The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1998) (TV)

User Rating:

5.0/10   

Director:

Félix Enríquez Alcalá

Writers (WGA):

John Godey (novel)
Peter Stone (earlier screenplay)

Release Date:

1 February 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

In New York, armed men hijack a subway car and demand a ransom for the passengers. Even if it's paid, how could they get away?

Plot Keywords:

Subway | Hostage | Hijack | Railway | Electric Railway

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Edward James Olmos	...	Det. Anthony Piscotti
Vincent D'Onofrio	...	Mr. Blue
Donnie Wahlberg	...	Mr. Grey
Richard Schiff	...	Mr. Green
Lisa Vidal	...	Babs Cardoza
Tara Rosling	...	Mr. Brown
Kenneth Welsh	...	Caz Hollowitz
Lorraine Bracco	...	Det. Ray
Ben Cook	...	Older boy on subway
Bobby Boriello	...	Younger boy on subway
Bobby O'Neill	...	Homeboy on subway (as Black Katt)
Ingrid Veninger	...	Graduate student on subway
Alisa Wiegers	...	Office worker ["Shaky"]
Peter Boretski	...	Old man on subway
Stuart Clow	...	Jogger

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Netherlands:16 (video premiere) | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Disused lower platform, Bay subway station, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

MGM Television

Trivia:

With respect to the description in the novel of how the controller is rigged for the getaway, this version is more faithful than the original film.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Mr. Blue flicks the microphone button without speaking, we see a meter with its needle jumping back and forth, but the meter appears in mirror image.

Movie Connections:

Remake of The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

Lacks The Humour

I don't think this 1998 remake was too bad, provided you regard it as a straightforward hostage film.

It uses some of the best lines from the original almost verbatim (eg, "A person likes to know how much he's worth", "Do they still have the death penalty in New York" "I've always done my own killing" etc) which is ok, but I can't believe that Mr Blue in the 1998 film would not know the death penalty status in what appears to be his native New York. In the original, the Mr Blue character was clearly British, and might be excused for not knowing the death penalty status in all 50 US states.

But as one other observer observed, the 1998 lacks .... WALLY MATTHAU (and to some extend George Costanza's dad also).

The 74 version could almost have been sold as a comedy, but not this one. It's a straightforward tradesman like version without the wit, irony, pathos and dulcet tones of Wally Matthau

Certainly worth watching if you love the 74 version so you can do a 'compare and contrast'. If you have not watched either, and you only want to see one of them, see the 74 version.

The final scene is worth the wait (in both versions)