The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) starring Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam, Hector Elizondo. Pelham 123 is the name of a New York subway train, and it is hijacked by a group of heavily armed men headed by "Mr. Blue" (Shaw). The bad guys demand a ransom of $1 million -- to be paid within an hour. If they don't get the money on time, they threaten to kill one hostage every minute. Matthau plays a lieutenant in the transit police, tasked with getting the hostages out alive. Meanwhile, the mayor of New York, who must authorize the payment of the ransom, has a bad case of the flu. Equal parts humor and suspense make this a most enjoyable film, with good performances all around. (The DVD lacks subtitles in English for the hearing-impaired, but closed captions save the day.) Grade: B+