Eye Candy #260 - "The Taking of Pelham 123" (2009)

The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009): I’m usually a complete mark for Tony Scott, as he‘s put together some very watchable films even if he hasn‘t created any “great“ ones (though I‘m sure “Top Gun“ will hold a special place in many heart).  This time around he missed the train. This is the 3rd version of this book to make it to the screen, this time around with Denzel Washington in the Walter Matthau role and John Travolta in the Robert Shaw role.  MTA dispatcher Walter Barger finds himself in the middle of a hostage situation, as 4 criminals led by Ryder (John Travolta) takeover the Pelham 123 train, and hold its passengers hostage for $10 million.  Except Ryder’s goal is something else entirely, and soon Barger finds himself in way over his pay grade.  This film has some problems:  1.) director Tony Scott.  “Artistic” overindulgences abound, including overuse of slow motion and other flourishes that are pointless and self-serving.  If you feel compelled to cover up the flaws in your film with artistic razzmatazz, then your film has deeper problems then you realize; 2.) casting.  Denzel is perfectly fine as Barger.  Travolta, however, is channeling Castor Troy from “Face/Off”, turning in a one-dimensional villain portrayal that we have seen before, almost note for note. And 3.) script, with the exceptions of Barger and Ryder, you know almost nothing about any of the other characters in the film, and those that you do get to see are painted in the broadest strokes possible.  Makes it hard to care about the hostages.  And the contrivances the script needs to pad out its length (for example, the gratuitous “money drive” across the length and breadth of Manhattan), like the urgency the film attempts to display, doesn’t ring true.  The original was better.  Woodchuck sez, “Middle of the road.”