Dear Reader: Update, Movie Review Intelligence will
continue publishing this website through June (more...)
Search a Movie:
THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3Movie Reviews
Remake of the 1974 thriller about a New York City subway dispatcher who outsmarts a dangerous criminal mastermind who has hijacked a subway train. Cast:Denzel Washington, John Travolta, James Gandolfini, John Turturro, Luis Guzman, Michael RispoliDirector:Tony ScottRelease Date:June 12, 2009DVD Release:November 3, 2009From:Columbia PicturesRating:RLength:1 hr 46 min
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 played to good reviews. • Moira Macdonald wrote in the Seattle Times, "...efficient, well-paced and laden with special effects, but lacks the humor and New York flavor of the original.... smart and efficient yet often grimly mechanical." • And Calvin Wilson called the film in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "...formulaic but engaging..." More Reviews Below...
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 Positive Reviews (44 Reviews, reviews below)
Leah Rozen, People: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...what really makes 'Pelham' tick is the way all involved react with that mix of toughness, cynicism and paranoia that is uniquely New York."(See all of Leah Rozen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 204 words, 06/11/09
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: EXCELLENT(cg) "...in the hands of director Tony Scott, it's relevant but not too distressing, something that doesn't shy away from jolting violence but is also, you know, fun."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 710 words, 06/12/09
Mara Reinstein, Us Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a standard action movie that's woefully short of white-knuckle moments (a lame subplot involving a teen romance doesn't help)."(See all of Mara Reinstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 136 words, 06/11/09
Claudia Puig, USA Today: VERY GOOD(cg) "The new 'Pelham' takes the chilling original premise and modifies it for an era steeped in technology, making for an energetic and engrossing adaptation."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 419 words, 06/12/09
we have an app for when you're out and about
get our iPhone app... or get our mobile web app...
movie review intelligence
NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (13 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...a tag-team master class in old-style movie star technique, barreling through every cliché and nugget of corn the script has to offer with verve and conviction."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,194 words, 06/12/09
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: EXCELLENT(cg) "...has a trainful of street smarts and is filled with fun performances, starting with wildly different yet equally entertaining turns by Denzel Washington and John Travolta."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 383 words, 06/12/09
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "John Travolta is angry and Denzel Washington is determined, but you don't sense passion in the performances. They're about behaving, not evoking."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 616 words, 06/11/09
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...you rarely have the luxury of taking your eyes off the screen.... does what a good hostage negotiator does: It distracts us from what's going wrong and pulls us in..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 753 words, 06/12/09
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "There aren't many movies that take place in NYC subways... the lavishly produced film is the most entertaining we've had in a long while."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 621 words, 06/12/09
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: MODERATE(cg) "...stays safely on the rails. Washington walks through a role that requires little running... Only Travolta, as the volatile and self-pitying Ryder, gives off any sparks."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 338 words, 06/12/09
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: FAIR "Scott has the filmmaker's equivalent of a neurological condition: When he cuts to a new shot, he can't seem to remember the last one..."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 509 words, 06/08/09
Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "Most disappointing is the new film's reluctance to even attempt to match the ingenuity of the original movie's celebrated one-two punch ending."(See all of Liam Lacey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 833 words, 06/12/09
Jim Ridley, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "...if self-conscious stabs at significance don't sound like as much fun as the original's unpretentious caper thrills, that's because they're not."(See all of Jim Ridley's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 895 words, 06/10/09
Josep Parera, La Opinion: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...no sólo fue una extraordinaria muestra de cine de suspenso; también fue un retrato fascinante -- y muy políticamente incorrecto -- del Manhattan de la época."(See all of Josep Parera's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 617 words, 06/12/09
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "...the first movie was a reliable old local, faithfully making all the stops, the remake is an express train racing to its destination and missing everything in between."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 331 words, 06/11/09
KEY CITIES (17 Reviews)
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post: WEAK(cg) "...a bit like the city itself: If a few decent actors play their roles and defend their turf, it doesn't matter how preposterous the whole proposition is."(See all of Philip Kennicott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 865 words, 06/12/09
Mick LaSalle, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "Tony Scott grounds his action in personality and builds action sequences skillfully, without relying on shaking-the-camera idiocy..."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 776 words, 06/12/09
Tom Maurstad, Dallas Morning News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The faster and more frantic the filmmakers become, the more obvious the gaps and shortcomings they are trying to cover appear."(See all of Tom Maurstad's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 581 words, 06/12/09
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...sure, like a wild party, it's fun until something gets broken - in this case, first the script, then whatever spell the film had on the audience."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 439 words, 06/12/09
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...loses its aura of post-9/11 dread, replaced by a muddled commentary on Wall Street greed in these days of raging financial crises."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 572 words, 06/12/09
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a solid, suspenseful tale all over again, so long as it stays in the subway tunnels and airless offices of the transit department."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 908 words, 06/12/09
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "If this were a rock song it would be all power chords, big anxiety-jabbing effects muscling out comic relief. It's a story for an era when terrorism is no laughing matter."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 628 words, 06/12/09
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...efficient, well-paced and laden with special effects, but lacks the humor and New York flavor of the original.... smart and efficient yet often grimly mechanical."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 573 words, 06/12/09
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: GOOD(cg) "...diverting enough until it gets dumb, but so strong from the start is the certainty that dumb is on the way that you can't get too vexed when it finally arrives."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 257 words, 06/12/09
Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: MODERATE(cg) "...formulaic but engaging... Scott keeps things tense while allowing for the occasional blast of humor. As usual, his direction is flashier than necessary..."(See all of Calvin Wilson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 328 words, 06/12/09
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...amps everything that made the first movie into a model of '70s cinematic grit, while toning down its racial and sexual epithets for more sensitive audiences."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 519 words, 06/11/09
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a movie that gives you little to ponder and one that's more easily quoted than felt.... an emotionally sterile movie experience."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 619 words, 06/12/09
Carla Meyer, Sacramento Bee: MODERATE(cg) "There are only so many ways to photograph a train in a tunnel, despite Scott's visual doodling.... ultimately plays as too old-school and low-tech..."(See all of Carla Meyer's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 584 words, 06/12/09
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "Tony Scott balances his need for speed and flash with fleshed-out drama... The hyper gives way to the emotionally hushed, then revs back up."(See all of Lisa Kennedy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 696 words, 06/12/09
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (6 Reviews)
Jim Ridley, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "...if self-conscious stabs at significance don't sound like as much fun as the original's unpretentious caper thrills, that's because they're not."(See all of Jim Ridley's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 895 words, 06/10/09
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: OUTSTANDING(cg) "What counts is how Scott keeps you sweating it out. Travolta and Washington are dynamite in roles that could have slid by as stereotypes."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 548 words, 06/12/09
David Wildman, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Scott goes overboard, swamping the production with brain-rattling rap music, ADD camera movement, and shiny CSI-style computer zooms..."(See all of David Wildman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 148 words, 06/11/09
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "...the first movie was a reliable old local, faithfully making all the stops, the remake is an express train racing to its destination and missing everything in between."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 331 words, 06/11/09
HIGHBROW PRESS (4 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...a tag-team master class in old-style movie star technique, barreling through every cliché and nugget of corn the script has to offer with verve and conviction."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,194 words, 06/12/09
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...you rarely have the luxury of taking your eyes off the screen.... does what a good hostage negotiator does: It distracts us from what's going wrong and pulls us in..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 753 words, 06/12/09
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Todd McCarthy, Daily Variety: VERY GOOD "...an efficiently reworked version of a tense, ticking-clock suspense story.... delivers the goods in excitement and big-star charisma..."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,070 words, 06/05/09
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...you rarely have the luxury of taking your eyes off the screen.... does what a good hostage negotiator does: It distracts us from what's going wrong and pulls us in..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 753 words, 06/12/09
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...a tag-team master class in old-style movie star technique, barreling through every cliché and nugget of corn the script has to offer with verve and conviction."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,194 words, 06/12/09
19.1 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3's reviews are separated by an average 19.1 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (44 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3's reviews cover 87.7% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 26,172 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 595 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 Coverage, Volume & Length (44 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 7.2 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3's reviews on average broke 7.2 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (44 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
Mobile Web App version 1.2 shows a list of all current movies and review information. You can click through to the cast, director, synopsis, release date and rating on page two, plus individual reviews on page three. The information is updated on a live/real-time basis. You can also search our database of films. Designed for when you're on the move and want the latest info, this app will work on any mobile web browser. From your mobile device -- only from a mobile device -- open our Mobile Web App here...
