The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

Director: Joseph Sargent
Stars: Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam
Runtime: 104 minutes

Performances: 8/10
Screenplay: 8/10
Special Effects: N.A.
Costumes/Makeup: 7/10
Editing: 8/10
Cinematography: 7/10
Score/Soundtrack: 8/10

Verdict: The premise is quite simple: 4 highjackers take over a train and its passengers and demand one million dollars for their release. For each minute the ransom is late, they will kill one passenger.

There's a reason this movie has been remade more than once. This is a riveting story that left me on the edge of my seat for the entire runtime of it. It is definitely one of the best hostage films ever made, and inspired many crime movies after it ("Reservoir Dogs", I'm looking at you). In addition to that, the acting, especially by Robert Shaw, was superb, and the score so effective it earned a place in music expert Andy Trudeau's top 10 film scores of all time. However, what, in my opinion, makes this picture not as good as my favorite hostage film of all time, Sidney Lumet's "Dog Day Afternoon", were the characters. Neither the antagonists nor the protagonists really struck me as interesting, some even being annoying or detestable. The ending of the movie also didn't quite work for me, and definitely could've been better written.

Nevertheless, "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" is a pure joy to watch, and I had a blast watching it. I highly recommend it.

Final Grade: 8/10