The taking of Pelham 123

Current Song: Declaration of Love, Ibiza Chill Session 2009

I was surprised to learn that this movie was a remake of a 1974 feature and a 1998 made-for-TV movie. This time around though, the movie is starred by both Denzel Washington who plays Walter Garber and John Travolta as the hi-jacker named Ryder. The movie was surprisingly not overloaded with action scenes and spectacular effects but instead it focused mainly on the main characters. I think this was an attempt for the audience to connect emotionally and understand how desperate circumstances like that could possibly occur from the most humble of all instances in real life.

Walter Garber was a pretty low-key and anonymous man working for the largest subway control system in New York with a stain in his record. This goes to show how an unlikely hero can be just as human in making serious mistakes driven by unfortunate chances. Ryder on the other hand reminded me much like The Joker of Batman because of his twisted logic that although we hate to admit it, in someway makes sense.

Denzel’s performance here shows his versatility as an actor, whether the script calls for him to shine or to be as anonymous as possible. He has put on a lot of weight for this role, so don’t be as surprised as I was. John Travolta’s performance, was well of course “villainly” at his best.

Although the movie had a steady stream of scenes to give just enough of an adrenaline rush and interest, at the end though it wasn't that spectacular and memorable. In the equation, I felt that something was missing. Don't get me wrong, it's definitely worth your popcorn but not enough to make me watch a second time.

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