‘The Taking of Pelham 123’

Clearly, John Travolta and Denzel Washington are having a blast playing cat-and-mouse adversaries in "The Taking of Pelham 123."

The question is whether we're having as much fun as they are.

And the answer is ... not quite. Especially not with hyperkinetic director Tony Scott at the controls.

A remake of a memorable 1974 thriller that showcased New York in all its gritty "Fun City" glory, the original "Pelham" crackled with crackerjack tension, as a regular-guy subway dispatcher (the inimitable Walter Matthau) matches wits with a criminal mastermind (icy Robert Shaw) who hijacks a subway car and promises to start slaughtering hostages if $1 million isn't delivered within the hour.

These days, $1 million doesn't go very far.

So $10 million is the asking price when a crazed crook (Travolta), calling himself Ryder, leads three henchmen underground and commandeers a single New York subway car, brazenly issuing his demands to whomever's on duty at Transit Authority headquarters.

That turns out to be dispatcher Walter Garber (Washington), whose nice-guy normalcy strikes an inexplicable chord -- and creates an unshakable rapport -- with Ryder that no one else can match.

Not Walter's annoyingly snippy supervisor (Michael Rispoli). Not a veteran hostage negotiator (John Turturro). And certainly not New York's had-it-to-here mayor (a wry James Gandolfini), who can't wait till he's out of office and doesn't have to answer to anyone, from pesky reporters to his even peskier deputy mayor (John Benjamin Hickey).

Meanwhile, back on the train, Ryder keeps cackling over the killing he's about to make -- whether it's a literal or financial one. Or, perhaps, a little of both.

Working from John Godey's novel, screenwriter Brian Helgeland (an Oscar winner for "L.A. Confidential," a Razzie winner for "The Postman") preserves the original's ticking-clock countdown structure and a smidgen of its sardonic tone, while injecting some all-too-contemporary financial pressures to provide motivation for more than one character.

Speaking of characters, "Pelham" could do with a few more developed ones, considering that Ryder's accomplices (including the usually crafty Luis Guzman), and almost all of the hostages, are virtual ciphers.

But that's exactly how director Scott wants it.

He's not the sort to let anything get in the way of his movie's momentum -- except, of course, his own overheated style.

All too aware that his two charismatic stars, despite their conversational encounters, don't meet face-to-face, Scott tries to compensate with a perpetual-motion visual approach.

Occasionally, all that dances-with-camera stuff amps up the suspense. More often, however, the restlessness dissipates it, distracting (and detracting) from the tension he's trying so hard -- maybe too hard -- to create.

This problem becomes particularly apparent as the movie chugs toward its climax, punctuated by all-too-predictable crashing cars, flying bullets and spurting blood.

It's a cruel fate for what promises to be a smart, break-the-routine thriller.

If all you're looking for is a star vehicle, however, "Pelham" manages to stay on track. Barely.

Those with an insatiable appetite for Travolta's scenery-chomping will gobble up his portrayal of a gleefully unhinged villain. (Alas, I haven't had a taste for that particular cinematic dish since "Face/Off" was the flavor of the month.)

Washington, of course, seems more at home. In his fourth collaboration with Scott (the others being 1995's "Crimson Tide," 2004's "Man on Fire" and 2006's "Deja Vu"), Washington may look a bit bloated, having packed on the pounds to convincingly play a desk jockey. (Of course, it makes his late-movie action heroics particularly unlikely, but that's only a problem if your brain's still in gear by that point.) Yet Washington's dry, deadpan humor and canny understatement remain happily intact, providing welcome contrast to Travolta's -- and Scott's -- over-the-top instincts.

As for whether it's enough to save "The Taking of Pelham 123," it's a close call.

But let's put it this way: Thirty-five years from now, nobody's going to be inspired to revisit, let alone remake, this version.

Contact movie critic Carol Cling at ccling@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0272.