The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

I just saw the remake back in January [here] with Denzel Washington and John Travolta. The original, which is in the action 101 book recently came out with a blu-ray release which I enjoyed on the big screen at home. Walter Matthau plays the same character as Washington, and Robert Shaw plays the same character as Travolta.

The remake is very very similar to the original. It is good to see that the remake didn't diverge from a winning formula, and honestly the original would have been just as good today. The obvious differences are the technology in the control room, cell phone usage, etc. And this was all handled in the remake in a way to not change the storyline.

Didn't read that review? Well then this is what the story is about. A group of men hijack a subway car demanding ransom for the passengers. They have a former conductor in their gang who controls the car for them, disconnecting a car and positioning themselves between two stations that jam up the whole network of cars. For an old action movie it was really good.

It is rare that and original and remake are BOTH worth checking out. It really depends on if you like Denzel and if you can even get your hands on this one.

Vote: 8/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072251/

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