CrimeThrillerAction

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

- I can't get it out of my head. I'm gonna die today.

Armed men hijack a New York City subway train, holding the passengers hostage in return for a ransom, and turning an ordinary day's work for dispatcher Walter Garber into a face-off with the mastermind behind the crime.

Release Date : 2009-06-10

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Escape ArtistsColumbia PicturesRelativity MediaScott Free ProductionsMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Production Country : United KingdomUnited States of America

Alternative Titles : The Taking of Pelham 123

Cast

Character Name : Walter Garber

Original Name : Denzel Washington

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ryder

Original Name : John Travolta

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lt. Camonetti

Original Name : John Turturro

Gender : Male

Character Name : Phil Ramos

Original Name : Luis Guzmán

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mayor

Original Name : James Gandolfini

Gender : Male

Character Name : John Johnson

Original Name : Michael Rispoli

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jerry Pollard, motorman

Original Name : Gary Basaraba

Gender : Male

Character Name : George, teen hostage

Original Name : Alex Kaluzhsky

Gender : Male

Character Name : George's Girlfriend

Original Name : Alice Kremelberg

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mother-hostage

Original Name : Katherine Sigismund

Gender : Female

Character Name : Boy hostage

Original Name : Jake Siciliano

Gender : Male

Character Name : Wallace, hostage

Original Name : Gbenga Akinnagbe

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hostage who can't urinate

Original Name : Jason Butler Harner

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bashkim, hijacker

Original Name : Victor Gojcaj

Gender : Male

Character Name : Emri, hijacker

Original Name : Robert Vataj

Gender : Male

Character Name : Therese Garber

Original Name : Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor

Gender : Female

Character Name : Deputy Mayor LaSalle

Original Name : John Benjamin Hickey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Delgado, MTA worker

Original Name : Ramón Rodríguez

Gender : Male

Character Name : Regina, conductor

Original Name : Tonye Patano

Gender : Female

Character Name : Sniper

Original Name : Ty Jones

Gender : Male

Character Name : ESU Captain

Original Name : Chance Kelly

Gender : Male

Character Name : ESU Guy

Original Name : Billy Devlin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Zealous Aide

Original Name : Chip Brookes

Gender : Male

Character Name : Federal Reserve Supervisor

Original Name : Jonathan Rau

Gender : Male

Character Name : 'Q' Train Motorman

Original Name : Anthony Annarumma

Gender : Male

Character Name : Maintainer Three

Original Name : Victor Cruz

Gender : Male

Character Name : Maintenance Worker

Original Name : Glen Tortorella

Gender : Male

Character Name : Maintenance Worker

Original Name : Bobby Bojorklund

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dispatcher One

Original Name : Saidah Arrika Ekulona

Gender : Female

Character Name : Puerto Rican Girl

Original Name : Jasmin Tavarez

Gender : Female

Character Name : Undercover Cop

Original Name : Sean Meehan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Supervisor

Original Name : Todd Susman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Officer Moran / NYPD Liaison

Original Name : J. Bernard Calloway

Gender : Male

Character Name : LaSalle's Aide

Original Name : Zach Poole

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reporter at MTA

Original Name : Reuben Jackson

Gender : Male

Character Name : ESU One

Original Name : Sean Nelson

Gender : Male

Character Name : ESU Two

Original Name : Deak Evgenikos

Gender : Female

Character Name : Dr. Weiss

Original Name : Lee Shepherd

Gender : Male

Character Name : Money Car Driver

Original Name : Mike Houston

Gender : Male

Character Name : Police Commissioner Sterman

Original Name : Frank Wood

Gender : Male

Character Name : Police Captain Hill (MTA)

Original Name : Brian Haley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Financial Reporter

Original Name : Maria Bartiromo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Team Member (NYPD)

Original Name : John Lavelle

Gender : Male

Character Name : SUV Driver

Original Name : Peter Bucossi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Heckler

Original Name : Steve Routman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reporter at 42nd Street & Vanderbilt

Original Name : Laurie Cole

Gender : Female

Character Name : Tunnel Commander

Original Name : Nick Loren

Gender : Male

Character Name : ESU Lieutenant Staley

Original Name : Daniel Stewart Sherman

Gender : Male

Character Name : MTA Worker

Original Name : Patrick Dalton

Gender : Male

Character Name : MTA Worker

Original Name : John Keiser

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cabbie

Original Name : Adrian Martinez

Gender : Male

Character Name : Commuter

Original Name : Jordan Gelber

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Rose DelCastillo

Gender : Male

Character Name : ESU Guy

Original Name : Joe Forbrich

Gender : Male

Character Name : ESU Guy

Original Name : Jason Cerbone

Gender : Male

Character Name : ESU Desk Officer

Original Name : Michael Mihm

Gender : Male

Character Name : Motorman

Original Name : Robert Perry

Gender : Male

Character Name : Motorman

Original Name : Sammy Miraglia

Gender : Male

Character Name : Motorman

Original Name : Kenneth Natal

Gender : Male

Character Name : Money Car Shotgun

Original Name : René Ifrah

Gender : Male

Character Name : Garber's Hero Transit Cop (uncredited)

Original Name : Tommy Bayiokos

Gender : Male

Character Name : NYPD Officer (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Anello

Gender : Male

Character Name : Subway Passenger (uncredited)

Original Name : John Farrer

Gender : Male

Character Name : MTA Senior Supervisor (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul Thornton

Gender : Male

Reviews

JPV852

@JPV852

2021-06-23

Saw this one many years ago, probably when it came out on Blu-ray, and decided to give it another watch at random, and... pretty much lined up with from the first go around. Nothing amazing nor has any great twists, but the performances from Washington and Travolta made the movie worth the time. On the downside, as with many of his later films, Tony Scott's choppy direction was a bit annoying. **3.5/5**

r96sk

@r96sk

2023-11-15

Having seen (and truly loved) 'Unstoppable', it's impossible not to see 'The Taking of Pelham 123' as a rather pale incarnation of that 2010 flick (which also has Tony Scott as director and Denzel Washington as lead!). How strange that those two came together to make two very similar movies so close together. In the end, here, there is enough done to separate them, but early on especially I felt like I was watching the same film almost. For the record, that other release is so vastly better than this... so I'd recommend that more if you want a train-centric production from Scott and Washington. With all that noted, this 2009 film is still a fairly enjoyable 1hr 40mins or so - despite some questionable editing choices. A big reason for my positive rating is the aforementioned Washington, who gives as good a performance as he always tends to give - which is why he is probably my favourite actor, him or Leonardo DiCaprio anyway. John Travolta does well though, even if I kept getting 'Face/Off' vibes throughout. Here, he made me laugh a few times and the guy has some good dialogue/delivery of said dialogue. Even if that latter element is hit-and-miss elsewhere. The rest of the cast are alright-to-meh, nice to see James Gandolfini though. It's, taking everything into account, all worth a watch, I'd say.

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2025-02-22

It’s not really fair comparing this with the much more sophisticated 1974 version of this story as Tony Scott has taken a fairly broad-brush to that template and pretty much re-characterised the whole story. That’s a story about a gang of well organised criminals who plan a daring hijack of a subway train in New York, USA. Their plan is simple enough. They seize one car and then their leader “Ryder” (John Travolta) demands $10 millions within the hour or the bodies will start mounting up. His contact in the control room is “Garber” (Denzel Washington) and soon wheels are in motion to get the cash. What’s not so clear, though, is just what the agenda of these criminals is. It’s not an excessively large sum of money and we know that “Garber” is under investigation for bribery, so is there something more sinister going on here? What is obvious is that these guys mean business and are not afraid to demonstrate that fact! Tony Scott has managed to convey something of the claustrophobic nature of the tunnels well here and Harry Gregson-Williams’s aggressive score also helps build the tension but for me, Travolta just doesn’t deliver anything on the scale of menace I wanted here. Sure, his character is vile and violent but with the story relying on a degree of ambiguity for much of it’s substance, his unsubtle and charm-free performance is all just too one-dimensional to keep the intrigue sustained. Washington, likewise, just doesn’t impose himself on the story anywhere near enough to give us any real sense of panic and the other supporting efforts are all a bit too underwhelming too, delivering a great deal of wasteful shouty dialogue as this thing rather lumbers along as if it were stuck at the lights, too. It probably didn’t need remaking but it does remind you just how good Robert Shaw was on the less is more front.