Review of Money Train (1995) by Ola G — 30 Jul 2017

John Powell (Wesley Snipes) and Charlie Kaylor (Woody Harrelson) work as transit cops patrolling the New York City subway. When a mugging occurs, John and Charlie chase the mugger into a subway tunnel, and all trains traveling in their direction are halted. But their harsh transit captain Donald Patterson (Robert Blake), allows the money train to continue. John and Charlie avoid getting hit by the train; however, when transit police at the next station witness the mugger running toward the money train, they shoot him dead. The mugger is revealed to be a young teenage boy, which triggers a brawl between John, Charlie, and the other transit officers. Patterson blames the two for causing his money train to arrive late. Charlie asks John to borrow $300 to buy a Christmas present, but Charlie instead uses the money to pay off some of his gambling debts to the sleazy night club owner Mr. Brown. Brown intends to have Charlie killed by throwing him off a building, but John bursts in and interrupts, telling Brown that he has the money Charlie owes him. Brown reveals to John that Charlie is $15,000 in debt, so John offers to have the money delivered in a few days. Brown accepts and lets Charlie live. During their night shift, John and Charlie are introduced to Grace Santiago (Jennifer Lopez), a decoy transit officer newly assigned to their unit. Both brothers immediately take a liking to her. During their patrol, a serial killer known as the Torch (Chris Cooper) robs a token booth and sets it on fire. John and Charlie rescue the booth worker and put out the fire, but the Torch manages to escape. At a local bar, Charlie reveals a plan to rob the money train in order to pay off their debts, but John, judging the caper impossible, rejects the idea. Later that night, the two brothers and Grace are assigned to patrol the money train. As Charlie discovers a grate in the floor and a ladder leading to Central Park, a brawl breaks out between John and another officer, quickly involving the entire squad. Patterson again blames the two for the incident and also accuses them of taking some train money, but even after it is found that a collection agent miscounted, Patterson continues to insult them. At the bar, Charlie tells John that the best time to rob the money train would be on New Year's Eve because of looser subway security and because the subway makes the most money on that date: up to $500,000. The plan involves entering the train through the metal grate when the train has stopped, driving it to the maintenance ladder, and escaping into Central Park. John remains reluctant to attempt the theft. Will John be able to stop Charlie´s plans of robbing the money train...?

Brian Lowry of Variety wrote that it "bounces along with a lame script and inconsistent pace". Stephen Holden of The New York Times wrote, "More viscerally charged than Speed and hipper than Die Hard With a Vengeance, the movie is a careening, screeching joyride that showers sparks like fireworks." Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Examiner called it "a cut above the usual" buddy cop film due to the stars' chemistry and its well-crafted action scenes. Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times described it as "a by-the-numbers action-buddy picture" that is "an acceptable if undemanding venture". Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly rated it D+ and called it "a big, noisy headache of a movie." Hal Hinson of The Washington Post called it a feeble and clichéd buddy film. In addition to its poor reviews, the film was vilified for its portrayal of a man robbing a ticket booth by running a rubber tube around the bulletproof partition and dousing the attendant with an unknown flammable liquid, then threatening to set them on fire. Two days after the film opened, two men poured petrol over a ticket booth on the Brooklyn subway and set it alight in an incident similar to the one depicted in the film. The booth attendant was burned and later died of his injuries. Consequently New York subway workers called for a boycott of the film and the removal of all the posters from every station. Republican senator Bob Dole quickly came out in support of them. Columbia Pictures refused to bow to their demands.

By putting together Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson yet again after their success with "White Men Can't Jump" (1992) I reckon Columbia Pictures thought they would easily have a hit on their hands since there is some sort of chemistry between the two. However, "Money Train" is a pretty standard and average buddy buddy cop film with a quite silly main plot, but with a bit more interesting side plots like the hunt for The Torch played by Chris Cooper. The problem is as well that there´s so many bits and pieces that just makes no sense or are actually believeable and the pacing leaves a lot to wish for. The action formula has its moments, but it´s tiring as well at times. Lopez is just a love interest that causes issues between John and Charlie and the whole setup feels so forced and ridiculous. She hasn´t much to work with. While Robert Blake is as sociopathic as ever in his role. This can stay in the 1 dollar bin.