Genre: Action	Directed By: Tony Scott
	A predictable storyline and several serious flaws in logic ruin what could have been a great thriller with two of the industry’s biggest names delivering solid performances.

The Gist:

The Taking of Pelham 123 is Tony Scott’s (Enemy of the State, Crimson Tide) most recent foray into the thriller genre and is a remake of the 1974 classic. Denzel Washington stars as New York City subway dispatcher (Walter Garber), whose ordinary day is thrown into chaos by the hijacking of a subway train. John Travolta stars as the criminal mastermind (Ryder) who, as leader of a highly-armed gang of four, threatens to execute the train's passengers unless a large ransom is paid within one hour. As the tension builds, Garber employs his vast knowledge of the subway system in a battle to outwit Ryder and save the hostages.

Consensus:

Right from the start, its painfully obvious how the movie will end, who will come out on top, and what each character’s motivation is. As a result the movie’s attempt at character development comes off as tedious and predictable. Even the few plot twists that do occur seem to happen too late. Considering the fantastic thrillers that Tony Scott directed or produced before this, this one turned out to be quite a letdown. It’s even more of a letdown when you realize that Scott had great actors, a thrilling story (the 1974 film was already a classic), and all he had to do was bring them together. Unfortunately, not quite as good as the 1974 classic, and not quite as good as Scott’s previous films.