betty dalton Subways are subways. Nothing much changed in decades. In this story a New York City subway gets stolen and the passengers are taken hostage only to be released for 1 million dollars in ransom demand. How will they get away with it?This classic hostage flick goes back to the seventies, 1974 to be exact. Sound quality is MONO. Does everybody still even know what that means? One channel sound, when today there are 7 or more. Besides this the photography isnt grandiose either. It really has got that typical cheap early seventies feel to it, the period however Quentin Tarantino was so found of and is now going back to with his new movie. And for good reason, because in this period a lot of classics were born. And "The Taking of Pelham 123" is one of them. Although it certainly is no masterpiece. It is just a good hostage movie with excellent acting by Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw.You can also choose for the modern remake of this movie with Denzel Washington and John Travolta. I tried that myself but got bored with it within minutes. Maybe kids would love the modern version better, but if you are more of a cinephile then the seventies version is the more popular one that gets the highest ratings.Seen it many times now and besides some cheap effects and poor sound quality it is still a movie I go back to every year or so. I just love the New York cussing and complaining in it,I love the dirty New York strreets and subway and I really dig the great seventies soundtrack however bad it technically may sound in MONO lol...

Fletcher Conner The Taking of Pelham One Two Three is one of the greatest 70s action movies. It is tense throughout without ever resorting to the gimmicks or clichés that plague the genre. Walter Matthau is perfect for the role of the transit policeman trying to manage the situation and keep the hostages safe while solving the crime. Robert Shaw is icy as Mr. Blue, devising a near perfect crime while maintaining extreme professionalism. It is Shaw's performance that elevates Pelham to a classic as he remains calm as everyone else panics and worries and that plays beautifully off his fellow hijackers Balsam and Elizondo, and even off Matthau through the radio.While the remake is a fine movie, it is nowhere near the caliber of the original. Denzel Washington does a quality job in the Matthau role, but John Travolta cannot hold a candle to Robert Shaw's excellent performance.

trashgang What a perfect example how to make a flick without effects. What you see is all real so forget the 2009 remake and pick this one up even as it is 40 years old.This is an instant classic with excellent performances and even a bit of joking in the beginning with the Japanese people. I remember seen it with my dad back in the days when I was a teenager and nowadays that almost everything is available I ordered it and didn't regret it after all. What starts out as a hijack of a metroline in NY slowly turns into a cat and mouse game. The story is so strong that it never bored me at all. Even as I still remember what did happen you just sit through this action thriller and the ride is over before you know it. earlier I told that there were no effects and before people will say hey, there are, well, speeding up the reel isn't an effect for me, what you see happening above ground and in the metrolines is actually filmed in NY. No shaky camera's or over the top shots, straight in your face as it should be done. Perfect, no go take the ride.Gore 0/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 1/5 Story 4/5 Comedy 0/5

Maddyclassicfilms The Taking of Pelham One Two Three is directed by Joseph Sargent, is based on the novel by John Godey, has music by David Shire and stars Robert Shaw, Walter Matthau, Martin Balsam, Earl Hindman, Hector Elizondo, Julius Harris and Lee Wallace.This is one of the best thrillers of the 1970's a film filled with suspense, action, tension and a great deal of humour too.Four heavily armed men(Robert Shaw, Hector Elizondo, Martin Balsam and Earl Hindman)hijack a New York subway train and hold the passengers hostage. The leader of the group Mr Blue(Robert Shaw)contacts the Transit Police and demands payment of one million dollars cash. There is a deadline when the money has to be delivered by or Blue and his men will kill hostages until it's delivered.The Transit Police officer who ends up speaking to Mr Blue over the train radio is Lt. Zachary Garber(Walter Matthau). Garber tries desperately to get the deadline extended knowing that it is not going to be easy persuading the Mayor's office to decide to let them have the money, let alone deliver it to the subway on time. Garber also tries to figure out what nobody else is asking, how do the gang intend to escape the subway if they get the money? An added complication arises when the Garber learns that a Police officer is on the train, Garber doesn't know if it's a man or a woman and worries what will happen if they try and take on the hijackers.Given the subject matter it's a surprise to hear quite a bit of funny dialogue in this. The cast are all superb with Matthau proving he could be a fine dramatic actor as well as a brilliant comic. Shaw is chilling as Mr Blue but is never monstrous, unlike Hector Elizondo as the crazy Mr Grey, who can't wait to start shooting hostages. Martin Balsam is excellent as Mr Green who is responsible for driving for the train, he is suffering from a cold which he will end up wishing he had gotten rid of long before taking on this job. Earl Hindman is also very good as Mr Brown.Lee Wallace is hysterical as the Mayor who is also suffering from a bad cold and must decide whether to allow the payment of the ransom or not. James Bond fans will enjoy seeing Julius Harris in this as a Police Inspector. This is a really good thriller and is there any chance that the gangs colour cover names were an inspiration to Quentin Tarantino when he made Reservoir Dogs?