Spring Break
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 not breathtaking
By: Logan West
Issue date: 6/16/09 Section: Features
Earlier last week, I was fortunate enough to catch a showing of the original "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" on television, and I must say the original writers and cinematographers did not know how to create a thriller. In fact, the original is more comedic than it is thrilling, especially with its witty ending. I assumed director Tony Scott would remake this movie in an attempt to use new abilities of cinematography and technology to create a more thrilling atmosphere for a hijacked subway car. Turns out hijacking a subway car is still not that thrilling, nor is it even funny anymore because everyone will think you are a terrorist.
Being a remake, things had to be changed in order to draw a crowd. The first thing the studio did is hire huge stars to get people to think John Travolta and Denzel Washington might act as great counters to each other on screen. Truly the only thing that is countering them is their weights, as both men seem to be getting a little thicker as the days go on.
Having seen the original, I hoped Travolta, playing the character Ryder, would perform as a cold, calculating criminal in a throwback to his role in "Swordfish" and as homage to Robert Shaw who played in the original. However, Travolta seemed not to know if he should portray a maniac or the smart Wall St. businessman he turns out to be.
On the other side, Denzel Washington seemed to want to portray Garber in the same way Walter Matthau did in the original. This character is just a regular guy who is put through unusual circumstances and gains praise for handling the situation well. However, this type of character loses its credibility when Washington holds Travolta at gunpoint in one of the least exciting thriller climaxes in movie history.
All the blame cannot be put on the lackluster performances of big stars. When it comes to a film about hijacking a subway car to profit through ransom and the stock market, it is tough to get excited knowing that an escape is virtually impossible due to their isolated position from the beginning.
Why remake a movie that showed a heist doomed to fail and whose victory of good over evil is not very satisfying? The answer has yet to come to me, so don't hold your breath on The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3.
Being a remake, things had to be changed in order to draw a crowd. The first thing the studio did is hire huge stars to get people to think John Travolta and Denzel Washington might act as great counters to each other on screen. Truly the only thing that is countering them is their weights, as both men seem to be getting a little thicker as the days go on.
Having seen the original, I hoped Travolta, playing the character Ryder, would perform as a cold, calculating criminal in a throwback to his role in "Swordfish" and as homage to Robert Shaw who played in the original. However, Travolta seemed not to know if he should portray a maniac or the smart Wall St. businessman he turns out to be.
On the other side, Denzel Washington seemed to want to portray Garber in the same way Walter Matthau did in the original. This character is just a regular guy who is put through unusual circumstances and gains praise for handling the situation well. However, this type of character loses its credibility when Washington holds Travolta at gunpoint in one of the least exciting thriller climaxes in movie history.
All the blame cannot be put on the lackluster performances of big stars. When it comes to a film about hijacking a subway car to profit through ransom and the stock market, it is tough to get excited knowing that an escape is virtually impossible due to their isolated position from the beginning.
Why remake a movie that showed a heist doomed to fail and whose victory of good over evil is not very satisfying? The answer has yet to come to me, so don't hold your breath on The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3.
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