THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE

This is the original movie released in 1974 and it is a 10. The story is simple; 4 men hijack a subway train and demand a million dollars in ransom. Because one of the men used to be a subway conductor, he know some tricks about how a train operates and some fail-safe techniques which the gang is going to use to escape after getting their money.

It was a tense movie but replete with lots of humor and sarcastic lines; especially between the various agencies that control aspects of the subway system in New York. Walter Matthau was perfect as the chief negotiator between the city and the hijackers.

Since it was produced in the 70's, it was loaded with racist, sexist and very very politically incorrect dialogue. One of the  scenes was at the beginning of the film. Matthau is taking a group of Japanese men on a tour of the control and security departments for the subways and he and his co-workers tell a lot of prejudiced jokes and name calling because they don't think the Japanese understand English. they find out how very wrong they are when they call the group "chinese monkeys".

The ending was perfect and not dragged out which is the bane of a lot of movies in my opinion. Oh, and the mayor was this ineffectual buffoon who just left all decisions to the men under and around him with the final word belonging to his wife played by Doris Roberts. (who of course, goes on to boss her sons in Everybody Loves Raymond)