The Taking of Pelham 123 delves into what happens when a "terrorist" takes control of a subway train, holding a group of New Yorkers, along with the city of New York, hostage for a sum of 10 million dollars. Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) is a fairly high-level manager at the MTA of New York, although one who has recently been demoted to dispatch pending the investigation of a bribery charge. It is his unfortunate luck to be working the dispatch desk for subway train Pelham 123 when the train's motor man becomes unresponsive and the train starts doing weird things. As it turns out, the train has been hijacked by a gang of ruthless criminals led by a man who calls himself "Ryder" (John Travolta). Ryder's demands are ridiculous and insane, 10 million dollars to be delivered in one hour or he starts killing each of the 19 hostages, 1 every minute that the deadline goes by.

To make matters worse, the hostage negotiations lead, Carnonetti (John Turturro), seems to rub Ryder the wrong way and he insists upon dealing only with Garber, who gets sent home - dismissed, really - by his supervisor, who has it in for him. Then there's the fact that gathering the 10 million dollars falls under the purview of the Mayor (James Gandolfini), who is retiring and has no more political ambitions, and you have a powder keg waiting to blow. From here, things only escalate, as the team realizes that the fate of these hostages lies in the hands of an insane man and a civil servant who happens to be a good listener.

The Taking of Pelham 123 was far better than I anticipated. When I saw the trailers for it, I was intrigued and even more so when I saw Tony Scott was directing, but it surpassed my expectations as far as a good action/thriller goes. There were some points that I actually sat up and was riveted to the screen. Denzel Washington is movie magic, as always, and perfectly plays his role. He never fails to impress me as he effortlessly plays anything from the unassuming hero to the consummate bad ass. Travolta is intense as Ryder and he and Denzel work really well together, with the supporting cast rounding things out nicely.

Naturally, the film looks crisp and beautiful on Blu-ray, but the chase/crash scenes where the 10 million is frantically being transported throughout the crowded streets of New York look especially fantastic. Surround sound is in effect, but I really only noticed it at certain times of the movie. Special features include a making-of, one on the New York underground system, trailers, commentaries, previews and a quick featurette on the hair stylist Tony Scott used for the film and his particular style. They aren't anything super special and will probably only attract true fans. That being said, if you are looking for an action/thriller, check out The Taking of Pelham 123. While not one you will necessarily watch over and over, it's a fun popcorn movie and would make a good rental.