Pelham 1 2 3 good movie but watch out for the F bombs

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The Trav & SHE movie of the week: The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
The Taking of Pelham is playing at the Malco Cinema 12 and the Carmike 14 in Fort Smith, and the Malco in Van Buren. Link here for ticket info and show times.

Trav: So here we are, the point of the summer movie season where we take a break from the huge blockbusters. This week there wasn’t the over-hyped big budget sci-fi flick, the comic book movie, or the highly anticipated sequel/prequel to that one movie everyone loved. This is the week you get to take a break from the anticipated must-see movies and just "go to the movies." The list was short to pick from this week. There was the Eddie Murphy family comedy or the Denzel/Travolta 2009 remake of a 1998 remake of a 1974 movie, which was adapted from a book. Maybe it was because we were hoping to see a train wreck (wink, wink), but we chose The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta.

SHE: Indeed, who doesn’t love a train wreck? But more importantly, are there enough snacks that would assist in sitting through an Eddie Murphy film? If anyone has seen this and recommends it, please let us know – perhaps, I’ll rethink my stance on the once-funny Mr. Murphy.

The previews:
• Gamer (Sept. 4)
Trav: As you may have guessed from the name of the movie, this is about a video game; a futuristic video game. I’m usually all about futuristic movies and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like video games, but I think I’ll skip this one in the theater and just add it to my Netflix queue. This looks like Microsoft’s Project Natal on steroids starring Dexter (Michael C. Hall) and Leonidas (Gerard Butler).

SHE: “Gamer” looks like an interesting concept. In the future, one can play video games by controlling a real-life person – a death row inmate, nonetheless. I have to say that this is usually not the type of film I’m interested in, but I spotted John Leguizamo who I adore. And what can I say? Gerard Butler could draw me to the theater all on his lonesome.

• All About Steve (Sept. 4)
Trav: Romantic comedy with Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper. I guess eccentric would be the best description of Bullock’s character. After watching “The Hangover,” I almost vowed to watch every Bradley Cooper movie that hits theaters. I’m glad I didn’t make that vow.

SHE: Wow Trav, we are completely on two different wavelengths. I can’t wait to go see this film. Will it be a film that doesn’t live up to the trailer? Perhaps, but it’s from the producer of “2 Weeks Notice” and “Miss Congeniality,” and it definitely looks entertaining. The release is timed perfectly for a nice little end of the summer respite.

• District 9 (Aug. 14)
Trav: I’ve been following this one for a couple of months now. Peter Jackson is producing this sci-fi flick. Knowing Jackson will have a hand in this is all I needed to see to ensure my ticket will be in hand on opening weekend. The first trailer I saw for this had the aliens’ faces blurred like an episode of Cops, but you get to see faces in this trailer. I’d describe this one as first-contact has been made. The humans are in control and possibly oppressing these nasty looking aliens. I cannot wait for August 14. This should be good.

SHE: The beginning of this trailer looked like a documentary which got my attention. I’ll be interested to watch this and check out the special effects and cinematography.

• Armored (Sept. 18)
Trav: Anybody want to steal an armored truck full of money? What will go awry? We all know something will. Starring Matt Dillon and Lawrence Fishburne as the armored truck drivers and co-conspirators, I think we are in for a dud.

SHE: Agreed. The only reason I’m drawn to this film is because Jean Reno is in it!! Remember him? He starred in one of my all-time favorite movies, “The Professional” (1994). The lovable hit man who takes in 12 year old Mathilda (Natalie Portman) after she is orphaned, and teaches her his trade. But alas, I don’t believe Jean will be enough to get me to the theater.

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
Trav: Our pick this week was “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3,” starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta. Taking place in New York City, we see what happens when a group of thugs take over a subway train, hold the passengers hostage, demand a ransom and attempt escape. The movie kicked off blaring the quick-paced Rick Rubin produced Jay-Z song, “99 Problems,” which pretty much set the rhythm of the movie.

SHE: Opening the film with this song was smart, it got the audience’s attention and got us hyped up and ready for some action! The music and sound for the film were great and added to the action and excitement. Plus, I’m a sucker for a Jay-Z song, especially “99 Problems” – my theme song at various times in my life.

Trav: Washington plays Walter Garber, a former Metropolitan Transportation Authority higher-up that’s been busted down to a subway dispatcher due to an investigation of bribe-taking. Travolta is the thuggy, f-bomb dropping ex-con Ryder who masterminded the hijacking. Washington and Travolta hold their own with each other in the movie and the supporting cast is surprisingly enjoyable. My favorite from the supporting cast is James Gandolfini’s role as the Mayor of New York City. It’s not his best acting performance, but seeing Tony Soprano as the mayor was highly entertaining in an ironic sort of way.

SHE: The casting was exceptional. Denzel did well as the unassuming, aw shucks, much smarter than you realize civil service employee. Travolta as the slightly crazy yet clever, philosophical villain was brilliant. I agree that Gandolfini as the Mayor was entertaining but let’s not leave out a few other players. Luis Guzmán played his stereotypical role of the not so smart bad guy. John Turturro was the hostage negotiator who becomes one of Garber’s 3 friends in the film. Garber’s friend and co-worker, Delgado, was played by Ramon Rodriguez. ¡Hola Pápi! You’ll have to peep the film if you want to know who Garber’s third friend is — no spoilers here!

Trav: It was pretty obvious that Ryder had much bigger plans than just obtaining the $10 million ransom. Maybe its my familiarity with stock market lingo that lead to my correct assumption, but I was able to figure out what Ryder was up to pretty early on. Plus, what kind of self-respecting hostage-taking punk wears a Breitling?

SHE: I had no doubt that you had everything figured out before I did. I was sure that you understood the terms Ryder used and knew just what he was talking about. And, I would like to publicly thank you for NOT leaning over to 1) explain any of the market lingo, 2) share your assumption, or 3) say one single word.

Trav: Overall, I enjoyed the movie. It’s an emotionally charged ride that was exciting to watch. Be warned, this is an R-rated movie full of violence and expletives. There were so many f-bombs I had to check my ticket stub to make sure it actually read The TAKING of Pelham 1 2 3. The movie is far from being a train wreck, but its not a must-see either. It is a pretty good action movie that is worth the $8.50. I’m giving it a 3.5.

SHE: This film was entertaining. The cinematography was outstanding while the editing and direction added to the anticipation and exhilaration. This is not a take-the-kids-to-the-movies film. The language influenced my Facebook status updates for two days. However, the language and violence are what comes with the story and characters found in this film. I took my requisite five snacks in, and the film was entertaining enough that I only ate one. That leaves 4 snacks out of 5 and that’s what I’m rating “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3.”

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Trav can can be reached at [email protected]

SHE can be reached at [email protected]