This is one of those movies that I first saw when my grandfather was watching it, It was one of the few non western or war films that he enjoyed. Even though he is known for his comedy work, it is one of the best drama films that I've seen Walter Matthau in. And the role of the cold blooded mastermind of the hijacking was superbly portrayed by Robert Shaw. With these two strong leading men this movie couldn't do anything but succeed. A band of four armed men hijack a New York subway train and hold the hostages for a million dollar ransom. The action starts at the very beginning and never stops until the final credits are run. This movie was filmed entirely in New York City and has the feel of what the city was like in the early seventies. Even though most of what happens in the movie could not happen now with all of the security that is now in place, it is fun to watch and remember that there was a time when life simpler, even for the criminals. This movie only took sixty-two days to shoot and is one of the best action films to come out of the early seventies.
If you've never seen this film, or have only seen the bad TV remake, it is well worth the time and effort to see some great actors doing their best work. If I had a list of my favorite films that I would repeatedly watch, this would be in the top ten.
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