Movie preview: Pelham 123

Going to a very different place, with a pace more akin to the tastes of most American fans is the remake of Pelham 123. I’ve spoken about this before [ Movie Preview: Pelham 123 and G-Force] . And yes it is a remake – there can be exceptions to any rule including my own.



Pelham 123 is a remake of the solid Walter Matthau film The Taking of Pelham 123. It stars Denzel Washington and John Travolta, the first time they have both worked together as I recall. Which jumps this into an interesting film on that basis alone.

Washington and Travolta are acclaimed actors with great reason. Both are easily capable of a diversity of characters and film genres. Yet this film is focused on a more subdued presence than anything over the top.

Washington’s character is a very normal everyday civil servant. Good at what he does and just smart enough to be too smart to move up in the ranks. Travolta’s character is a dedicated, calculating, professional that has anticipated every move. At least that’s what the original leads are supposed to be about. The movie trailer seems to convey a respect of that.

Of course the film has been adapted to match the needs of the public these days. So there is at least one big car scene involving a climatic crash. Likely as well are a few scenes of police overreaction, and bullets a plenty. But this is not a shoot ‘em up. It’s a heist film with a brain.

How true this film stays to the original is a big question. Yet I have to believe that with the star power in this film the script must be good. The tension of the film is obvious, what is not as obvious is how the interjection of comedic, and other, moments will work. Like the discussion by Washington’s characters wife insiting he brings home a gallon of milk. Is it supposed to be a funny yet dramatic way of telling him to come home? Does it break the tension, or add to it? You almost feel like you could laugh at that, but then again you understand why you won’t.

Still I am willing to take a chance on actors of this caliber, and a story of worth. The movie trailer implies a solid film, and enough of what most would like in this genre. I expect it to do well and I will probably see it as well.

Movie Preview: Pelham 123 and G-Force

The year starts off with an interesting take of a couple of films. On one hand we have a film that is a remake, and on the other we have a film that sounds like it's a conversion of a classic cartoon. Let's start with the remake.

The Taking of Pelham 123 is a film from 1974. It was well acted, with the leads being Robert Shaw (some may recall him best from The Sting) and Walter Matthau (maybe best know for the film version of the Odd Couple). It dealt with a subject that was foreign in America in 1974, but today is a constant thought in the backs of minds of New York City subway riders everyday. It's not often that a film could hit a subject so well decades before it becomes a national focal point.

Suffice to say that they story is about a hijacking, of a NYC subway car. Sounds odd? Perhaps too incredible? Not really, and even more of a question in these post 9/11 days.



The question you face in the film are:

Can they really do this
Can they get away with it
What can the various departments of New York City do about this

These questions were real in 1974, and today are even more pressing. So the task for Denzel Washington and John Travolta are daunting. They need to make this feel real, scary even, yet not so much as to cause people to give up on the subway. They both have to live up to the performances of the original film, while new scenes of explosions and car chases inevitably will be thrown in for modern audiences. Maybe even overcome some CGI too.

I believe that Travolta will be the bad guy. The character is kind of a mix of roles he took in Broken Arrow and Face/Off. For Denzel as the good guy we will probably get a mix of his characters from Training Day, Inside Man, and perhaps a bit of Virtuosity.

Done on location, I think this remake only has to fear one thing. The tendency of Hollywood writers and studios to revision a great film and lose the meaning and intensity of the original.

On the other spectrum of the films we will see later in the year is G-Force. This is not a conversion of the Japanese cartoon Battle of the Planets. If it were I definitely would want to see that. Instead we have a CGI film from Disney. Prepare to get more depressed.



Yes this is another cute animals film. Guinea Pigs (a mole and a fly) are our heroes in this film. It seems that an animated hamster, cat, dog, and pigeons demanded a one-up by Disney. While these kinds of films can be cute, occasionally, Disney feels the need to grab the kids with cute animals as opposed to a storyline.

I for one am getting bored with all these films with cute animals that can talk and do stunts. I have never really been a big fan of CGI. And I think this is just a cheap tactic as opposed to really original films that might be done. Then again, the film is not targeting single male intellectuals in their 40's.

I'm sure it will bring in a slew of kids, make tons of money, and guarantee a sequel - with even more furry critters than the first. And I don't doubt that this will be a decent choice for parents that don't want their kids exposed to the violence of Terminator:Salvation or the glorification of drugs, violence, and degrading of women this is Notorious. But for the adults out there, don't expect this film to be the Incredibles. You will likely be the least entertained in your family.