The Taking of Pelham 123

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2:26

The Taking of Pelham 123

R

Released Jun 12, 2009

1h 46m

Action

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

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Popcornmeter

51%

Tomatometer

229 Reviews

52%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Chaos reigns in the New York City subway system when heavily armed criminals, led by a mastermind named Ryder (John Travolta), hijack a subway train and threaten to kill everyone on board unless a large ransom is paid. Dispatcher Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) uses his extensive knowledge of the transit system in a bid to outwit the hijackers and save the hostages, but one question remains: even if the hijackers get their money, how can they possibly escape?

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Critics Consensus

Despite a strong cast, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 suffers under the excesses of Tony Scott's frantic direction, and fails to measure up to the 1974 original.

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Deborah Ross

The Spectator

This is pointless, redundant, irrelevant film remaking, in which nothing of weight is ever at stake, and no relationships are ever formed.

Aug 30, 2018

Full Review

Ed Koch

The Atlantic

The original film was far superior and will be remembered in years to come while the current remake will soon be forgotten.

Jan 17, 2018

Full Review

Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

Overall a good movie, good performances, got your adrenaline going.

Rated: B+

Sep 12, 2017

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Gone are the days when a thriller about hijackers and the negotiator-hero who stops them feels fresh or necessary. At least, that’s how I felt after The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3.

Rated: 1.5/4

Sep 4, 2023

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

The sub-par material is too much to overcome. I especially hate to see such a strong Denzel performance go to waste, but in reality there just isn’t enough here to make this anything more than an average movie.

Rated: 2.5/5

Aug 25, 2022

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Not quite as slick as the original, this latest take on the subway heist story still accomplishes entertainment at breakneck speed.

Rated: 6/10

Nov 29, 2020

Full Review

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Korra N

Tony Scott's direction & the acting talents of Denzel Washington, John Travolta, John Turturro & James Gandolfini help elevate an otherwise bland script from Brian Helgeland.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/01/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Horrible remake. I usually love Denzel, but this was a mistake. The camerawork and directing were both frantic and amateurish. Bored.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

10/06/24

Full Review

Jason Loves W

One of my favorite remake film. Denzel Washington is the best.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/27/24

Full Review

Alec B

Travolta is obviously miscast but its not as distracting as I feared. Overall its a solid remake that, while not as good, still updates the original in interesting ways.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/09/24

Full Review

Don D

I had never seen the movie until just now. I watched every minute of it. Very good. I am glad that I finally watched it. thank you

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/04/24

Full Review

David H

"I got 99 problems and this film ain't one. Hit me" Tony Scott and Denzil Washington teaming up again and add John Travolta to mix is a recipe for action brilliance.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/25/23

Full Review

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Tony Scott

Director

Denzel Washington

Walter Garber

John Travolta

Ryder

John Turturro

Camonetti

Luis Guzmán

Phil Ramos

James Gandolfini

Mayor

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The Taking of Pelham 123: Official Clip - Accidental Police Assault

2:41

The Taking of Pelham 123: Official Clip - Commandeering the Train

2:39

The Taking of Pelham 123: Official Clip - Ten Million Dollars and One Cent

3:42

The Taking of Pelham 123: Official Clip - Shoot Me!

3:05

The Taking of Pelham 123: Official Clip - Police Shootout

1:37

The Taking of Pelham 123: Official Clip - The Money Car Crash

3:04

The Taking of Pelham 123: Official Clip - Dog Poop Story

3:11

The Taking of Pelham 123: Official Clip - Put Garber on

1:40

The Taking of Pelham 123: Official Clip - Did You Take the Bribe?

2:50

The Taking of Pelham 123: Official Clip - Runaway Train

1:39

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The Taking of Pelham 123: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Chaos reigns in the New York City subway system when heavily armed criminals, led by a mastermind named Ryder (John Travolta), hijack a subway train and threaten to kill everyone on board unless a large ransom is paid. Dispatcher Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) uses his extensive knowledge of the transit system in a bid to outwit the hijackers and save the hostages, but one question remains: even if the hijackers get their money, how can they possibly escape?

Director: Tony Scott
Producer: Todd Black, Tony Scott, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch
Screenwriter: Brian Helgeland
Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co: Scott Free Productions, Escape Artists
Rating: R (Violence|Pervasive Language)
Genre: Action, Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 12, 2009, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $65.5M
Runtime: 1h 46m

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