Pelham 123 is an effective and smart thriller, with excellent performances from both stars. I can't tell you how this Pelham stacks up to the 1970s original (I haven't seen it), but I can say that you could do a lot worse at the multiplex right now.
This article appears in Jun 10-16, 2009.