Having neither read the book nor seen any of the other adaptations I’m not sure how to feel about this version of Pelham 123. Stayed awake for all of it, if you think that’s a good thing.

Denzel Washington’s ordinary Joe caught in an extraordinary situation vs John Travolta’s amoral train hijacker in yet another “NYC under siege! Omg!” flick offers nothing new. Travolta’s been the villain in several previous movies and it would seem that Washington either plays the good guy or at the very least, a semi-good guy (see Inside Man, another NYC flick) trying to do the right thing. Substance-wise, Pelham 123 details what every New Yorker (ex, in the case of yours truly) has nightmares of: Train delays. And that’s about it.

James Gandolfini plays a beleaguered post-Rudy who’s neither likable or loathsome, which is what most big city mayors are in the real world. John Turturro’s done better as a weird government agent (Transformers) and pretty much everything else he’s been seen in. Do yourself a favor and don’t screen, rent or buy this snooze-fest.