I Make Movie Review-The Taking of Pelham 123

There's a moment early on in The Taking of Pelham 123, Tony Scott's lean, mean visual assault of a remake, that immediately indicates what you're in for over the next 106 minutes. "You were always gonna be the first one to go", Travolta says flatly, dispatching an non-plussed civil servant in a totally unrealistic, jaggedly edited bloodbath set to pounding music so emphatic it almost seems to rip open the sound system. This is where Scott, the flashy, music-video influenced dude who gave us Man On Fire and Deja Vu, makes it perfectly clear what kind of movie we're watching-if ya want depth, go find a pool. This one's a shallow, button-pushing joy ride that trafficks in gratuitous F-bombs, overwrought car wrecks, scantily clad women and dirty jokes. Having said that, Scott's the master of the amoral, free-for-all crime picture, and he's produced a pretty decent one here. Neither Travolta (he hijacks an NYC subway)nor Denzel Washington (he's the civil servant who winds up drawn into the mess)aim for Stanislavsky here-they're both hamming it up in fine style. The screenplay does a serviceable job getting from Point A to Point B--and throws in a line or two that rank above-average for this type of movie. The supporting actors-especially James Gandolfini as the quirky Mayor-do a nice job. And Scott covers up the plot holes (most of them anyway) with an endless barrage of overexposed colors, tense jump cuts and clever camera angles. Even as the movie skids way off the tracks in it's shaky final scenes, you're still enjoying yourself. Pelham 123 doesn't make the slightest imprint on the heart or the head-but then again, it doesn't try. Instead, it goes straight for the jugular, and as far as bang-bang, in-your-face actions flicks go, this is a modestly successful piece of summer escapism. B-