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Taking of Pelham One Two Three | 
 enlarge | Director: Joseph Sargent
Actors: Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam, Hector Elizondo, Earl Hindman
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy New: $4.48
You Save: $10.50 (70%)
New (42) Used (14) Collectible (2) from $4.45
Rating:  75 reviews
Sales Rank: 3074
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dvd-video, Letterboxed, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), Spanish (Original Language), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
DVD Layers: 1
DVD Sides: 1
Picture Format: Letterbox
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 104 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 5.1 x 0.6
MPN: MGMD908375D
ISBN: 0792843649
UPC: 027616837523
EAN: 9780792843641
ASIN: 0792843649
Theatrical Release Date: 1974
Release Date: February 29, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: ******BRAND NEW****** ** Over 1.5 million orders shipped worldwide and more than 500 000 items in stock, BUY FROM A TRUSTED SOURCE, ESTABLISHED SINCE 1998 - INETVIDEO ~~~
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com essential video
Dog Day Afternoon. Annie Hall. Taxi Driver. In the pantheon of classic New York films, these three take pride of place. But there are, of course, others, some of which have fallen through the cracks over the years, criminally overlooked and unjustly relegated to commercial-riddled Saturday-afternoon TV broadcasts. Joseph Sargent's The Taking of Pelham One Two Three is just such a picture. This taut 1974 thriller about four armed men who highjack a New York City subway train and hold it and its passengers for ransom may be hopelessly dated (it's loaded with ethnic stereotypes, impossibly wide neckties, and bad hairdos--and there are no explosions!), but that's part of the fun. A gruffly sardonic Walter Matthau heads a fine cast that includes Jerry Stiller, Hector Elizondo, Martin Balsam, and a perfectly villainous pre-Jaws Robert Shaw. Think you'll find a better film that depicts a nearly broke city led by an inept mayor forced to deal with armed terrorists? Fuhgeddaboutit! --Steve Landau
Product Description
A new york city subway train is hijacked and held for ransom. Special features: theatrical trailer and collectible booklet. Subtitles in french and spanish. Studio: Tcfhe/mgm Release Date: 02/29/2000 Starring: Walter Matthau Marlin Balsam Run time: 124 minutes Rating: R Director: Joseph Sargent
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| Customer Reviews: Read 70 more reviews...
 Historical Landmark Alert December 11, 2008
Theodore Shulman (NYC)
Historical Landmark Alert: in one of the shots of Walter Matthau sitting in the back seat of a speeding police car, you can see the Twin Towers through the rear window.
I can't really be objective about this movie since I was there at the time and I walked through Astor Place (where the police car hits the bicycle) on my way to school and I knew someone who was one of the extras in the street crowd around the subway entrance. But as far as I'm concerned there's only one flaw: we don't get to hear Robert Shaw's nigh-superhuman shouting voice. Other actors pulled their vocal muscles trying to shout like him. The screenwriters must not have known.
Don't let Shaw and Matthau make you overlook the great Martin Balsam. How many actors could play a lovable terrorist in a non-comedy and make it work this well???
 What was second-rate in '74 is top of the line today November 29, 2008
Robert Buchanan (Wisconsin)
After taking eighteen people hostage on a subway car, a group of four heavily-armed men in disguises hold New York City ransom for one million dollars. As anyone would expect, the focus of the story is not how the money is paid, but how the crooks plan to get away. These days, "Taking of Pelham" is best remembered as an influence on "Reservoir Dogs" - Tarantino copied the concept of formalized, color-coded names for his criminal characters. But in retrospect, this is a well-plotted and ably directed crime drama, helmed by Sargent at the top of his game well over a decade before the disastrous "Jaws: The Revenge" permanently relegated him to the TV fare that he cut his teeth on.
While Matthau's top billing is appropriate for his dominant screen time, the real show here is to be seen in Shaw and Balsam. It would be redundant to note that Shaw was in top form here - he was excellent in even the drivel that he participated in during the last few years of his life and career - and there's no ignoring the tense, imposing performance he delivers in his role as a ruthless mercenary-turned-criminal. The rest of the principle cast are serviceable, but the passengers are played horribly, as hammy as they are irritating. It's not easy to care about hostages when they're as obnoxious as these.
The action and drama of this movie are spot-on, while the comedy is hit-or-miss; for every laugh-out-loud line of dialogue, there's another that'll surely invoke a groan. But even at its silliest, "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" is absorbing, unpredictable and far more intriguing than the overblown, sanitized garbage that passes for crime dramas these days.
Like most MGM DVDs, this edition is of uniform and decent quality: you'll encounter neither surprises nor regrets. Unlike many of MGM's releases, this disc is single-sided and only features the widescreen version of the film (in this instance, the aspect ratio is 2.35:1). The audiovisual quality is fine, and both dubbed dialogue and subtitles are available in Spanish and French. The theatrical trailer is included.
Tony Scott is scheduled to direct a remake of this next year. That should be amusing.
 Caricatures-not characters October 26, 2008
Nevada Smith (USA)
0 out of 4 found this review helpful
The NYCTransit was not like this in 1971. You couldn't have pulled off this caper. Again-a 70's heist that has no thought, no plan, on how to get away clean. A disgruntled TA employee goes back to his house to await capture while rolling in cash. A nutcase gangmember puts everyone at risk from momemt 1. Another laughable 70's nyc movie without the advantage of showing old ny. Caricatures not characters inhabit the` supporting parts.
"Strap-Hangin' Good" September 20, 2008
Phoebe Stogstill (Forsyth, Mo USA)
This is one of the most tense and exciting movies ever made as a NYC subway train is hijacked and commandeered by a group of criminals. You will go all "white knuckley" hanging on to the arms of your theater seat.
Robert Shaw and Walter Matthau are absolutely fabulous. If you never saw this gem, I highly recommend it. Be prepared to get a bit amused at the retro costuming--so stylish for the era.
Love this movie.... September 11, 2008
Stephanie Mills
It was always a favorite of mine when growing up. Used to watch the repreats on TV in NY. I had a copy that I recorded from TV, but wanted better quality.
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