The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
(R, 1:44:22, Released 1974)
| Provider: | Hulu |
| Genres: | Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense, Drama |
| Released: | Jan 1, 1974 |
| DVD Released: | May 15, 2001 |
| Starring: | Beatrice Winde, Earl Hindman, Hector Elizondo, James Broderick, Martin Balsam, Robert Shaw, Walter Matthau |
| Directed by: | Joseph Sargent |
| Synopsis: | Dog Day Afternoon. Annie Hall. Taxi Driver. In the pantheon of classic New York films, these three take pride of place. But there are, of course, others, some of which have fallen through the cracks over the years, criminally overlooked and unjustly relegated to commercial-riddled Saturday-afternoon TV broadcasts. Joseph Sargent's The Taking of Pelham One Two Three is just such a picture. This taut 1974 thriller about four armed men who highjack a New York City subway train and hold it and its passengers for ransom may be hopelessly dated (it's loaded with ethnic stereotypes, impossibly wide neckties, and bad hairdos--and there are no explosions!), but that's part of the fun. A gruffly sardonic Walter Matthau heads a fine cast that includes Jerry Stiller, Hector Elizondo, Martin Balsam, and a perfectly villainous pre-Jaws Robert Shaw. Think you'll find a better film that depicts a nearly broke city led by an inept mayor forced to deal with armed terrorists? Fuhgeddaboutit! --Steve Landau |
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Other Top Reviews
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November 12, 2008
Utterly absorbing and cracking heist thriller, starring screen lege Walter Matthau (looking increasingly like a saddlebag with hair) as a world-weary transit rozzer who is faced with the task of foiling a very daring, very deadly gang operating on the New York subway system. Robert Shaw (would you want anyone else leading your gang?) is on typically charismatic and threatening form, and the intriguing colour-coded robbers (Mr. White, Mr. Blue et al) were famously nicked by Quentin Tarantino for his "Reservoir Dogs". This tough tale has a pace quicker than a subway train and the simmering tension never lets up as it zooms towards its conclusion. The final frame is a corker, too.
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October 13, 2008
I was hoping for a little bit more of a kick to the ending (though it is fairly satisfying), but up until the last 5 minutes or so it's totally awesome.
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October 3, 2008A fine 1974 thriller that benefits greatly from Walter Matthau as a sarcastic transit cop and Robert Shaw as the cold, chief hijacker. The plot takes a few leaps and bounds, as Shaw and his three fellow felons request one million in cash in order for the lives of the hostages to be sustained upon the seized subway train, simultaneously liaising with Matthau?s Lt. Garber, ensuring all requirements are met. There are tense tunnel moments, as any unwanted ?interferers? that encroach on the train are rubbed out (an order particularly specified by Shaw) and funny moments including Matthau?s rocky relationship with Frank (O? Neill) and kindly rapport with the lively Rico (Jerry Stiller). The believability scale dips fractionally every now and again, but the excitement rockets sky high once the crims unleash their getaway plan and bamboozle the cops. It ends on a high note as well, as Garber and Rico close in on the one that got away, ?Gesundheit?.
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October 2, 2008
Great flick, good ol' New York caper joint...Can't wait for the remake, hopefully it won't disappoint with Denzel, Travolta and Gandolphini in the mix...
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September 20, 2008Great movie. Progenitor of the modern "race against time to save the hostages" flick. One of my favorite Walter Matthau roles. Tried to find recently at Blockbuster, and was not there. Probably have to buy online somewhere.
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September 17, 2008
Top notch 70s crime thriller has a rapid pace and plenty of humorous smart-aleck new yorker dialogue. A good role for Walter Matthau and a couple of bad ass villains.
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August 31, 2008
As good as Reservoir Dogs is, there's no question that Taratino drew some inspiriation for it from this film. Here we also have a sharp, intelligent script with plenty of grit and a beautifully written hostage/heist flick, it's just a shame its being remade.
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June 13, 2008
Simple but wonderfully executed heist flick. Wonderful cast and score and great use of real NYC locations.
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March 28, 2008Thugs hijack a New York Subway train and hold it for ransom. The action in this thriller never lets up. The cast includes Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, Jerry Stiller, and Martin Balsam. See it. Now
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March 13, 2008
great score, some great dialogue. set the stage for many films that followed. i only wish Shaw had met a better end.
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March 11, 2008
Very good film. With colours for the names of the crooks it is easy to make the comparison with Reservoir Dogs. A less obvious comparison would be with Speed, I wouldn't want to give anything of the story away so you'll have to watch for yourself or ask me. I wonder what other films "borrowed" ideas from this film? Jerry Stiller is in this and looks old, was he ever young? Amazing to think that over 30 years on he is still making movies.
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March 9, 2008mr blue? mr green? mr gray and mr brown? no, this isn't reservoir dogs! this is a 1974 crime caper about a group of men hijacking a train and taking a carriage of people hostage. there is no more plot to it. not much more. just how they escape from the tunnel. it has some small moments of comedy and generally it is a very decent b-movie action flick. i liked some of the camera angles used as well such as the shot obviously from the front of the police car. the cinematography was good. walter matthau had the investigative role and nailed it. no one overdid their acting
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December 12, 2007
Very well done film from the 70's. When a group of armed men hijack a New York city subway they put the city at their mercy. Robert Shaw is the leader of the hijackers and he is calculating and cool. Walther Matthau is perfect as his foil, a transit cop, who tries to bargain with these guys. Maybe a little dated now, but it's still one heck of a thriller. Also take note, all the bad guys go by color codes like Mr. Blue, Mr. Green, etc. Some 20 years before Tarantino would use that characterization for his Reservoir Dogs. And Hollywood is planning a remake with Denzel and Travolta. Oh yeah.
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Mr. Blue: I once had a man shot for talking to me like that.
Mr. Gray: Yeah, well, that's the difference between you and me. I've always done my own killing. -
December 6, 2007
A ruthless gang with colour coded pseudonyms (sound familiar?!) and automatic weapons hijack a New York subway train in this hugely entertaining heist movie. Walter Matthau is at his sardonic best as the transport cop in charge of the situation, with Robert Shaw as the coldblooded mercenary heading the hijackers, including Hector Elizondo as the obligatory psychotic loose cannon ("Why do think they threw him out of the mafia?"!) It concentrates more on the dialogue and characters to build tension than fireworks, including some great behind the scenes banter as the mix of trademark New Yorker foul-mouthed ill temper, pragmatism and sarcasm come into effect when dealing with the situation, all set to a cool Schifrin-esque soundtrack. One of the best thrillers of the 70s.
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November 19, 2007
Wicked cool heist film.
An obvious influence in Reservoir Dogs and Walter Matthau is a bad ass... who knew? -
November 18, 2007
Enjoyable hijacking pic with a great ensemble cast headed by Walter Matthau. I've often thought that Tom Hanks and Mr. Matthau have several similarities in some of their characters they play and I could easily see Hanks playing the lead in a remake. A television remake was a done a few years ago and apparently my gift for casting will go unnoticed.
If the film doesn't interest you yet you're a Tarantino fan, note that the characters call each other by colors, as in Mr. Grey, Mr. Blue and Mr. Green. -
November 15, 2007
Hugely enjoyable New York set hostage thriller. Matthau is wonderfully wry and watchable whilst Robert Shaw plays the baddie with a calm, brooding maloevolence. Very 70s in style!
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October 21, 2007
This film is a really great ride. It is a really exciting thriller with some funny lines that will keep you interested for the entire film. I highly recommend this film.
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September 28, 2007
Compared to the usual suspects of heist movies, this movie stands out. It is unique in a genre which does not cater to uncompromised realism, and has influenced numerous films after it, perhaps to the point that "Pelham" is no longer as unique as it was at the time. The film manages also the notoriously tricky task of making a heist without sacrificing realism for stylization and melodrama: this film is as accurate and detailed as one could make it: a plan that is both insane and also one that might have actually worked. The characters and dialog are human, and stereotypically New Yorker. The humor isn't through jokes, but through the portrayal of those stereotypes during the films unusual course of events.
The acting is almost minimalist, (with the exception of the few comic-relief loudmouths.) A worthy urban crime drama for its era, and a classic, but eclipsed by the films which took cues from it. -
September 26, 2007
This is a gripping fast paced drama with stellar performances by Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw. Make sure that you watch this one. It has once again, been remade and the remake is by far inferior. The premise, that armed men take a New York subway train hostage, is so far fetched and bizarre that it is completely facinating. How do you escape from a subway? A must see.
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September 24, 2007
excellent cast and a time capsule of a film as it shows 1970s NYC in a very real and raw light.
great tone too: not too serious, not too silly; a nice balance rarely achieved these days. -
August 9, 2007
Interesting little movie for a Sunday afternoon. They don't make many in this genre anymore, it seems. What, "Phone Booth"? Shaddup...
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June 12, 2007
Walter Matthau taking on a sadistic terrorist with a handful of hostages on board a NY transit line remains one of the best to ever grace the 1970's
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June 11, 2007
This film is fantastic and is populated by a rich tapestry of New York Character Actors, with the likes of Jerry Stiller and Doris Roberts, not to mention, the star, Walter Matthau.
Robert Shaw portrays "Mr. Blue", who leads a small gang of men ("Mr. Green", "Mr. Grey" & "Mr. Brown") and takes control of the Pelham 123 subway train and her passengers in an effort to extort the princely sum of $1 million. Walter Matthau plays a Lieutenant of the Transit Police who must try to placate the hijackers while trying to thwart them at the same time.
This is the film in which Quentin Tarantino stole the idea for naming his characters in Reservoir Dogs by colours.
I was directed to this movie due to "The Kim Beazley Theme" played on Tony Martin's Radio Show "Get This", of which I was completely obsessed by, was actually the main theme of this film.
If you want to see an enjoyable crime thriller that will and also make you laugh, the The Taking of Pelham One Two Three is the film for you.
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December 15, 2006
This film is wicked. That no-one but me has ever heard of it or seen it, makes enjoying it even better.
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December 6, 2006My friend's band sort of (in a mis-spelled and added to way) named themselves after this film. But I haven't seen it yet.
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October 16, 2006
Behold Walter Mathau: ACTION HERO. Great, authentic NY atmosphere in this one, an early precursor to Die Hard. Oh and stick around to the very end for one of the best endings EVER.
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May 11, 2006
Excuse me, do you people still execute in this state?
For me personally, the best Robert Shaw performance ever. No one scarier than Mr. Blue, I kid you not. He asks this of Matthau right before he . . . Don't want to give it away. It's an electrifying scene.
As if his work in The Laughing Policeman just the year before was a tune-up, Matthau appears again as the dogged cop dutifully dealing with the bad guys. This is for me, his most memorable dramatic role. He and Shaw, as adversaries, give a performance for the ages. I miss them both.
