The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
This is a useless remake of the 1974 cult classic about a hijacked subway train starring Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw. Denzel Washington replaces Matthau as a city employee caught up in the crisis, and Travolta replaces Shaw as the crazy man causing the commotion. Director Tony Scott makes a good-looking movie, but his modern updates, like a laptop’s camera hidden on the train broadcasting the crisis, are lame. Travolta gets to play a psycho, and that certainly has its moments, but Washington does little more than look concerned and sweat a bit. Other than Travolta, and to some extent Washington, none of the characters are all that interesting. John Turturro is actually kind of boring as a hostage negotiator, and Luis Guzman exits the film before he can make his mark. They should’ve left well enough alone.