The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

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The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

R

Released Oct 2, 1974

1h 44m

Mystery & Thriller

Action

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

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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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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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

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.

Sep 21, 2023

Full Review

Jerry Renshaw

Austin Chronicle

Stiller is terrific as a transit authority police lieutenant, as is Matthau as the rather sour cop who has to outsmart the bad guys.

Mar 7, 2021

Full Review

John H. Dorr

The Hollywood Reporter

The large, well-characterized cast is ably headed by Walter Matthau, whose wonderfully weary sense of irony is perfect.

Oct 3, 2018

Full Review

Don Shanahan

Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast

This movie walked... err... rolled so "Die Hard" could run a decade and a half later.

Sep 26, 2023

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Filled with distinctive characters and crackling dialogue -- and always with another surprise up its sleeve.

Rated: 4/4

Feb 15, 2023

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Joe Nolan

Nashville Scene

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

Sep 13, 2021

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Insomniac X

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.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/10/25

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Christian K

Definitely well performed and randomly full of humorous charm. The ending look was so silly it almost took me out of it, but only almost.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/26/25

Full Review

Walter T

The taking of Pelham 123…true to life 1970s NYC, great acting and script and location choices..very realistic subway vibe. However lack of extreme graffiti both inside and outside of cars is a big error. Missing many “freaks of the underground” eg Vietnam veteran with out legs riding on skateboard asking for handouts, no street musicians, no heroine addiction withdrawal etc….Lack of graffiti is unforgivable. No preachers, no Communist, no violence of significance at the early chapters

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/21/25

Full Review

Miles O

Cheesy and terrible acting.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

12/31/24

Full Review

Dave C

A rougher, tougher, grittier script than the remake, for sure. Though it may not be as slick as a modern reimagining, the original movie is by far the better of the two. The performances are less emotional and the overall sense of seeing the 'good guys' win is heightened as a result. Enjoyed it much more than I'd expected

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/11/24

Full Review

Tyler G

A really smart heist movie that wasted no imagery or space. Characters are good if a little stereotypical/flat.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/22/24

Full Review

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Joseph Sargent

Director

Walter Matthau

Lt. Zachary Garber

Robert Shaw

Blue

Martin Balsam

Green

Héctor Elizondo

Grey

Earl Hindman

Brown

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!

2:08

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

2:21

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

2:06

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

2:03

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

1:24

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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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