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The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

Crime · Thriller · Action · 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 Garber into a face-off with the mastermind behind the crime.

Movie details

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

“I can't get it out of my head. I'm gonna die today.”

2009 Crime · Thriller · Action 1h 46m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.4 / 10

Community rating

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.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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The Fate of the Furious

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Escape from New York

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Tony Scott

Written by

Brian Helgeland

Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington

Walter Garber

John Travolta

John Travolta

Ryder

John Turturro

John Turturro

Lt. Camonetti

Luis Guzmán

Luis Guzmán

Phil Ramos

James Gandolfini

James Gandolfini

Mayor

Michael Rispoli

Michael Rispoli

John Johnson

Gary Basaraba

Gary Basaraba

Jerry Pollard, motorman

Court is in session

Put The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Adrenaline Seeker

“Momentum is a formal choice.”

The velocity sharpens instinct and tension, making every beat land before self-importance can settle in.

The prosecution The Auteur Devotee

“Speed as an alibi.”

The film races past its weak spots and hopes acceleration will keep the audience from inspecting the evidence.