Walter Garber is a New York City subway dispatcher whose ordinary day is thrown into chaos by an audacious crime: the hijacking of one of his trains. Ryder, the criminal mastermind behind the hijacking and leader of a highly-armed gang, threatens to execute the train's passengers unless a large ransom is paid within one hour. As the tension mounts beneath his feet, Garber employs his vast knowledge of the subway system in a battle to outwit Ryder and save the hostages. But there's one riddle Garber can't solve: even if the thieves get the money, how can they possibly escape? 'The Taking of Pelham 123' is a re-make of the taut, spare thriller of the same name from 1978 and plays like its stupid but physically gifted "my mother and father share the same parents" distant cousin. Ergo, a lot of big budget crash bang wallop, but not that bright.