Although he is known for his commanding presence on film, Denzel Washington now makes an understated return to the big screen with The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3.
His performance as Garber, an embattled transit authority official, could not be further from the overtly authoritative performances in his most recent roles as Frank Lucas in American Gangster and Leo Tolson in The Great Debaters of 2007.
Washington’s sex-symbol status was put on the back burner as well for the remake of the 1974 caper film based on the John Godney novel. With salt-and-pepper hair, a fluffy body and a vulnerable – even defeated – persona, Washington’s Garber is the polar opposite of the unbreakable, seductive characters he usually masters.
In this film, he’s just a recently demoted mass transit official trying to make it through the day when one of the trains he dispatches is hijacked for ransom.
Director Tony Scott opts for a bigger, faster, harder adaptation with expanded action sequences, an upgrade to the takeaway for the crime and an alternate ending in an attempt to appease the “go hard or go home” taste of 21st century moviegoers.
But interestingly enough, the dialogue – not the upgraded action and crime – is the biggest asset of the film.
Overall, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 was enjoyable, but not breathtaking. With each passing scene, there was a slightly missed opportunity for more – more action, more depth, more suspense. Many will long for Washington’s trademark film persona to burst through and save the day.
In the supporting cast, Luis Guzman is essentially the same character he plays in previous films, and he takes the road most traveled in his performance as Ramos, one of the culprits of the crime. James Gandolfini (best known for his role of Tony Soprano) is effective, but less than spectacular as the mayor of New York City.
But the credit for most disappointing performance belongs to John Turturro.
While he usually makes a sideman character unforgettable and manages to steal performances from the best of leading men, anyone could have replaced him as FBI hostage negotiator without any impact on the chemistry of the film.
The anchor of the film is John Travolta. He plays the consummate villain as Ryder – vulgar, intense and brilliant with an over-the-top method of operation that leaves the audience cringing. There’s a recklessness and unpredictable edge that adds to the suspense.
While The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 is being pitched as a nonstop action thriller, both the action and the thrill are often missing. Seeing Denzel embrace a new character style and relishing Travolta as the best of the worst do offer compensations, but the film is a predictable effort that leaves an uneasy feeling of what could have been.
The Taking of Pelham 123 opens in theatres nationwide tomorrow (Friday, June 12). The film is rated R with a running time of 104 minutes.
