The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009)

Based on the bestselling novel by John Godey and the original 1974 film by Joseph Sargent, THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123 is about four heavily armed men, led by a mysterious and violent mastermind name Ryder (John Travolta), who take control of a New York City Subway 6 train and demand for $10,000,000 in one hour and turning an ordinary day’s work for MTA dispatcher name Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) into a face off against the criminal mastermind behind it all. The film also stars John Turturro (O Brother, Where Art Thou?) as N.Y.P.D. ESU Lt. Vincent Camonetti, Luis Guzman (Boogie Nights) as ex-con Subway driver Phil Ramos, Michael Rispoli (Death to Smoochy) as Garber’s boss John Johnson, Aunjanue Ellis (Ray) as Garber’s wife Therese, Gbenga Akinnagbe (TV’s The Wire) as hostage and former Airborne member Wallace, Brian Haley (Baby’s Day Out) as MTA Police Captain Hill, John Benjamin Hickey (Flags of Our Fathers) as Deputy Mayor LaSalle, and James Gandolfini (TV’s The Sopranos) as The Mayor of New York City. I did see the original with Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw and thought it was great. But Tony Scott, my favorite director of such hits: TOP GUN, TRUE ROMANCE, and MAN ON FIRE, directed a dynamic version of THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3. Brian Helgeland, the Academy Award winning screenplay writer for L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, loved the original and wrote the film remake’s screenplay. I thought Denzel Washington's performance as Garber was good but John Travolta's performance as Ryder was fantastic. My father loved the original and I told him about the remake before he passed away, I know he would've loved it as I did.