John Travolta plays a villain, Ryder, quite well in this movie. He is menacing, sarcastic, and intriguing as he enjoys speaking with subway supervisor Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) after Ryder holds hostages on a subway and demands ten million dollars. Washington also is convincing as Garber, the man who wants to make right a wrong he recently committed and he sees this as his chance to do that, if only he can save the lives of the passengers. By the way, the title we learn comes from the fact the subway comes from Pelham Bay at 1:23 p.m. in the afternoon.
This is an interesting story but unfortunately, with over 100 F bombs included in the film, and other strong language, not to mention the violence and some sexual comments, this one is definitely not one for the family to view together. We are therefore unable to award our Dove “Family-Approved” Seal to this movie.