This remake of the 1974 film of the same name delivers unexpectedly, but ultimately adds nothing to the original. It's best described as an old car with a new paint job, but still purrs like a kitten.
Denzel Washington (American Gangster, Inside Man) takes on the character originally played by Walter Matthau, Lt. Zachary Garber (though in this version, to pay homage to Matthau, the character was renamed Walter Garber) in this over the phone face-off with a criminal mastermind directed by Tony Scott (Man on Fire, Domino). Ryder (Jon Travolta, Wild Hogs, Be Cool), along with his three accomplices, are holding a NYC subway car and all of its passengers hostage, demanding a $10mil ransom. It's up to Garber to facilitate the actions therein, keeping Ryder cool and distracted, while he himself figures it all out. Is Garber in on the whole things? How could they possible escape? Is it really all about the ransom, or is someone working a hidden angle? It just makes you wonder what's, "the going rate for a New York city hostage today?"
This movie, though good, was simply just a remake. Perhaps that is what it was meant for, and not a reinvention. If it ain't broke right? The story is your classic perfect robbery scenario, where the bad guy is the only one who really knows how he's going to get away. The dialog between Denzel and Travolta was masterful, and a real pleasure to experience. The supporting cast of Luis Guzman, John Turturro and James Gandolfini all did an impeccable job of adding to the already stellar leads. I really enjoyed seeing Turturro in a role not unlike his Sector 7, awkwardly authoritative character from Transformers... he just gets no respect.
If you haven't seen the original, go ahead and give this one a whirl, there's definitely enough to keep you entertained. Otherwise, pick up a copy of Money Train, I enjoyed it a lot more.
7.4/10
Rated: R
106 mins
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment