TAKING OF PELHAM 123 ( 2009 )

85% of the audience will think that Pelham 123 is a fine film.

Just like the other folks, I too saw:
*great scenes,
*exciting car chases
* two charming conversations between Denzel Washington and his wife, played by Aunjanue Ellis
* nerve racking and very explosive dialogues between Denzel and John Travolta
* clever mind games between Travolta and John Turturro
* James Gandolfini was on target as the mayor of the world's number one city, more afraid of
a hostile press, than gunmen in the subway
* grand production values abound – it is a fabulous looking film

JUST AS WITH THE SOLOIST, THERE IS A STRUCTURAL PROBLEM WITH THIS FILM THAT MAKES IT SECOND RATE, NO MATTER WHAT COSMETIC REPAIRS THEY USE TO HIDE THE DEFECT.

The problem is this – if a robber walks into a bank and hands a teller a note demanding 50 billion dollars and that note is written on the back of the crook’s phone bill, the police will capture him or her.

Such a mistake occurs early on and the movie becomes meaningless, no matter how much bluster and blood is thrown into the plot, the movie is over in the first hour.

THEY USE TRAVOLTA TO SCREAM AND OVERHEAT TO DIVERT THE AUDIENCE FROM SEEING THAT THIS WHOLE OPERATION IS MEANINGLESS UNLESS THE CULPRITS ARE ANONYMOUS.
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IF YOU MISSED THE 1974 ORIGINAL, YOU WOULD BE WISE TO CATCH UP WITH IT.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Comment - FROM RANE PARISH IN CANADA ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I saw the original (which was perfect) and I knew that this new one could never measure up... for one thing, John Travolta aint no Robert Shaw and Denzel aint no Walter Matthau!