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Movie Review:

The Taking of Pelham 123

June 12, 2009

Starring John Travolta and Denzel Washington, "The Taking of Pelham 123", was a high speed thriller  based on the novel,  The Taking of Pelham: One, Two, Three.  It was originally written in 1973 by Morton Freedgood, also known as "John Godey."'

It was later made into a television movie in 1998.

On the big screen , Travolta plays the role of the lead hostage taker, Ryder,  (one of four,) who holds over a dozen subway passengers for a million dollar ransom.  As the movie progresses, the viewer learns that Travolta has bigger plans in store than what appears on the surface.  Ryder and his cohorts have a well thought out plan which challenges the city  to run a race against time. 

Washington plays the role of Walter Garber, the first responder of the subway incident, which involves much more than he is prepared to handle as a Subway Dsipatcher. With a dark past of his own, Garber attempts to redeem himself through the heroic deed of trying to stop the hostage takers.   Ryder demands that Garber negotiate the hostage taking, giving him no choice but to help Ryder execute his plan.  Garber has limited time to save the hostages, however, because Ryder promises to kill after an hour deadline, one passenger per minute, until the million dollar reward is rendered.

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Star Rating
1-5 Stars

Clarity- Score: 4 Stars

The storyline is clear and easy to follow for most viewers over the age of twelve.  The plot was pretty straightforward from through the course of the film.

Purpose- Score: 3.5 Stars

I assume the purpose of the film was to entertain, although one may wonder if this movie was reintroduced to remind the public of how potentially unsafe the public transit system could be in a real life scenario.

Intrigue/Excitement- Score: 3.5 Stars

The movie was very intriguing in the beginning.  As the movie progressed, however, it became more and more predictable.  The ending.was especially common to most heroic-type movies.

Entertainment/Humor- Score: 3.5 Stars
John Travolta has always been quite a humorous character, and he brought comedy to a very dramatic movie, as he has done in previous films, likePulp Fiction..

Realism- Score: 4 Stars

The movies was quite realistic and almost scary, because the events in the movie could be duplicated in a real life situation.  It really makes one wonder if the Department of Transportation and City Transit Systems are prepared for hostage takers.  Denzel Washington and John Travolta play very believable characters as they are both brilliant actor in my opinion.

Impression- Score: 3.0 Stars

This movie did not leave a great impression on me.  Although it was entertaining, I doubt if it will be embedded in my mind years from now.  It does make me fear riding the New York Subway though. lol

Overall Star Rating Score:  
3.5 Stars!
***

 Kharisma @2009

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Movie Review:

Angels and Demons

May 22, 2009

    In the movie, Angels and Demons, Tom Hanks plays the character, Professor Robert Langdon, a symbologist who wanted to obtain facts about the Illuminati for his latest book.  Professor Langdon’s character was previously spotlighted in the mysterious story of the DaVinci Code.  In Angels and Demons, Langdon discovers more than secrets codes hidden in pieces of art, instead he finds clues to a mystery which could mean the difference between life and death.  
    The story centers around the war between New Age scientists (The Illuminati or the “Enlightened Ones”) and religious priests, (The Vatican Church).  A war of philosophies, which began during the time of Galileo and Shakespeare, (1600’s - 1700’s), still exists today.
    The opening scene begins with Roman scientists testing a creation called Antimatter, an experiment which could prove deadly if it landed in the wrong hands.  The antimatter had enough potency to destroy an entire city and possibly neighboring cities, and it did in fact end up in the wrong hands.  Like the sand running out of an hour glass, the Antimatter tube was running out of energy.  It would soon explode without the necessary battery power, killing anyone or anything nearby.
    At this same period of time, the Pope died mysteriously and was to be replaced by one of four successors, the Preferiti, (the favorites of the Pope.)  Also, mysterious was the sudden disappearance of the four successors, coincidently gone without a trace before the new Pope could be elected.
       Many feared the Illuminati had struck again after dwelling in a secret society for hundreds of years.  With such a threat in progression, the Vatican Church called upon symbologist, Robert Langdon for assistance.  His duty would be to read ancient scribes developed during the time the Illuminati first existed, and to find clues to where the successors may be located.  To his surprise, Landgon was lead on a fast- paced, deadly adventure requiring him to find the Preferiti and the Antimatter before it was too late.

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Star Rating
1-5 Stars

Clarity- Score: 3 1/2 Stars
With several Italian subtitles it may be difficult for American viewers to comprehend unless they are watching and reading carefully.    

Purpose- Score: 5 Stars
I believe there were several different aims of the movie: 1) to educate people of the history connected to the Illuminati, 2) to mystify the audience with high action and suspense,  3)  to possibly to build a bridge between science  and religious philosophies.   However, I believe the main purpose of the film was to entertain the viewer and that it did! 


Intrigue/Excitement- Score: 5 Stars
Almost from the very beginning of the film, I was taken away on a wild adventure feeling as if I were one of the detectives, police, and scientists piecing together an complex, intricate puzzle.  Gasping at every scene, I often found myself thrown off the tracks with every twist and turn of the mystery.  The story was very thought-provoking and intriguing, requiring the viewer to stay focused on every little detail in order to follow the storyline. 

Entertainment/Humor- Score: 3 Stars
Though the film was not designed to be comical, there were isolated parts of the movie that made me and others in the audience chuckle.

Realism- Score: 3 Stars
Overall, the film was very realistic and believable, although there was a scene in the end I found to be quite unrealistic.

Impression- Score: 5 Stars
Angels and Demons left an impression on me I won’t soon forget.  It sparked a fire of those seeking more information about the Illuminati.

Overall Star Rating Score:  
4.0 Stars!
****

Kharisma @2009