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If Travolta Has To Be in Movies, He's OK as the Villain

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Trailers | Comments (35)

large_travolta.jpg

A few weeks ago, Sony unveiled its first trailer for The Taking of Pelham 123, starring John Travolta and Denzel Washington. I guess they didn’t like that cut — to talky, not enough shaky. So, here’s a new trailer, which better captures Tony Scott’s frenzied style of directing, which is to say: He hires arthritic, palsied old men to hold the camera, edits the footage within an inch of its existence, and strings it all together with some loud music. I can’t say I’m particularly opposed to his style of editing, mostly because I think a good action film should be like a particularly good pop song: It keeps your head bobbing. Plus, stomp on my hopes and dreams if you’d like, but I kind of dig Travolta as a villain. Face/Off, as bad as it was, is one of those particularly embarrassing guilty pleasures. Papa’s gotta brand new bag.

The trailer, for your frenetic enjoyment:











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Comments

For Travolta villain awesomeness it doesn't get any better than Broken Arrow, it just, doesn't.

Posted by: BarbadoSlim at April 2, 2009 10:58 AM

I'm trying to avoid my knee jerk "Noooooo!" reaction to re-makes of films I like.

However, I will say this, I wish that there were still a place for kinda weird looking actors in action movies. Walter Matthau would never be in movies now.

Yeah he's a bit weird lookign but watch the Laughing Policeman or Charley Varrick. He's such an awesome badass!

Posted by: Park at April 2, 2009 11:05 AM

I don't know if it's the face. It must be, 'cause he does the smirk well.

However, shaky cameras give me headaches. It's one of the main reasons why I detested Quantum of Solace.

Posted by: Four Eyes at April 2, 2009 11:06 AM

Yeah, that one was good, Arrow..
He reveled in an Evil who enjoys evli..

Tried to rewatch Face/Off some time ago.
God, that one got old fast.

The origional of Pelham was great, and I kinda have a soft spot for Scot, so I'm very curious how this version will be.

Posted by: Magiel at April 2, 2009 11:07 AM

There is nothing embarrassing about Face/Off.

NOTHING

"But what about--"

NOTHING. SHUT IT.

I'm not gonna watch this though, not when there's Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw and Martin Balsam out there.

Posted by: Jay at April 2, 2009 11:07 AM

Dustin seems to be particularly partial to "particularly" today...

Posted by: Lainey at April 2, 2009 11:09 AM

Plus, stomp on my hopes and dreams if you’d like, but I kind of dig Travolta as a villain.

Gotta love the creepy facial hair. Travolta does play a proper bad guy. Just look at his work as a villain in his evilest role to date: Michael (which barely beats out The Boy in the Plastic Bubble).

Posted by: branded at April 2, 2009 11:09 AM

It's one of the main reasons why I detested Quantum of Solace.

Bourne Ultimatum

Cripes!

Posted by: Jay at April 2, 2009 11:10 AM

At least Travolta doesn't look like he's wearing a marmot on his head.

Waiting for John Turturro to break out with
"WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! Stop the car!!! I seen 'em first!!!"

Posted by: dammitjanet at April 2, 2009 11:14 AM

Oh Jay, you lovable coot.

Posted by: Optimus Rhyme at April 2, 2009 11:16 AM

He is a better villain, even if it's for the wrong reasons (unintentional comedy) such as in Battlefield Earth.

Posted by: George at April 2, 2009 11:17 AM

"But what about--"

So you are telling me you liked Nicholas Cage's boots in that movie??

Creepy.

Posted by: Magiel at April 2, 2009 11:17 AM

*climbs up off floor*

... Geez, where am I? That trailer must have induced a seizure ...

Anyway, my memory of the original Pelham is that it was ... OK. So I'm hopeful for this, because this is what reboots OUGHT to do, take bad movies or OK movies with good ideas and make them better.

*crosses fingers, blacks out again*

Posted by: , (the commenter formerly known as bucdaddy) at April 2, 2009 11:19 AM

It appears as if maybe, just maybe, Travolta isn't honey-baking it so much in this one. Who'd have thunk?

Seriously random list: actors who have shown the ability to act but who now just retreat into jamon-y personas:

3: John Travolta
2: Nic Cage
1: Al Pacino

Hmm, they are all Italians. I wonder if that is a coincidence?

Posted by: ed newman at April 2, 2009 11:24 AM

I dunno -- Travolta can do the look and mannerisms of a proper villain, but the thin shouting voice gives him away. Diagnosis -- unable to properly thunder.

Posted by: sansho1 at April 2, 2009 11:28 AM

Edna Turnblad *shiver*

Posted by: Chickaboom at April 2, 2009 11:40 AM

I will REFUSE to see this movie. Just because I love the original so much.

I mean, I can see Denzel acting as hard as he can to appear to be the rumpled city servant working for the MTA. But he's got nothing on Walter Matthau.

Hell, Walter probably slept there the night before and just wandered onto the set.

Posted by: Withnail at April 2, 2009 11:48 AM

Know what would be great? A remake of Total Recall with Travolta, that guy from Green Day, and pre-death Marlon Brando, so we can see their enormous heads expand to monumental size and explode. I like explosions.

Though it does look like Travolta lost a lot of water weight for this role.

I'm having some trouble with seeing John Turturro as a good guy.

Posted by: frumpiefox at April 2, 2009 11:48 AM

Geeze! I forgot about the Ultimatum! That was a painful, dizzying film to watch. i like my fight scenes visible!

Even though Washington is in this I'm not sacrificing my eyesight for it! This is why I value these reviews,they save my eyes and help me cut down on painkillers.

Posted by: Four Eyes at April 2, 2009 11:53 AM

"Hell, Walter probably slept there the night before and just wandered onto the set."

I can totally see that Withnail. And honestly, I kinda hope he did

Posted by: Park at April 2, 2009 11:53 AM

George, I've seen Battlefield Earth (these things happen when you're an insomniac) and it was just boring. I watched it for the "it has to be so bad it's funny" idea, but it never got there. It was about embezzlement, just with som really terrible alien costumes and human slavery thrown in. It's nearly three hours of my life I will never get back.

However, it seems like this might be worth watching. And there is nothing wrong with Face/Off, it doesn't even PRETEND like it's a serious movie. Travolta and Cage are at their scenery chewing best and there's something admirable about just turning the knob up to 11 and snapping if off, you know?

Posted by: Genny (also Rusty) at April 2, 2009 12:27 PM

It was about embezzlement

No. It was about Leeeeeeverage.

Posted by: Jay at April 2, 2009 12:33 PM

I'll have a hard time with this one because the original is so good. Travolta looks ok, but I've about had it with Denzel.

Posted by: Cindy at April 2, 2009 12:56 PM

"Leeeeeeverage"? Is that, dare I say, the same as...

DRAIIIINNNAAAAGGGGGGGEEEEEEE!!!!!1!!!11

Posted by: Doctor Controversy at April 2, 2009 12:59 PM

Hey Jay? Uhm, we've never met and I'm a little embarrassed here, but would you marry me?

We could be Jay and Kay and that's cute, right?

Posted by: Kay at April 2, 2009 1:23 PM

Well I am available. So, what distant land do you live in?

Posted by: Jay at April 2, 2009 1:26 PM

Edna Turnblad *shiver*

Exactly. I didn't even watch that damned movie, but the trailers burnt an image into my mind I will never be rid of. Travolting is dead to me.

Posted by: figgy at April 2, 2009 2:32 PM

Are you really gonna strand him at the drive-in, figgy? Are you that cold?

Posted by: Jay at April 2, 2009 2:55 PM

He's not gonna shape up. He's gotta shape up. Because I need a man who can keep me satisfied.

Posted by: figgy at April 2, 2009 3:01 PM

However, I will say this, I wish that there were still a place for kinda weird looking actors in action movies. Walter Matthau would never be in movies now.

Park, I could not agree more, and I had the same reaction when I heard about this re-make. I mean, I got nothing against Denzel Washington (obvs), but it's sad that the weird-looking character actor seems to have gone extinct.

Posted by: Sarah at April 2, 2009 5:17 PM

Could they maybe call it something else? All the crash-bangy may become an OK movie, but it won't be that movie, all under stated tension and Matthau's poetry playing weary exterior over an adamantine sens of the self and place in the world.

It's a character study, dammit.

This looks to be Die Hard-Lite.. Different movie.

Posted by: BierceAmbrose at April 2, 2009 5:25 PM

I've been told I look just like Walter Matthau in "Face In The Crowd". I don't think it's actually wrong.

Kay left, huh? Story o' my life.

Posted by: Jay at April 2, 2009 6:06 PM

It's like looking into a mirror, only, not.

Posted by: Mick J at April 2, 2009 10:11 PM

I don't hate Travolta, and he is good as a villain. I agree, he ruled in "Broken Arrow."

Posted by: Slash at April 2, 2009 11:57 PM

My only disagreement with Broken Arrow was:

*SPOILER*

how he smiled at the deactivated missle right before it plowed into his chest. Not that the scene particularly bothered me (he was evil, and he gladly accepted his fate), but that cut got to me, mostly because you can see that it is a cheap, fake body that the missle makes violent contact with. Not that I'm saying we should use terminally ill people as stunt doubles in movies (the ol' Bill Hicks theory), but still I think it could've looked better.

*END SPOILER*

Then again, that sounds awfully tacky.

Speaking of Christian Slater, did anyone see that film he starred in, He Was A Quiet Man? It was pretty damn great. If you haven't seen even the trailer for, (sigh) YouTube (end sigh) it, because that's what sold me to check it out.

Posted by: Riley at April 3, 2009 3:17 AM