Saw "Pelham 123" last night, in the mood for an action flick and with a headache that precluded 3-D "Up." I read the book years ago, and may have seen the original movie--I think there was one-- but had fortuately forgotten enough for it all to be fresh.

It was really enjoyable. The action was good, with plenty of crashes and assorted acts of unglorified violence, but the character interplay between Ryder (John Travolta--even today I almost say Vinnie Barberini) and Denzel Washington's dumpy, tired, middle aged hero Walter Garber is what really carries the film. Other characters--weasely boss, more weasily mayor, evil henchmen 1, 2, and 3--are throwaways but they are just set dressing anyway. Garber comes across as the more believable of the two, but Travolta is entertaining as always.