IMDb > The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009)
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
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The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009) More at IMDbPro »

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The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009) -- Armed men hijack a New York City subway train, holding the passengers hostage in return for a ransom, and turning an ordinary day's work for dispatcher Walter Garbe (Washington) into a face-off with the mastermind behind the crime (Travolta).
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009) -- Here's a clip from the movie The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3.
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009) -- A look at the making of The Taking of Pelham 123.
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009) -- Interview: Luis Guzman "On preparing for his character"
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009) -- Armed men hijack a New York City subway train, holding the passengers hostage in return for a ransom, and turning an ordinary day's work for dispatcher Walter Garbe (Washington) into a face-off with the mastermind behind the crime (Travolta).

Overview

User Rating:
6.6/10   18,636 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Up 151% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Tony Scott

Writers (WGA):

Brian Helgeland (screenplay)
John Godey (novel)

Contact:

View company contact information for The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

12 June 2009 (USA) more

Genre:

Crime | Thriller more

Plot:

Armed men hijack a New York City subway train, holding the passengers hostage in return for a ransom, and turning an ordinary day's work for dispatcher Walter Garber into a face-off with the mastermind behind the crime. | full synopsis

Awards:

2 nominations more

NewsDesk:
(97 articles)

“G.I. Joe” Invades Video Stores
 (From Studio Briefing - Film News. 12 November 2009, 1:53 PM, PST)

Debt-ridden MGM could be sold
 (From The Guardian - Film News. 12 November 2009, 4:52 AM, PST)

User Comments:

two solid leads but the results are underwhelming more (152 total)


Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:

The Taking of Pelham 123 (UK) (promotional title) (USA) (promotional title)
more

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and pervasive language.

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital


Fun Stuff

Trivia:

The name of the Denzel Washington's character, originally named "Zachary Garber", is changed to "Walter Garber" as a nod to Walter Matthau, who starred in the 1974 version. more

Goofs:

Errors in geography: When the police pick up the money from the Federal Reserve, they are actually at the Federal Building/Post Office on Church Street, near the Trade Center. more

Quotes:

Ryder: Do you know what I'm looking at? Do you know what I'm looking at?
Walter Garber: No, I do not.
Ryder: Ok, well first there's my gun... and at the end of my gun, what's your name man?
George: George, everyone calls me Geo.
Ryder: George, his friends call him Geo. He's got this kinda eighties skateboard thing going on... he makes it work, but it's not gonna look to good in his casket.
more

Movie Connections:

Featured in 81st Annual Academy Awards (2009) (TV) more

Soundtrack:

99 Problems more


FAQ

What does the title "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" mean?
In what way does the remake differ from the original 1974 movie?
A Note Regarding Spoilers
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59 out of 79 people found the following comment useful.
two solid leads but the results are underwhelming, 13 June 2009
Author: Special-K88

It started out like any ordinary day; that's likely what New York City subway dispatcher Walter Garber, an employee of questionable character, was thinking when he got up and went to work in the morning. Little did he know that he'd become the confidante and "stand-in" hostage negotiator for a slick criminal mastermind who takes over the Pelham subway train and demands money in exchange for the lives of its passengers. Hearing the names Washington, Travolta, and Scott creates a lot of anticipation, but unfortunately what wants to be a slick combination of suspense thriller and character study instead results in a ponderous film with a weak setup, predictable plot twists, shallow characters, and little tension. It's easy to watch with actors of Washington and Travolta's caliber at work, but director Scott's direction is pretentious and throws out some obligatory action scenes that seem to exist for the sole purpose of padding the time on the way to an expected climax. The leads do what they can with the strained material but really deserve better. **

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
So did he take the bribe?? butterrfly-1
What did Geo say to his girlfriend? jpollardnh
I see what you did there, Walter Garber... stalkerchip
Anyone think the ending killed the movie ayouyou
LMAO! 'Don't you love me back?' shannon-elements
Better than the original filmforum242
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