The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
"Outstanding! Bursts With Heart-Stopping Excitement!" -Leonard Maltin
An all-star cast, including Oscar-winners Walter Matthau and Martin Balsam teams up with Robert Shaw (Jaws) to deliver "sure-fire entertainment [that's] gripping and exciting from beginning to end" (The Hollywood Reporter). Based on the sizzling best-seller by John Godey, this pulse-pounding picture is guaranteed to give you the ride of your life!
Somewhere underground, in New York's subway system, just outside the Pelham Station, a gang of armed men hijack a train, threatening to kill one hostage per minute unless their demands are met. Forced to stall these unknown assailants until a ransom is delivered or a rescue is made, transit chief Lt. Garber (Matthau) must ad-lib, bully, con and shrewdly outmaneuver one of the craftiest and cruelest villains (Shaw) in a battle of wits that will either end heroically or tragically. From the minute you board this train until its exhilarating climax, you will be taken by "plenty of surprises and lots of nail-biting action" (Blockbuster Movie Guide)!
Member Reviews
Great performances, great script. - RobBC
A group of heavily armed men take a subway car full of passengers hostage threatening to kill one person every minute unless their demands are met. A smart, tightly edited thriller with an all-star cast that manages to keep the action moving right up until the unexpectedly comical ending. Flipping back and forth between claustrophobic interiors and widescreen cityscapes, director Joseph Sargent ratchets up the suspense while keeping the plot simple and believable. A few non-PC moments may make overly sensitive contemporary audiences squirm (listed among the closing credits are "The Homosexual", "The W.A.S.P." and "The Hooker" ha! ha!) but hey, it was the freaking 70s!Suspenseful and Engaging - MovieProf
1974's "Pelham" is different in many ways from 2009's: besides the fact that the leads (Walter Matthau and Denzel Washington) change skin colour as Zachary Garber, Garber's title changes from transit control police lieutenant to simply transit authority employee, and a backstory about bribery is nonexistent, the original is not as flashy or fast-paced as the remake. However, it's just as good--perhaps better.
This original also stars Robert Shaw and Martin Balsam as two of four terrosits who take over a subway car deep underground and hold its passengers ransom, threatening to kill each if their demands are not met. Shaw is brilliant as "Mr. Blue," the leader, a cold, calm, calculating man with a military background. Balsam is more bumbling as "Mr. Green," a former subway employee out for revenge after serving time in jail for a drug crime.
It's always fun to look back at technology in the past. The subway control room must have been state-of-the-art in 1974, but now seems laughingly and hopelessly insuficient by today's standards. Still, the action is intense, the story gripping and suspenseful, and the acting superb.Not A Dull Moment Anywhere - revsdd
The adventure begins in this movie right from the start. There's no unnecessary lead-ins, no confusing sub-plots that the viewer has to muddle through and keep straight, no particularly complicated characters that we struggle to understand. A group of men hijack a New York City subway train and threaten to kill the passengers unless the city pays them $1 million. It's simple and straightforward and fast-paced and exciting and features excellent performances, particularly from Walter Matthau, who takes control of the situation for the Transit Police as Lt. Garber and from Robert Shaw as "Mr. Blue," the leader of the hijackers.
The almost two hours flies by with only a couple of minor weaknesses. There was obviously a feeling that audiences couldn't handle the amount of tension involved and so some unnecessary comedic elements were added. I'm thinking particularly of the portrayal of the lily-livered, indecisive Mayor of New York (played by Lee Wallace) and, although it was only one scene, the reaction of the drunk woman on the train to the hijacking after it was all over. Assuming that they were added to break the tension, neither succeeded - they didn't add much comedy and they were unnecessary add-ons to a very exciting movie. The very last scene of the movie also left me a bit empty. Frankly, I knew what was going to happen from the moment Garber and Lt. Patrone (Jerry Stiller) showed up at the apartment. True, it was only one scene - but it was the last scene, and - again - it seemed to be written with the intention of making the audience laugh, which seemed out of sync with the whole feel of the movie. Still - a great story and a great movie.
Member Reviews
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Great performances, great script. - RobBC
A group of heavily armed men take a subway car full of passengers hostage threatening to kill one person every minute unless their demands are met. A smart, tightly edited thriller with an all-star cast that manages to keep the action moving right up until ...Suspenseful and Engaging - MovieProf
1974's "Pelham" is different in many ways from 2009's: besides the fact that the leads (Walter Matthau and Denzel Washington) change skin colour as Zachary Garber, Garber's title changes from transit control police lieutenant to simply transit authority employee, ...Not A Dull Moment Anywhere - revsdd
The adventure begins in this movie right from the start. There's no unnecessary lead-ins, no confusing sub-plots that the viewer has to muddle through and keep straight, no particularly complicated characters that we struggle to understand. A group of men ...