Joseph Sargent’s 1974 heist thrillerThe Taking of Pelham One Two Threeis considered one of the finest action thrillers in Hollywood history. Boasting a near-perfect 98%Rotten Tomatoesrating, Sargent certainly did theJohn Godeysource novel of the same name justice. Inevitably, as with many such films, a remake was always on the cards, withthat remake finally arriving at the end of the noughtiescourtesy of the late director,Tony Scott.
Now, over 15 years on from the remake and over 50 years since Sargent’s classic, the 2009 version ofThe Taking of Pelham 123is back for your streaming pleasure on Starz, as of August 1. StarringDenzel WashingtonandJohn Travolta, this flashy adaptation, to many, is all style and no substance, withthe film sadly failing to make the same mark as its predecessor.On review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, the film fell to almost half the score of Sargent’s effort, with critics awarding the movie just 51%, and audiences 52%. For those yet to see the Washington-led effort, a synopsis for the movie reads:
“Chaos reigns in the New York City subway system when heavily armed criminals, led by a mastermind named Ryder (Travolta), hijack a subway train and threaten to kill everyone on board unless a large ransom is paid. Dispatcher Walter Garber (Washington) uses his extensive knowledge of the transit system in a bid to outwit the hijackers and save the hostages, but one question remains: even if the hijackers get their money, how can they possibly escape?”
How Did ‘The Taking of Pelham 123’ Perform at the Box Office?
Scott’sThe Taking of Pelham 123might not have captured the hearts and minds of critics or audiences, but did it manage to prove better value at the 2009 box office? Sadly, the answer is no, withthe movie falling far short of the break-even markand making just 1.4 times its $110 million production budget. Split between $65 million domestically and a further $87 million from overseas markets,The Taking of Pelham 123finished its theatrical run with aglobal total of $152 million, with a further $35.4 million coming from home media sales. The movie couldn’t even crack the 2009 list of the 40 highest-grossing movies worldwide, finishing in 41st place.
The Taking of Pelham 123is available to stream on Starz now. Make sure to stay tuned to Collider for more streaming stories.
The Taking of Pelham 123
