The Taking of Pelham 123

There are very few directors I'd watch without even knowing what their movie's about. And Tony Scott is one of them.

First of all, this was actually a remake of a 1974 film, which starred Walter Matthau. That version I haven't seen. But in this version, the screenplay wasn't that bad. But it wasn't that good either. It was just...plain. But a plain script in the hands of Tony Scott turns into something more beautiful. I just love Tony Scott's directing style, which at times makes his movies look like music videos. This is a far cry from the more serious filmmaking style of his brother Sir Ridley.

The performances, however, were terrific. John Travolta is always a treat to watch, as is my main man Denzel, who knows how to deliver an intense performance without overacting. Actually, both of them can. John Turturro is such a versatile actor that he works well both in comedic and serious roles. But I'm sorry, James Gandolfini...you will always be Tony Soprano to me.

I also couldn't help but notice that two stars from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen are here, namely John Turturro and Ramon Rodriguez. (Told you this guy would go places. He has now starred in two summer movies.) And we also have James Gandolfini and Michael Rispoli, who both appeared in The Sopranos. And John Turturro and Luis Guzmán, who appeared together in Anger Management. Talk about reunions.

And finally, I'd just like to say that those who don't stay for a movie's end credits should start doing so. I stayed for the end credits of this film, and I found it interesting that there were not that many people who worked on this movie. Maybe Tony Scott just likes small production groups. Compare this to the end credits of Revenge of the Fallen, which was probably ten times as long. So shorter credits means less people, which means less special effects, which means more drama. And the dramatic showdown between Travolta and Denzel is the entire essence of this movie.


*some info from IMDb
pic from aceshowbiz.com


The Taking of Pelham 123. USA. 2009.


Rating: Seven out of ten.