Having been burned by so many remakes of classic films, I decided to have an open mind. True, it is fact that remakes can never be better or equal to their original counterpart (The Day The Earth Stood Still and The Wicker Man are good examples) but this one was entertaining, although it sometimes has that bloated, Hollywood feel that is so prevalent in movies and totally unnecessary because story and acting alone should be more important. Both Denzel Washington and John Travolta give good performances, especially Travolta with his cold demeanor and charismatic personality with a surprising touch of black comedy that I didn't expect from this remake. To be fair, I was thrilled at some points in the film( I won't give anything away) but since I saw the original many years ago, I can say that this is a good summer heist flick that while not as gripping as the original Taking of Pelham 123, more than makes up for it in the entertainment value which I cannot say for most remakes (although some have come close) but with two strong leads, I would like to see both Washington and Travolta in future films that are not remakes but entirely fresh roles altogether.