The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009) – Rewatch, maybe

After watching the original, I felt I needed to check out the more recent adaptation. It’s entirely possible I’d seen this before (for no good reason I confuse the title with Assault on Precinct 13, which I have seen). The ending here seemed very familiar, though not anywhere near as memorable as the one from 1974. John Travolta is nowhere near as good as Robert Shaw and the whole role seemed reworked, to the detriment of the film, to his star power, rendering the other hijackers almost obsolete. Denzel Washington is steady in his role as the subway dispatcher, but many other parts of the story were changed to make for a less compelling film. Instead of relying on the tension inherent in the hijacking situation, this version relies on loud music and flashy lights, playing like a video from MTV’s heyday.