Attention moviegoers: The people at Columbia Pictures would like to clear something up. Apparently there’s a rumor going around that Tony Scott’s new film, The Taking of Pelham 123, is a remake of Joseph Sargent’s 1974 movie The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. This is false. Scott’s film is an adaptation of John Godey’s 1973 pulp novel, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (on which Sargent’s movie was also based). This is plainly stated in the film’s opening credits. Are we clear?
It’s easy to imagine why Pelham’s producers wouldn’t want Scott’s professional but dull picture to be compared with the 1974 classic.
John Swansburg has a review at Slate Magazine
You go see the new movie if you want. I intend to watch the classic with Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw.
Actually the new movie seems to be getting good reviews — both long-time reviewers A.O. Scott and Kenneth Turan like it.
I think I’ll see them both this weekend (the 1974 classic via rental on Apple TV).