‘The taking of Pelham 1 2 3’ lacks real drama of original

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An updated, action-infused remake of a 1970s classic, “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3” features Denzel Washington and John Travolta in the hijacking of a New York subway train.

Travolta plays the leader of the gang that takes over the train, threatening to kill one passenger a minute if the city doesn’t deliver $10 million within an hour. (The original story had a $1 million ransom — that’s inflation for you!)

Washington is the guy with the transit authority who happens to take the call and is forced by circumstance and coincidence to deal with the situation.

Director Tony Scott has worked before with Washington with generally good results (“Man On Fire,” “Déjà Vu,” “Crimson Tide”). Here the actor tries to hold the drama together, bringing his usual honesty and believability to his part, a transit exec demoted to a desk job pending investigation of alleged bribe-taking.