The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

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The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

R,

1974,

1h 44m,

Mystery & Thriller/

Action/

Crime/

Drama

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Watchlist

98%

46 Reviews

Tomatometer

88%

5,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

98%

Tomatometer

46 Reviews

88%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

In New York City, a criminal gang led by the ruthless Mr. Blue (Robert Shaw) hijacks a subway car and threatens to start shooting one passenger per minute unless they receive a million dollars in cash from the city within an hour. On the other end of the line, crusty veteran transit policeman Zachary Garber (Walter Matthau) has his hands full dealing with the mayor's office and his hotheaded fellow cops, while also trying to deliver the ransom before the deadline expires.

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Critics Consensus

Breezy, thrilling, and quite funny, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three sees Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw pitted against each other in effortlessly high form.

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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

Sep 21, 2023

The movie must have been an editor's nightmare: the scenes are thudders, and the whole thing was punched together -- with no glue but the basic idea.

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Jerry Renshaw

Austin Chronicle

Mar 7, 2021

Stiller is terrific as a transit authority police lieutenant, as is Matthau as the rather sour cop who has to outsmart the bad guys.

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John H. Dorr

The Hollywood Reporter

Oct 3, 2018

The large, well-characterized cast is ably headed by Walter Matthau, whose wonderfully weary sense of irony is perfect.

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Justin LaLiberty

Screen Slate

Aug 26, 2026

Its no-holds-barred approach toward capturing the city in a state of economic turmoil and disrepair anticipates how other filmmakers would document its streets through the decade.

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Don Shanahan

Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast

Sep 26, 2023

This movie walked... err... rolled so "Die Hard" could run a decade and a half later.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Feb 15, 2023

4/4

Filled with distinctive characters and crackling dialogue -- and always with another surprise up its sleeve.

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George S

Mar 1, 2019

Decent film with a thumping score; but I really wasn't sure about Matthau- often seen in comedies, he felt like a fish out of water here.

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Feb 24, 2019

The only version you need to see, ignore the various remakes.

Anakin L

Jan 10, 2019

I like how they show in detail the different rules that the subway operator has to follow. I've never seen that in a movie. It's kind of funny how all the villains have the same look. That was a funny line, "Cuz I'll shoot your pee pee off". I love how New York it is. The lingo, the accents, and the raw unfiltered way of speaking and cursing. The real question is, Why would they hi jack a train? There's not really much out of doing that. There's got to be a good reasoning behind it. This movie has a surprisingly good sense of humor. Like when those Japanese men ended up talking really good English at the end of the tour. Things started getting really interesting once they put those tubing on the train. The look the inspector gives at the end, priceless. The movie doesn't take itself too seriously and takes a somewhat lighthearted approach at something very serious. Full of a whole bunch of New York attitude and wittiness, this movie rolled along pretty quick. Good movie.

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Rey R

Nov 4, 2018

O Seqüestro do Metrô (1974) - #MovieReview 4,0 ?? Trem do metrô é sequestrado por grupo e investigador trabalha no caso. Ótimo filme de ação. Boa trilha sonora.

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Leia W

Oct 15, 2018

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three definitely has its standout, superbly conceived sequences plus it's very well acted and scored as well, but it's never as thrilling or as intense as it should have been owing to a sluggish pace, not enough action and an overly simplistic execution of an already very simple premise.

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Anakin S

Aug 6, 2018

this is a remake of an older film made in the 1070s and judging by other reviews- an improvement. It is an intense ride and both Denzel Washington and John Travolta shine. The late Tony Scott excelled in making certain types of films and this is the kind of film that he was happiest making, as opposed to elder brother Ridley who tends to choose more cerebral fare. Taking of Pelham 123 is a ride you don't wanna miss. Go see it.

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Joseph Sargent

Director

Walter Matthau

Lt. Zachary Garber

Robert Shaw

Blue

Martin Balsam

Green

Héctor Elizondo

Grey

Earl Hindman

Brown

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - I'm Taking Your Train

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The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - Gesundheit!

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The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - Rolling in Dough

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The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - The Mayor and His Wife

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The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - The Money Has Arrived

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The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - Meeting the Demands

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The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - You're a Sick Man, Rico

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The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - Mr. Blue Electrocutes Himself

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The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - Trying to Negotiate

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The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: Official Clip - Runaway Train

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Synopsis

In New York City, a criminal gang led by the ruthless Mr. Blue (Robert Shaw) hijacks a subway car and threatens to start shooting one passenger per minute unless they receive a million dollars in cash from the city within an hour. On the other end of the line, crusty veteran transit policeman Zachary Garber (Walter Matthau) has his hands full dealing with the mayor's office and his hotheaded fellow cops, while also trying to deliver the ransom before the deadline expires.

Director: Joseph Sargent
Producer: Gabriel Katzka, Edgar J. Scherick
Screenwriter: John Godey, Peter Stone
Distributor: United Artists
Production Co: Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Action, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 2, 1974, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 6, 2010
Runtime: 1h 44m

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