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The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

Play trailer Poster for The Taking of Pelham One Two Three R 1974 1h 44m Mystery & Thriller Action Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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98% Tomatometer 45 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
In New York City, a criminal gang led by the ruthless Mr. Blue (Robert Shaw) hijacks a subway car and threatens to start shooting one passenger per minute unless they receive a million dollars in cash from the city within an hour. On the other end of the line, crusty veteran transit policeman Zachary Garber (Walter Matthau) has his hands full dealing with the mayor's office and his hotheaded fellow cops, while also trying to deliver the ransom before the deadline expires.
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The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

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Critics Consensus

Breezy, thrilling, and quite funny, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three sees Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw pitted against each other in effortlessly high form.

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Critics Reviews

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Pauline Kael The New Yorker 09/21/2023
The movie must have been an editor's nightmare: the scenes are thudders, and the whole thing was punched together -- with no glue but the basic idea. Go to Full Review
Jerry Renshaw Austin Chronicle 03/07/2021
Stiller is terrific as a transit authority police lieutenant, as is Matthau as the rather sour cop who has to outsmart the bad guys. Go to Full Review
John H. Dorr The Hollywood Reporter 10/03/2018
The large, well-characterized cast is ably headed by Walter Matthau, whose wonderfully weary sense of irony is perfect. Go to Full Review
Don Shanahan Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast 09/26/2023
This movie walked... err... rolled so "Die Hard" could run a decade and a half later. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 02/15/2023
4/4
Filled with distinctive characters and crackling dialogue -- and always with another surprise up its sleeve. Go to Full Review
Joe Nolan Nashville Scene 09/13/2021
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three's title is as memorable as its unique hold-a-subway-car-hostage take on the heist film Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Giacomo M @Iamsparticus Dec 25 Watching this again for the enth time, it is a classic gritty New York crime thriller set in the early 70s. Simple story, fantastic acting, great music. I absolutely love it. First saw it in 1975 in some second rate south London cinema. It grabbed me then, it still grabs me today. I highly recommend it. See more thiago s @Thiagostone Dec 22 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Richard W @rdwoolf Sep 25 The Taking of Pelham One Two Three is everything that I want a crime thriller to be. It's also a great look back at New York City in its Fun City era. See more Cody S @cody073001 Aug 19 I have to say, I feel that there’s a lot of people here who think this movie was sloppily put together or maybe not executed properly, but I have to disagree. This movie was excellent from start to finish. With the NYC vibes from the 70’s as well as the performance from Robert Shaw and the lead protagonist, I was left entertained throughout. This movie was AWESOME! The ONLY complaint, or criticism I’d have is that Robert Shaw’s death with just silly. See more K J M @KJMAC Jul 3 Great cast. NYC in all its 1970’s decadent glory. See more Insomniac X Apr 10 Cult classic heist flick is a marvel of NYC location filmmaking, with an intriguing premise and great scenery-chewing performance by Walter Mathau. Unfortunately, the film is short on the compelling human drama that made "Dog Day Afternoon" a classic, and struggles to find somewhere new to go as the second act lurches along. See more Read all reviews
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

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The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - I'm Taking Your Train The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - I'm Taking Your Train 2:04 The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - Gesundheit! The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - Gesundheit! 2:08 The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - Rolling in Dough The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - Rolling in Dough 2:00 The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - The Mayor and His Wife The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - The Mayor and His Wife 2:21 The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - The Money Has Arrived The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - The Money Has Arrived 2:35 The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - Meeting the Demands The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - Meeting the Demands 2:06 The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - You're a Sick Man, Rico The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - You're a Sick Man, Rico 1:22 The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - Mr. Blue Electrocutes Himself The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - Mr. Blue Electrocutes Himself 2:03 The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - Trying to Negotiate The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - Trying to Negotiate 1:44 The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - Runaway Train The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - Runaway Train 1:24 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis In New York City, a criminal gang led by the ruthless Mr. Blue (Robert Shaw) hijacks a subway car and threatens to start shooting one passenger per minute unless they receive a million dollars in cash from the city within an hour. On the other end of the line, crusty veteran transit policeman Zachary Garber (Walter Matthau) has his hands full dealing with the mayor's office and his hotheaded fellow cops, while also trying to deliver the ransom before the deadline expires.
Director
Joseph Sargent
Producer
Gabriel Katzka, Edgar J. Scherick
Screenwriter
John Godey, Peter Stone
Distributor
United Artists
Production Co
Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Rating
R
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Action, Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 2, 1974, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 6, 2010
Runtime
1h 44m
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