The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

Handsome Bob

I saw this film yesterday and I was pleasantly surprised. I had seen the trailer on various occasions and it never failed to annoy me, mostly because of that ridiculous line "You do what you gotta do but we need milk." I know what the Tony Scott was trying to do, emphasise the average joe in the extreme situation but he totally failed, it's just an embarassing line.

Anyway, it got a bit ridiculous towards the end but for the most part I enjoyed it. I thought John Travolta would be one of the worst things about this but for me he ended up being the best thing about the film. He gives such a manic performance that you can't help be enthralled by. Denzel Washington is typically reliable but there's not a lot asked of him.

All in all this film is one of the more enjoyable films I have seen this Summer.

flyswatter

I have to say I enjoyed it too, Travolta is excellent. It's been getting mixed reviews however.

Driver 8

Thought it was very average personally, Washington seems to be sleepwalking through the role, and I just didn't buy Travolta at all (great drinking game to be had for how many times he says "mother****er" though :P). It's watchable enough, but it's not a patch on the original, which itself wasn't exactly a classic.

Karl Hungus

It was fairly ok, but I thought Travolta was just cheesing the whole thing up. There's just something about the way he delivers "Mother****er" that sounds so completely and utterly corny.

Driver 8

I can honestly say the only things I've ever genuinely enjoyed Travolta in are Saturday Night Fever and Pulp Fiction. By and large I find him very underwhelming as an actor. It's Washington I'd take issue with in this, he's a great actor, but he insists on doing films like this and Deja Vu, it's a shame.

Steoob

When Travolta tells the mayor to lick his bum-hole. Probably the only part of the film a really enjoyed though.

ronnie3585

I thought it was only average too. The original is one of my favourite films so I suppose the expectation is set a bit high to start with. I agree with the comment about Travolta adding a certain cheese factor, not as bad as say Broken Arrow, but enough to put me off.

purple_hatstand

Driver 8 wrote: »

I can honestly say the only things I've ever genuinely enjoyed Travolta in are Saturday Night Fever and Pulp Fiction. By and large I find him very underwhelming as an actor. It's Washington I'd take issue with in this, he's a great actor, but he insists on doing films like this and Deja Vu, it's a shame.

With the notable exceptions of 'Malcolm X' and 'He Got Game', Washington has been sleepwalking through most of his career. He's been portraying more-or-less the same morally-upright cop/military type for years and years which is a shame considering the way he comands the screen so effortlessly. Loved his scenery-chewing turn in 'Training Day', though.

OT, watched the original Pelham movie for the first time the other night and enjoyed it for what it was - NY looked great in those 70's movies! Looks ripe for a remake, too - new technology (computers, mobile phones etc...) and a wider context to sit the narrative into (terrorism and associated paranoia etc...). Scott usually does these things pretty well, too - might give it a shot...

Kai

What about American Gangster? Washington was pretty good in that and was far from an upstanding character.

purple_hatstand

Kai wrote: »

What about American Gangster? Washington was pretty good in that and was far from an upstanding character.

Indeed he was. Corrected I stand....

Naos

Just home from it now, wasn't too bad.

I actually didn't think the "milk" line was as bad as it was made out to be in the trailers, made sense what she was trying to do.

I actually liked Travolta in this, as said Washington sort of slept through it. Turturro was his usual self but still likeable.

I was convinced that Samuel L Jackson was the sniper in the tunnel!

djkeogh

saw this myself last week and I enjoyed it. I had seen it was getting poor reviews but there wasn't much else on so threw caution to the wind. I liked it. It's not amazing but it was entertaining for the time it was on. Washington was fairly standard in it to be honest but I really did enjoy Travolta's turn in this. He works best as a bad guy for me these days I have to say.

I've never seen the original so with nothing to compare it too I'd give it 3/5 for entertainment.

goingpostal

I went to see it with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised. It was no classic but it was fairly entertaining and kept my attention for the two hours.

MooseJam

Saw this was reasonable enjoyable

Linguo

Didn't think much of this movie, pity! Had potential to be good!

senordingdong

I thought it was good.
Thoroughly enjoyed it.

It was slightly above par for your action/thriller popcorn flick.
Good performances from both leads and pretty decent plot twists.

The swearing wasn't that unusual though I did find the soundtrack rather unusual.

Trail_Blazer

I really enjoyed this one. It was pretty damned suspenseful, and I love Tony Scott's direction. He's one of my favourites. I will be getting this on DVD for sure.

senordingdong

Also, I think the silly one liners are worth a mention too..

'Bring back milk'
'Now I can finally take my piss'
'I do love you!'

Atleast it had a few laughs.

pixelburp

I thought it a fairly tame remake with an absolutely brutal ending; totally committee Hollywood cookie-cutter action ending at that.

I would recommend it only if you wanted to pass 2 hours with an utterly generic action flick, or wanted to see John Travolta in full scenary-chewing mode (and by god he delivers on that front).

MisterAnarchy

pixelburp wrote: »

I thought it a fairly tame remake with an absolutely brutal ending; totally committee Hollywood cookie-cutter action ending at that.

Yeah,the ending was dreadful.Appalling in fact.

Travolta was good,I was rooting for him ,but as its Hollywood

We had to get the morally correct ending.Baddie killed ,good guy goes home and America is once again safe.:mad: