Film: 'The Taking of Pelham 123'; Cast: Denzel Washington, John Travolta, John Turturro, James Gandolfini; Director: Tony Scott; Rating: ***

'The Taking of Pelham 123' is akin to the train ride which starts off with a bang, picks on tremendous momentum, refuses to take any breather with any unnecessary stops, only to find it's travel being cut short and the journey coming to a halt.

The plotline of the film is very simple and the kind that has made many a career in Hollywood for more than half a century. A mad man gets a bunch of passengers as a hostage and demands ransom for their return. Of course, in a situation like this, there is bound to be a negotiator, detective or a common man who becomes part of the drama which then goes on to take place in real time.

John Travolta along with accomplices takes charge over a train, stops it in a subway and demands 10 million in ransom. The person who is on the other line of the phone is Denzel Washington, a civil servant.

With the plotline being set and no time wasted in any peripheral activities, it is director Tony Scott's vintage touch that gives the film a cutting edge treatment. Those who have seen his earlier films like 'Spy Game', 'Crimson Tide' and, of course, the cult classic 'Top Gun', would definitely agree.