“An
exhilarating remake that is every
bit as good as the original and more, The Taking of Pelham 123 benefits from
the heavyweight acting talent of John
Travolta and Denzel Washington in a
faultless pairing that brings a gritty
reality to the screen...”
WHEN TWO GREAT STARS take their characters into conflict, the sparks will
fly. And there is no greater impact than in the summer 2009 box office hit The
Taking Of Pelham 123 as Director Tony Scott's (Man On Fire;
Déjà Vu) action-packed thriller makes an express delivery to DVD and Blu-ray.
Two time Academy Award® winner Denzel Washington (Best Actor Training Day
2001; Best Supporting Actor Glory 1989) plays MTA New York City Subway
Dispatcher Walter Garber, a family man who works at Rail Control Centre in New
York and who has been accused of taking bribes whilst in Japan looking at a
new train.
Into his life comes Ryder (John Travolta: Basic; Swordfish), a cold-hearted
hi-jacker who, along with Phil Ramos (Luis Guzman: War; Punch-Drunk Love)
and two other armed thugs take over a subway train identified as Pelham 123
and threaten to execute the passengers one by one unless their demand for $10
million in cash is met within the hour.
Hostage negotiator Lt Camonetti (John Turturro: Transformers; O Brother,
Where Art Thou) only succeeds in angering Ryder enough for him to shoot
driver Jerry Pollard (Gary Basgraba) and when Ryder insists that he will only
deal with Garber, one death is enough for Camonetti to realise the gravity of
the situation and hand over the reins to the reluctant Garber.
Calm and thinking on his feet, Garber proves himself a worthy adversary as he
tries to keep Ryder talking while attempting to figure out a way of rescuing
the hostages and preventing Ryder from getting away with the money. Pitching
Washington and Travolta at each other's throats is inspired and The Taking
Of Pelham 123 cannot fail to please for both entertainment and tension as
the car bearing the cash cash is speeding through the busy New York streets.
Travolta is brilliant and believable as criminal mastermind Ryder, contrasting
perfectly with 'regular guy' Garber. Deep underground the tension is mounting,
and Garber enters into a battle of wits with Ryder, using his thorough knowledge
of the subway to out-think the criminal. During the countdown to madness, Garber
takes things into his own hands — fully aware that it is not only his own
life at stake. And as he is drawn deeper into Ryder's plans Garber begins to
realise that, in order to avoid unthinkable carnage, there can only be one way
to end the terrifying standoff.
The Taking Of Pelham 123 also features: Michael Rispoli as John Johnson;
James Gandolfini as The Mayor; John Benjamin Hickey as Depty Mayor Lasalle;
Gbenga Akinnagbe as Wallace; Katherine Sigismund as Mom; Jake Siciliano as Eight-Year-Old
Boy; Aunjanue Ellis as Therese Garber; Alex Kaluznsky as George; Ty Jones as
The Sniper; and the terrific Tonye Patano as Regina.
The excellent, atmospheric music is by Harry Gregson-Williams; Director Of Photography
is Tobias Schliessler, asc; Produced by Todd Black and Tony Scott; Screenplay
by Brian Helgeland and Directed by Tony Scott.
Based on the 1973 novel by Jon Godey, the film is a remake of the 1974 suspense
classic The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three Directed by Joseph Sargent
and starring Walter Matthau as Garber and Robert Shaw as Blue.
• The heart-pounding, thrill-a-minute action
film The Taking Of Pelham 123, with high suspense deep inside the New
York Subway system, is available on Blu-ray High-Def and DVD on January 11 2010,
from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. RRP: Blu-ray £24.99; DVD £19.99.
Bonus Materials
Blu-ray and DVD Special Features Include Commentary featuring Director Tony
Scott, Writer Brian Helgeland and Producer Todd Black | No Time To Lose: The
Making Of Pelham 123 | The Third Rail: The NYC Subway System | Marketing Pelham
| From the Top Down: Stylizing Character with Danny Moumdjian.
"Pitching Washington and Travolta at each other's throats is inspired and The
Taking Of Pelham 123 cannot fail to please for both entertainment and tension"
— Maggie Woods, MotorBar
“An
exhilarating remake that is every