Review of The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) by Nathan W — 16 Dec 2003

[i]seen on TV[/i].

I must admit that I (more or less) did not like the film at all. It has, however, some redeeming facets that prevent it from being a complete disaster. The premise is likable, interesting and smart. My opinion about Quentin Tarantino decreases more and more, which happens if you see more of the films that influenced his. In this case the gangsters have the color-names known from "Reservoir Dogs" and fight each other in a similar way. The violence or explicitness of this film surprised me. However, it made me cringe, whenever the characters opened their mouths. The dialogue is bad beyond words. The funny moments are always completely predictable. The plot ultimately is nothing special. The score is effective and very cool. I also did not like the abrupt ending. Usually I like open endings, but in this case, I don't know, if it's effective. To me it really feels as if something's missing. I cannot recommend this film.