THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123
Powerful redemption and heroism, but adult content demands caution.
Should You Watch It?
This is an excellent, suspenseful thriller. It keeps you on the edge of your seat as a hijacked subway car, a ransom deadline, and the lives of its passengers move toward a terrible possibility. Denzel Washington and John Travolta deliver excellent performances.
The film’s greatest strength is its redemptive Christian worldview. Its dramatic conversations argue that every person owes God his or her life, while an ordinary man is presented as heroic and criminals are strongly rebuked.
That moral strength is badly marred by excessive strong foul language and several intense scenes of very strong violence, including people being shot multiple times. The practical answer is simple: adults who can engage those concerns with discernment may find this worth seeing, but it is not suitable for children or young teens.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESWalter Garber is a New York City subway dispatcher who has been temporarily demoted while facing a bribery investigation. When Ryder, a criminal mastermind, hijacks a subway car carrying about 17 passengers, he demands $10 million from the mayor within one hour.
If the ransom does not arrive on time, Ryder threatens to kill one hostage every minute past the deadline. He wants to talk to Walter, and as the clock moves forward, the dispatcher must face an increasingly dangerous crisis.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this film succeeds exceptionally well as a thriller, even though the source review says it is not a great movie. The suspense is highly effective, the tension steadily mounts, and the story keeps viewers on the edge of their seats.
Washington and Travolta deliver excellent performances. The film’s strong moral and redemptive ideas also give the thriller more weight than its tense premise alone would provide. Its principal weakness is not its effectiveness but the way its strong positive qualities are diminished by the content.
The Worldview
The film presents a strong, heroic Christian worldview. Its conversations promote the idea that every person owes God his or her life, and the story includes overt references to Catholicism, what God demands of us, and talking to God.
A common Christian man is portrayed as very heroic, while criminals are strongly rebuked. Revenge, kidnapping, and holding people for ransom are also morally condemned. The film’s redemptive theme is clear, but its excessive foul language and strong violence work against the moral seriousness it otherwise establishes.
The film’s central idea—that our lives belong to God—aligns with Scripture: “he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:25).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Strong Christian worldview with ultimately a very strong moral viewpoint, which include overt references to Catholicism, what God demands out of us and talking to God, with a common Christian man being very heroic and criminals are strongly rebuked; excessive amount of strong foul language (mostly said by bad guys) includes 115 mostly strong obscenities, nine strong profanities, three light profanities, a few obscene gestures, and boy hostage urinates out of subway car; strong action violence with some very strong pointblank shootings with some blood includes transit cop shot to death, subway conductor shot to death, hostage shot to death, robber accidentally shot through head, gun battle with police, and another man shot dead; no sex scenes but young man talks with girlfriend over Interview video and she seems to be wearing skimpy pajamas; no nudity; no alcohol; smoking; and, lying, revenge rebuked, kidnapping rebuked, people held for ransom.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The film presents an ordinary man as heroic. What makes someone truly courageous when other people’s lives are at stake?
Joshua 1:9 · Philippians 2:3–4The story connects human life to God. What does it mean to live as someone whose life belongs to God?
Acts 17:25 · 1 Corinthians 6:19–20The film rebukes revenge, kidnapping, and holding people for ransom. Why does God care about both justice and how we treat vulnerable people?
Micah 6:8 · Proverbs 31:8–9The film includes references to talking to God. What should honest prayer look like when fear and pressure are rising?
Philippians 4:6–7 · Psalm 46:1The Final Word
This is a highly effective thriller with excellent performances and a strong redemptive heart. Its excessive foul language and intense violence make it unsuitable for children and young teens. For discerning adults, our answer is WORTH THE TRIP — ADULTS ONLY.
