High-speed chases dripping with production dough, whooshing cinematography, sets laden with souped-up technology...Tony Scott's slick remake of the '70s subway heist classic "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" is no slow ride.

• CTV.ca Trailers: The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

Toss in the masterful screen sparring between Denzel Washington and John Travolta and you've got a fun, cat-and-mouse thriller that begs moviegoers to hop on board.

Of course, fans of the 1974 thriller starring Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw might not agree.

Dated though that flick may seem its taut, claustrophobic take on a New York City subway hijacking still holds up today. Even Washington and Travolta would cop to that.

Based on the 1973 novel by Morton Freedgood (pen name John Godey), Matthau made an indelible mark on moviegoers as the jaded schnook of a subway dispatcher who is fatefully pitted one day against a cool-blooded hijacker (Shaw).

Cut from the dark, dingy sludge of the city, the crook Ryder demands $1 million in 60 minutes - or else.

Garber's gaudy ties. Ryder's icy, menacing stares...The iconic paring is tough to beat.

But don't let your devotion to these stars or this gritty great make you miss out on a fab ride.

Scott's retelling may lack the tension of its predecessor. And yes, the director's hopscotching camerawork distracts us at times, as do the time graphics that pop on screen as the high-pressure countdown ticks on.

Yet pros like Washington and Travolta make these minor imperfections fade away.

A downtown train worth taking

Scott's update brings it all down to this: The cagey duel of words between the crazed gunman and Garber.

At times funny and chilling, their banter illuminates many things: Ryder's religious beliefs, his "screw-the-system" mindset, Garber's courage masked under his mild-mannered shell.

But their fluke conversation also spotlights the similarities between the two men rather than their differences.

Unlike the true-blue character Matthau gave audiences, Washington serves up a good but fallen man in this new nerve-jangler.

Rising from ticket taker to the man who controls virtually all of transit central for NYC's metro, this Lord of the Trains is demoted to the dispatcher's desk after being accused of accepting a bride.

Gone is the buff bod. Lost are the sexy smiles Washington's fans lapped up in earlier flicks. Instead, we see a paunchy, aging everyday Joe who can't believe what he hears when a strange voice suddenly crackles over the radio -- the voice of a killer.

More adept at handling a tuna sandwich than guns or psychos, Garber has no clue what to do when Ryder demands $10 million (hey, that's inflation for you) or he'll start killing passengers, minute by minute.

The hour unravels tensely. A hostage negotiator (John Turturro) and the mayor (James Gandolfini) arrive on the scene to take charge of the situation. But Ryder develops a strange liking for this unlucky bastard.

He demands that Garber, and only Garber, be his go-to guy or people will die.

From start to finish Washington's decent "little guy" is believable, both in the well-meaning reasons for his fall from grace and the redemption he earns by outsmarting this bravado-spewing villain.

Travolta's crazy-ass take on Ryder is also a perfect complement to the visual mayhem of Scott's direction.

With a mind that's as sharp as the lines of his goatee, Ryder busts onto the screen with a cool, steady menace that would make John Wayne quake in his boots.

A master of the psycho-analyzing rant, this whacko fills his probing, over-the-top sparring sessions with Garber with humour and revulsion.

But like every arrogant baddie who thinks they are unbeatable Ryder talks just a little too much. This gunslinger drops enough clues for Garber and company to piece together who he really is and take him out like yesterday's trash.

Some 21st century moviegoers might say, "A subway hijacking?" Is that the best this dude can do to get his $10 million bucks?"

Hell, when Wall Street thieves like Bernie Madoff are making off with bigger sums before breakfast it hardly seems worth Scott's trouble or ours.

Not so film fans.

"The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" may not be the greatest movie Hollywood ever made. But in a blockbuster season filled more bad than good, Scott's speed demon of a flick is smart. It's entertaining. It's a full-throttle express train of tingles that treats grownup movie lovers to a thrilling ride.

Three stars out of four