In an ideal world, a film should allow only the director or author to have something new and interesting, the story they want to make. Consider, for example, "Red Dead Redemption" (or, to a lesser extent, "The Last Man Standing"), kurosawa would be "heart sticking", revering still fascinating and exciting movies, at their own right. At the other end of the spectrum, there is "Pelham 1 2 3", a remake of the film of the same name in 1974. The same story — hijacking a New York subway train — takes away any intrigue and suspense, leaving only a plot full of holes and characters that barely exceeds the level of a single note.
Director Tony Scott ("Enemy of the Nation") isn't known for his subtlety, but he's reached a new low here, relying solely on noise and excessive use of handheld cameras to create any tension. Added to the general murmur is John Travolta ("face-changing"), in the role of Ryder, leading to the hijackers. Apparently lacking in appreciation of the wisdom and charm that would be innate to the planners of such an intricate plot, Mr. Travolta was not a resort of screaming, roaring, and spitting white foam at a point where the audience was desperate for him to be stopped (for the wrong reason). Walter Garber, who is usually reliable on denzel Washington ("Gangster Usa") tickets, insisted on negotiating with Ryder as the unlucky train dispatcher. And one more fact, Garber is just an ordinary Joe who unfortunately gets into a bad situation, and he seems to turn into an experienced hostage negotiator and action hero too quickly. Yet in one or two scenarios where Washington actually needs to act, he does his usually commendable work, expressing the frustration and despair needed at the moment.
The only actor who seems to be on his game is James Gandofini ("The Sopranos"), the cynical mayor of New York. There are some interesting characters promoted by Ed Koch and Rudy Guiliani who like to mix, and he manages to take his characters from the comic book field (the script despite doing his best, rather than portraying it) people who are tired of their own work, tired of his advisers, tired of the public.
Assuming most of the scenes weren't rewritten, a large number of monsters for the film had to be placed firmly at the feet of screenwriter Brian Helgeland. In his impressive resume, including the superb "Mystic River", it seems that he beat off a quick script as something better on the way to the drive. He seems to have essentially left the actors trying to piece together their character and ridiculous conspiracy holes (is this real Ryder's escape plan?). Why are there other trains running on Earth? Isn't the director partial?
Similarly, "Pelham 1 2 3" is indeed one thing that succeeds. It perfectly captures the experience of riding the New York Subway. It's loud, uncomfortable, full of annoying people, and you're happy when it's over.