 | | | | | |
| LAPDANCE LARRY |
| SEVENTIES SIMON |
| PHOTOGRAPHY |
| COMIC ART |
| INTERVIEWS |
| Sub-menu 1.2.1.1 |
| FESTIVALS |
| EXHIBITIONS |
The Taking Of Pelham 123
Few directors have as frenzied of a visual style as Tony Scott and while this often adds a veneer of energy to a project, it can easily overcome the source material. In this 2009 remake, the subtlety and depth of the 1974 original has been replaced with a scatter shot approach of frenetic editing and constant camera motion on screen, while sonically, high-energy rock and rap music blasts you out of your seat.
For those with fond memories of the classic confrontations in the original between Walter Matthau (good guy) and the late Robert Shaw (bad guy), this new take is a different kettle of fish altogether (and the less said about the 1998 TV version the better). But that was then and this is now and seen through the eyes of a current action film fan, this new version has quite a bit to offer.
The performances are of a high caliber throughout and John Travolta is almost always good when he plays a bad boy (and he is very bad here) and while Denzel Washington remains one of Hollywood’s most overrated actors, he puts in a very workman like performance here. John Turturro and James Gandolfini are also quite good in their minor roles.
The level of energy never lags and while all the nuance of the original is replaced with a testosterone filled blast on the senses, the film never drags or really even gives you time to catch your breath. It’s current day film making with all its good and bad points intact but going in with the knowledge of what’s on offer, it’s a fun thrill ride that will appeal to fans with an appetite for more action and less brain food.
Rob Hudson
www.catchthetrain.com
|
|
| also featured |
| CURRENT COMPETITIONS! Get the Gringo Competition Thanks to Icon Movies, we have ten in-season double passes to give away to Get the Gringo! Read more >> The Women in Black Administering the sale of a deceased estate for a law firm, widower
Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) discovers a town where the children are
dropping like flies seemingly at the ghostly hands of a local vengeful
spirit - the woman of the title. Is it safe yet? After a mixed season last year of too many films that had a social agenda, is it safe now to go back to the cinema for nothing more than just a good time? Read more >> The Avengers After years on the outer, never quite making the big time, Buffyverse creator and Toy Story scribe, Joss Whedon, has finally arrived. Read more >> Mirror Mirror Funny how time and again movies with similar themes or stories seem to hit the cinema around the same time, think Deep Impact/Armageddon or even Naked Lunch/Barton Fink, and it's happening again this year with (of all things) Snow White. Read more >> American Pie: Reunion vs. Battleship In a titanic struggle to capture the hearts, minds and disposable incomes of an ever-younger audience, two films line up to do battle for the crown in the great popcorn war of 2012. Read more >> 21 Jump Street Transforming a popular TV show into a mainstream movie is very seldom a successful endeavour. Read more >> John Carter The votes are in and the result is clear: Andrew Stanton is the dud director of Pixar. Read more >> The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel There is a common complaint among older moviegoers that the majority of releases today are tailored to a specific demographic and their group gets short shift. Read more >> Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close As a clear sufferer of Asperger Syndrome, Oskar (Thomas Horn) is not short of an anxiety or two or a measure of compulsiveness. Read more >> Contraband Contraband is a continuing response to the question of where does a superstar film career go when the matinee idol good looks start to fade? Read more >> |
 |
| Stay up to date with modmove news |
| about modmove |
| What to know how we got started? Read more >> |
| read the modmove blog |
| Check out all the random stuff that didn't make it to the website! Read more >> |
| contact Us |
| If you have any queries or if you would like more information about modmove, we would love to hear from you! Read more >> |
| join our mailing list |
| subscribe to the mailing list and receive the modmove newsletter. |
| search |
| search modmove for previous news and reviews. |
Privacy Notice | Contact Us | Site Map | Copyright © 2009 modmove.com | Entertainment and Popular Culture in Review at modmove.com