1974 "The Taking of Pelham, One, Two, Three" is tense thrill ride in New York City

THE TAKING OF PELHAM, ONE, TWO, THREE. The original 1974 movie had a small budget of $5 million. It went onto grab $16 million at the U.S, box office. It was and still is a favorite of critics and fans. It's based on the best selling book at the time. There was a TV remake in 1998 and a movie remake in 2009. Neither captured the essence of the original.

Mr. Blue (Robert Shaw) and three other gunmen hijack the subway train "Pelham one, two, three." Blue tells Zach Garber (Walter Matthau) that he wants $1 million dollars in one hour or he will kill 17 hostages every minute the payment is late. 

The question is "how are these gunmen going to get away with it?" They get surrounded by police and are trapped underground in the subway. That's what makes it tense and thrilling. We follow every move made by Mr. Blue and Robert Shaw gives a great performance as the gunman with a plan. What we also get is colorful New York supporting characters from the hostages, to the police, to even the mayor. The drama brings out humor and many of the character lines are funny. That ending is priceless too. The "BluRay" is fantastic and I loved the film.

Click poster for THE TAKING OF PELHAM, ONE, TWO, THREE.

(Movie Poster)