Review of The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) by Clark B — 24 Nov 2010

I watched the Pelham 2.0 Denzel version of this story out of curiosity, and while I didn't exactly hate it, it was a pretty pointless remake.

It`s a tentpole contraption, slick and silly, car crashs and spinning cameras. It's a cartoon and, franky, I just cannot buy John Travolta as an evil GENIUS in any movie. Whatever his assets as an actor, genius brainpower ain't one of them. I've watched him in interviews and while I like him, he's a borderline mental defective. He should stick to playing clueless thugs and dance happy dimwits.

This version, Pelham 1.0, is whip smart and gritty. It hearkens back to the bankrupt, strike ridden, unmanageable New York City of the early seventies and when old fogies like myself point to the early '70s as a golden age for film (if not for America), this is a pretty good movie to use as an example. Even as a plot heavy suspenser, "Pelham" was sharp enough to wryly comment on city politics, the media and an agitated urban populace, all while keeping the clever plot mechanics chugging along and not resorting to preachiness. It has a dense script with a fine comic undertone that the new version can't even touch, and Matthau is perfectly, frumpily cast. Despite the far-fetched premise, the setting and the characters are grounded enough in reality to make the story tense and believable.

This is a classic cat-and-mouse thriller, intelligent and fun, and there was no good reason to Denzel it up, add comic book pyrotechnics and cardboard villiany. 5 stars.