DVD: The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (15)

Tony Scott's dismal remake tears out everything that made Joseph Sargent's gnarled 1974 thriller great, namely suspense, wit and exquisite pacing.

Denzel Washington, who never puts in a bad day's work, however dreary the film, takes on the Walter Matthau role as the plucky New York City subway dispatcher who takes on John Travolta's hammy hijacker and his gang of lumbering thugs who threaten to execute the train's passengers unless a hefty ransom is paid within one hour. Washington and Travolta, sporting a distracting Zardoz-style 'tache, try their best with weak characterisation, but Scott, a hack, simply won't let them breathe, filling the actioner with bombast and badly orchestrated brutality.