The Taking of Pelham 123

Play trailer

2:26

The Taking of Pelham 123

R

2009

1h 46m

Action

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

51%

Tomatometer

225 Reviews

52%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Chaos reigns in the New York City subway system when heavily armed criminals, led by a mastermind named Ryder (John Travolta), hijack a subway train and threaten to kill everyone on board unless a large ransom is paid. Dispatcher Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) uses his extensive knowledge of the transit system in a bid to outwit the hijackers and save the hostages, but one question remains: even if the hijackers get their money, how can they possibly escape?

Critics Consensus

Despite a strong cast, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 suffers under the excesses of Tony Scott's frantic direction, and fails to measure up to the 1974 original.

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Deborah Ross

The Spectator

08/30/2018

This is pointless, redundant, irrelevant film remaking, in which nothing of weight is ever at stake, and no relationships are ever formed.

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Ed Koch

The Atlantic

01/17/2018

The original film was far superior and will be remembered in years to come while the current remake will soon be forgotten.

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

09/12/2017

B+

Overall a good movie, good performances, got your adrenaline going.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

09/04/2023

1.5/4

Gone are the days when a thriller about hijackers and the negotiator-hero who stops them feels fresh or necessary. At least, that’s how I felt after The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3.

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Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

08/25/2022

2.5/5

The sub-par material is too much to overcome. I especially hate to see such a strong Denzel performance go to waste, but in reality there just isn’t enough here to make this anything more than an average movie.

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

11/29/2020

6/10

Not quite as slick as the original, this latest take on the subway heist story still accomplishes entertainment at breakneck speed.

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Circus E.

@COS.ENT85 Apr 6

7/10 a normal worse remake

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Joaquin U

@Joaquin1 Feb 22

I watched this, not knowing it was a remake. It's a decent popcorn movie. Good cast. The ending is a bit disappointing. Just an entertaining, middle-of-the-pack action flick.

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Krys L

@Kl005 Jan 5

The opening sound between the constant guitar riff and train noise was so grating, I jumped up to turn it off after it didn’t stop for several minutes. The mixing and editing was horrible. I’ve never had this experience in a movie.

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Kelly N

@RT11829278 Sep 15

I rewatched this with The Misses since she hadn't seen it before. Good story, great action. John Travolta was too over the top but still enjoyable

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Ed .

@RT01276001 Aug 22

Credible remake to consider watching AFTER viewing the original masterpiece.

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Frans B

@FransB Aug 21

Loved it and Tony Scott's "erratic" directing 😜 Great storyline, stellar cast all excels in character. Lots of action, suspense and drama. Very good cinematography and visual effects. Makes for exciting viewing

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Tony Scott

Director

Denzel Washington

Walter Garber

John Travolta

Ryder

John Turturro

Camonetti

Luis Guzmán

Phil Ramos

James Gandolfini

Mayor

The Taking of Pelham 123: Official Clip - Accidental Police Assault

2:41

The Taking of Pelham 123: Official Clip - Commandeering the Train

2:39

The Taking of Pelham 123: Official Clip - Ten Million Dollars and One Cent

3:42

The Taking of Pelham 123: Official Clip - Shoot Me!

3:05

The Taking of Pelham 123: Official Clip - Police Shootout

1:37

The Taking of Pelham 123: Official Clip - The Money Car Crash

3:04

The Taking of Pelham 123: Official Clip - Dog Poop Story

3:11

The Taking of Pelham 123: Official Clip - Put Garber on

1:40

The Taking of Pelham 123: Official Clip - Did You Take the Bribe?

2:50

The Taking of Pelham 123: Official Clip - Runaway Train

1:39

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The Taking of Pelham 123: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Chaos reigns in the New York City subway system when heavily armed criminals, led by a mastermind named Ryder (John Travolta), hijack a subway train and threaten to kill everyone on board unless a large ransom is paid. Dispatcher Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) uses his extensive knowledge of the transit system in a bid to outwit the hijackers and save the hostages, but one question remains: even if the hijackers get their money, how can they possibly escape?

Director: Tony Scott
Producer: Todd Black, Tony Scott, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch
Screenwriter: Brian Helgeland
Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co: Escape Artists, Scott Free Productions
Rating: R (Violence|Pervasive Language)
Genre: Action, Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 12, 2009, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $65.5M
Runtime: 1h 46m