HERE IS A GREAT LAPTOP I JUST BOUGHT

I went to Amazon.com and went looking for a good laptop since my old one crapped out and I wanted to get a new one anyway. So I went to Amazon and found a great Sony Vaio for under 750 dollars with a cool Blu-ray Player in it which is very rare to find. Here it is for you guys.

Here is the description for the awesome computer from Amazon.com

Amazon.com Product Description
Boasting an aesthetic yet functional design, the Sony VAIO VGN-NS290J/L notebook PC brings together stunning imagery, access to all your multimedia, and excellent productivity in an affordable package. The clean lines, textured exterior, and elegant blue coloring gives this laptop a very contemporary feel. And it helps you connect to the world via ultra-fast Draft N Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g/n) and a 1.3-megapixel MOTION EYE web cam built into the display bezel--perfect for video blogging or chatting with friends and family.

The 15.4-inch display uses Sony's XBRITE-ECO LCD technology so you can see deeper blacks, brighter whites, true-to-life color and razor-sharp detail from almost any angle. It's great for watching movies thanks to the included read-only Blu-ray Disc drive (which is also compatible with burning DVD±RW and CD discs), as well as making your own using the included Sony Movie Story software--just choose the supplied template and professional-looking cutaways, cross-fades and soundtrack syncing are automatically done for you.

This notebook PC is powered by the 2.0 GHz dual-core Intel Pentium T3200, which provides easy multitasking capabilities. Other features include a 250 GB hard drive, 4 GB of RAM (maximum capacity), ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3430 graphics with up to 2040 MB of available memory, ExpressCard 34 slot, Gigabit Ethernet, both Memory Stick and SD card readers, and pre-installed Windows Vista Home Premium (SP1).

This Sony notebook is Energy Star 4.0 certified, and has received a Silver EPEAT designation for meeting standards to help reduce its environmental impact. Additionally, it is RoHS-compliant, effectively reducing the environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury and certain other hazardous substances.

The Basics

• Processor: The Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 processor has a 2.0 GHz processor speed, fast 800 MHz front-side bus (FSB), and 2 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.)

  With two computational execution cores in a single processor, it provides greater system response when running multi-threaded applications simultaneously with no significant increase in power consumption. It's optimized for multitasking and is ready to support the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system. It can simultaneously run multiple demanding applications--such as graphics-intensive games or serious number-crunching business productivity applications--while downloading music or running virus-scanning security programs in the background. Some of the advanced Intel innovations of the Core 2 Duo processor include:

  • Smart Memory Access: Improves system performance by hiding memory latency, thus optimizing the use of available computer data bandwidth to provide data to the processor when and where it is needed.
  • Advanced Digital Media Boost: Effectively doubles the execution speed for instructions used widely in multimedia and graphics applications.
  • Dynamic Power Coordination: Coordinates Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology and idle power-management state (C-states) transitions independently per core to help save power.
  • Deeper Sleep with Dynamic Cache Sizing: Saves power by flushing cache data to system memory during periods of inactivity to lower CPU voltage.
• Hard Drive: The generous 250 GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 RPM) provides more than enough capacity for storing a large audio and video library, as well as extra space required for video editing. This SATA hard drive also quickens the pace with a higher speed transfer of data--akin to Firewire and USB 2.0.
• Memory: The 4 GB of installed RAM (PC2-5300, 2 x 2 GB) maximizes the capacity of this notebook, and it also offers a quick 667 MHz speed.
• DVD/CD Drive: This Sony notebook is capable of playing back Blu-ray Disc movies in stunning clarity, as well as playing your current library of purchased and burned disc content. This notebook can also write standard DVD and CD media. The BD drive offers a 2x speed for reading BD-R/RE discs and a 2x BD-R/RE DL (dual layer) read speed. It also offers the following write speeds for standard DVD and CD discs: 6x DVD±R DL, 8x for single-layer DVD±R, 6x DVD±RW, 24x CD-R/RW, and 5x for DVD-RAM.
• Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a standard 86-key keyboard (2mm stroke and 19.05mm pitch) and electro-static two-button touchpad. Playback controls include play/pause, stop, forward, rewind, AV mode, mute, volume +/-, WLAN/Bluetooth on/off.

The Sony VAIO NS in deep blue.

Screen, Video & Audio
You'll enjoy razor-sharp graphics and widescreen movies with the 15.4-inch WXGA high-definition screen, which has a widescreen resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels--perfect for watching DVD movies the way they were meant to be seen. The XBRITE-ECO technology delivers brilliant colors and stunning clarity with efficient power usage, and it features an anti-reflective coating to minimize reflection and ensure a beautifully clear image from any viewing angle. Video is powered by the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3430, which provides 2040 MB of total available graphics memory. ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3400 Series graphics processors have breakthrough efficiency, with phenomenal performance-per-watt and energy-saving features. Advance to the power of discrete graphics for HD gaming with best-in-class performance, amazing effects, and lifelike worlds and characters delivering a compelling gaming experience.

Networking, Connectivity & Expansion
Enjoy easy wireless networking with the integrated tri-mode Atheros Draft-N wireless LAN (compatible with 802.11b/g/n wireless networks). Based on the draft 802.11n Wi-Fi specification, it offers up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range as existing 802.11g wireless. It's also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found in home routers and wi-fi hotspots). This desktop also provides ultra-fast Gigabit Ethernet networking (10/100/1000).

This notebook also includes a next-generation ExpressCard 34 card slot (though no PCMCIA slot), which lets you take advantage of thinner, faster, and lighter expansion cards for even more advanced wireless, networking, storage, and security features. Here's the full list of connectivity options:

• 4 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
• Audio: 1 headphone, 1 microphone/line-in
• Analog video output: 1 VGA
• 1 ExpressCard/34 slot
• Memory Stick/Memory Stick PRO slot (Standard/Duo with MagicGate functionality)
• Secure Digital memory card slot (compatible with MMC cards)
• RJ-45 port for 10/100/1000 Ethernet
• 56K modem port (V.90/V.92)

Operating System
The 64-bit version of Windows Vista Home Premium (with SP1) is the operating system for users with advanced computer needs, and it includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities for turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center for watching DVD movies and accessing your digital audio library. You can also use Windows Media Center to record and watch your favorite TV shows (even HDTV) and to access new kinds of online entertainment content. Computers that include Windows Vista Home Premium and an auxiliary Windows SideShow display will also allow you to access key data even when your computer is off. It is also easier than ever to share files between other PCs in your household and to manage your laptop computer settings to more securely connect via Wi-Fi.

Every edition of Windows Vista provides the essential tools and technologies to help protect you whether you are browsing the Internet, connecting to a wireless network, or just reading e-mail. All editions of Windows Vista include new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures long before you have lost any important personal data. And, all Windows Vista editions include parental control features that allow you to manage and monitor your family's use of games, the Internet, instant messaging, and other activities.

Preloaded Software
Microsoft Windows Live OneCare anti-virus and recovery (trial version), Microsoft Works SE 9.0, Microsoft Office 2007 Home and Student (60-day trial), Sony Click to Disk Editor (CD and DVD burning), VAIO Movie Story (video editing), VAIO MusicBox

Dimensions & Weight
This notebook measures 14.2 x 10.63 x 1.5 inches (WxDxH) and weighs 6.4 pounds.

Power
It's powered by the VGP-BPS13/B rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which has a battery life of between 1.5 and 4 hours (depending on usage).

What's in the Box
This package contains the VGN-NS290J/L notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It is backed by a one-year limited hardware warranty, and Sony offers 1-year of toll-free telephone technical assistance.

Product Description
The 15.4-Inch VAIO NS notebook with Blu-ray Disc technology exemplifies contemporary style in an easy-to-handle mobile PC. Boasting an aesthetic yet functional design, it will turn heads with its unpretentious charm. Enjoy superior performance with an available Intel Core 2 Duo processor. Video message with friends and family with the built-in webcam. And get things done with loads of RAM and ample storage. With its good looks and tools like these, the VAIO NS notebook is a great PC for all your day-to-day computing endeavors.

Here is the direct link to the great computer for you to buy if you want it.

THE HANGOVER NOW AVAILABLE

Here is the summary for the movie The Hangover from imdb

Angelenos Doug Billings and Tracy Garner are about to get married. Two days before the wedding, the four men in the wedding party - Doug, Doug's two best buddies Phil Wenneck and Stu Price, and Tracy's brother Alan Garner - hop into Tracy's father's beloved Mercedes convertible for a 24-hour stag party to Las Vegas. Phil, a married high school teacher, has the same maturity level as his students when he's with his pals. Stu, a dentist, is worried about everything, especially what his controlling girlfriend Melissa thinks. Because she disapproves of traditional male bonding rituals, Phil has to lie to her about the stag, he telling her that they are going on a wine tasting tour in the Napa Valley. Regardless, he intends on eventually marrying her, against the advice and wishes of his friends. And Alan seems to be unaware of what are considered the social graces of the western world. The morning after their arrival in Las Vegas, they awaken in their hotel suite each with the worst hangover. None remembers what happened in the past twelve or so hours. The suite is in shambles. And certain things are in the suite that shouldn't be, and certain things that should be in the suite are missing. Probably the most important in the latter category is Doug. As Phil, Stu and Alan try to find Doug using only what little pieces of information they have at hand, they go on a journey of discovery of how certain things got into the suite and what happened to the missing items. However they are on a race for time as if they can't find Doug in the next few hours, they are going to have to explain to Tracy why they are not yet back in Los Angeles. And even worse, they may not find Doug at all before the wedding. Written by Huggo

Here is a review for the movie The Hangover from dvdtalk

Todd Phillips' The Hangover sets up a premise rife with comic possibilities, and damned if they don't exploit just about every single one of them. It's a ridiculously funny movie, yes--laughs from end to end, with so many good lines that even the day players get some. But it's also a skillful picture, blessed with an ingeniously constructed narrative that keeps the viewer involved while taking full advantage of its gifted cast and their specific comedic mojo.

Doug (Justin Bartha from those horrible National Treasure movies) is about to be married, so he zips off for a Vegas bachelor party with his best buddies Phil (Bradley Cooper) and Stu (Ed Helms). He also brings along his fiancé's brother, the odd (and frequently pantsless) Alan (Zach Galifianakis), for the ride. The quartet checks into Caesar's Palace (after a funny bit where Alan inquires if it was "the real" Ceasar's Palace--"Did Caesar live here?") and go up to the roof for toasts and Jaeger shots. Twelve hours later, they wake up in their trashed suite, in various states of nausea and undress; there's a chicken on the bar, a baby in the closet, a tiger in the bathroom, and Stu is missing a tooth. Oh, and Doug is gone.

The remaining three men spend the next day and a half trying to piece together exactly what the hell happened during their long blackout, and this is where Jon Lucas and Scott Moore's beautifully constructed screenplay really shines; instead of a blow-by-blow orgy of decadence, a la Very Bad Things, it's laid out like a murder mystery. They empty out their pockets to try to piece together exactly what happened when, and as they follow those "clues," it seems like the more they find out, the less they know. That central mystery, and their genuine concern for the well-being of their friend, gives the film a kind of frantic momentum that is missing from most comedies these days, even the good ones (like the charmingly shambling movies from the Apatow factory).

The casting is particularly good here; the three primary actors have terrific chemistry and play well off each other in unique ways. Cooper appears to be having a great time turning his earnest, nice-guy image on its head (to far greater effect than in his over-the-top villainous turn in Wedding Crashers). He's playing the most conventional character of the three, but it's not a simple "straight man" turn; he's reactively funny, in much the way Vince Vaughn was in Phillips' Old School. Helms charms in a performance that burrows deeper than the character's preppy, henpecked surface--he lets you see the party guy that lurks below, so you believe that he really would be friends with these guys (one problem with movies about old friends is that they frequently deal with such one-dimensional types, you can't understand what these people ever had in common). His manic takes and elaborate lies to his emasculating girlfriend are funny, and his impromptu piano tune is a highlight.

But Galifianakis is the break-out star, which is as it should be; he's been given the kind of role that you can't help but steal the movie with. As a diehard fan of his gonzo stand-up work, I've been saying for years that Galifianakis is the closest thing to Andy Kaufman we're gonna see in this decade; he's now got one up on his most clear influence, because Kaufman never made a movie worth a damn. Alan's odd demeanor and occasional non-sequiturs are reminiscent of his stand-up persona, but this is a unique and successful comic creation. Alan is just a little slow, and has an innocence about him, but he's also clearly up for anything--it's the kind of wide-eyed, mischievous man-child role that Belushi used to do so well. He's never off his game in The Hangover; even when he's not the focus of the scene, you're watching him react to whatever else is happening.

The rest of the cast is filled out with some solid, sturdy utility players. Jeffrey Tambor's presence is always welcome, it's nice to see Heather Graham (albeit briefly) in a movie that's premiering in theaters instead of on DVD, and Rob Riggle (from The Daily Show) and Cleo King ("Marcie" from Magnolia) have a very funny bit as the cops whose car has somehow ended up in the boys' possession. Hell, even the detestable Mike Epps gets a couple of laughs and appears briefly enough to keep from doing any real damage.

Phillips continues to immodestly begin his films with the title card "A Todd Phillips Movie" (as opposed to "film"), but his directing has become more confident (even after the misstep of School for Scoundrels). He does a terrific fake-out in the opening credits, starting with a snappy cover of "It's Now or Never" and credits rendered in a flowy, faux-wedding invite font, then switching to foreboding shots of the Vegas skyline and the grim music of Danzig. He doesn't let fancy camerawork get in the way of the jokes, but the film is inventively shot (I especially liked the overnight transition that covers the activity we don't see).

This is not to say that he doesn't occasionally stumble. There is one sequence that doesn't work at all, in which the guys question a doctor who treated Cooper during a hospital visit during their lost evening; the doctor inexplicably chats with the three guys (and the baby) as he performs a full (and I mean full) physical on a dumpy old man. We buy a lot of stretched premises in this movie, but I'm sorry, there's no reason in the world for this guy to let three strangers sit in on his physical, except so Phillips can get a cheap, mean laugh by showing us this poor old dude's bloated, wrinkly ass. This movie is better than that scene.

There are other bits here and there that don't quite work, but even taking those into account, there's an astonishing batting average of successful jokes in The Hangover--and I haven't even mentioned Mike Tyson, or the Rain Man parody, or the tiny naked Asian gangster. Just go see it, is the point. It's tight and fast and clicks along like a good watch--and it's funny as hell.

Here is the direct download for the movie The Hangover.

TERMINATOR SALVATION NOW AVAILABLE

Here is the summary for the movie Terminator Salvation from imdb

Set in post-apocalyptic 2018, John Connor is the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators. But the future Connor was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright, a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or rescued from the past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet’s operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind. Written by Warner Bros. Pictures

Here is a review for the movie Terminator Salvation from dvdtalk

The Film:
Back in 1984, James Cameron's low budget sci-fi action film The Terminator seemed to be just about the coolest movie of its time. Borrowing heavily from two classic episodes of the television series The Outer Limits--"Soldier" and "Demon With a Glass Hand"-- Terminator offered the mind-bending tale of a time-traveling killing machine (Arnold Schwarzenegger) sent from the future into the present to kill a woman whose son would lead a rebellion against the machines that overthrow mankind. Much like Ridley Scott's 1979 film Alien, The Terminator kicked off a science fiction franchise that started out strong, hit its apex with the sequel (both Terminator 2 and Aliens were directed by Cameron), and then lost much of its energy--only with the Alien films, there were more sequels and spin-offs to measure the downward spiral.

Twelve years after Cameron's impressive sequel to his original film came Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. Not nearly as impressive as the first two films, T3 offered a grim final scene that left audiences depressed, but left the door open for future installments. Although the film performed poorly at the box office in the United States, its global haul was impressive, which all but ensured a returned of terminators to the big screen. The problem, of course, is that when films do well overseas, leading to the inevitable sequels geared for a global audience, it almost always means said films will cater to the things that sell well in the worldwide film market--action, explosions, action, violence, more explosions, action and violent action. Sadly, things like story and character development generally take a backseat to the action; the train of thought being that you don't have to speak or understand English to appreciate shit blowing up, and most people don't want to read subtitles when they're watching shit being blown up.

Sadly, it is this sort of global filmmaking strategy that is guiding Terminator Salvation, the fourth film in the franchise that now includes a television series and countless comic books. Set in the not too distant future, when the deadly machines have already overthrown much of the human race. Skynet, the self-aware computer system has struck and continues to strike against the remnants of the human race, using deadly machines to hunt and kill people. John Connor (Christian Bale), is a member of the human resistance, and has been prophesized to be the one person who will destroy the machines. But we all know this, because we've seen all the other movies. This time around, Connor is fighting the good fight, when word gets to him that the terminators have targeted him and a teenager named Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin). Of course, we all know that Kyle Reese will grow up to be the man Connor sends to the past to protect his mother, and in turn get her pregnant with John. As Connor helps plan a massive assault against Skynet, using a signal transmitter that provides the sort of plot device that can be easily translated to the film's global audience, Reese crosses paths with Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a convicted felon that was executed and whose body was donated to science before the rise of the machines. As it turns out, Wright's body was used by Cyberdine, which we all know is the company that designed the machines that destroyed humanity, and through he doesn't know it, he's actually a terminator. All of this plot comes together in an extended chase that is punctuated by lots of explosions, and over simplified ruminations on the humanity of Wright, who refuses to accept his status as a terminator, and instead chooses to fight along side the humans.

Terminator Salvation is a film that is entertaining, but it stops short of actually being a good movie. The script is both heavy-handed and light weight at the same time, and it doesn't deliver anything more than what is needed to keep the franchise alive. The story jumps back and forth between John Connor and Marcus Wright, but the film really is more about Wright than Connor. In fact, there comes a time when the movie starts to feel like perhaps Connor had a smaller role in the original script, but the part was beefed up when Bale signed on. Whether or not that's the case, Connor himself is pretty boring, lacking the sort of gravitas you'd expect from someone who is destined to lead the rebellion against the machines. Wright's character is far more interesting, but his story feels as if it's been trimmed here and there to give more time to Connor, which is part of what weakens the overall story.

As far as big budget summer movies go, Terminator Salvation provides a mildly entertaining distraction, much better than X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but not nearly as good as Star Trek. The script itself is flawed to the point of being weak, but the sensory overlaod caused by McG's hyperactive direction makes it difficult to notice the pedestrian writing. The movie doesn't really suffer from Schwarzenegger not being in it, but it also has problems defining itself as a Terminator flick without him. Schwarzenegger's absence--other than a computer generated cameo--might not be so obvious if the movie itself tried harder to define itself as its own cinematic entity, rather than just another entry in a franchise that is now twenty-five years old. Bale's performance lacks anything of true merit, and he is overshadowed by Worthington, who has his own problems, not the least of which is his Australian accent that comes and goes throughout the course of the movie. Still, Worthington seems to actually be acting, while Bale is clearly figuring out how to spend all the money he was paid for being in the film.

Here is the direct download for the movie Terminator Salvation.

THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1,2,3 NOW AVAILABLE

Here is the summary for the movie Taking of Pelham 1,2,3 from imdb

Tony Scott directs this remake of the Walter Matthau-starring thriller from 1974 with this Columbia Pictures production that pits a transit cop (Denzel Washington) against a group of hijackers lead by John Travolta, who take over a subway train in order to rake in a hefty ransom. David Koepp (War of the Worlds) is adapting the book by author John Godey. In "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3," Denzel Washington stars as New York City subway dispatcher Walter Garber, whose ordinary day is thrown into chaos by an audacious crime: the hijacking of a subway train. John Travolta stars as Ryder, the criminal mastermind who, as leader of a highly-armed gang of four, threatens to execute the train's passengers unless a large ransom is paid within one hour. As the tension mounts beneath his feet, Garber employs his vast knowledge of the subway system in a battle to outwit Ryder and save the hostages. But there's one riddle Garber can't solve: even if the thieves get the money, how can they possibly escape?

Here is a review for the movie Taking of Pelham 1,2,3 from dvdtalk

Well, the first thing that we have to decide, in approaching Tony Scott's new remake of The Taking of Pelham 123, is that the 1974 original was what it was, and no reimagining is going to touch it. It was, first and foremost, of its time and place--it captured the gritty, trashy, dangerous hellhole of 1970s New York in much the same manner as The French Connection and Klute and Born to Win before it, Dog Day Afternoon and The Warriors and (to the nth degree) Taxi Driver after. It looks and feels and even (thanks to David Shire's brassy, pounding score) sounds like The City, right then. But it was also way ahead of its time; fourteen years before Die Hard, here was the story of a brilliant, accented baddie who took hostages in a public place and whose plans to exchange them for a large sum of cash is thwarted by a dogged, determined public servant. After Die Hard made a mint and we saw its various riffs (Die Hard on a boat, on a plane, on a bus, etc.), no one bothered to make Die Hard on a subway, because it had been done a decade and a half earlier.

Pelham was first remade as a limp TV movie in 1998; it has now been updated and thoroughly reimagined by screenwriter Brian Helgeland (whose name appears on about as many good films--L.A. Confidential, Mystic River --as bad ones--The Postman, Assassins) and director Scott, a filmmaker whose stylistic flourishes have irritated others more than me. I've got a pretty high tolerance for that sort of thing--for my money, the only time he's really gone too far with his tics and affectations was Domino, which was pretty much a lousy movie any way you sliced it (so his flair felt like overcompensation). However, my stomach turned a bit as his Pelham began. The opening credit sequence utilizes blurry photography, slow and fast motion editing, and jittery camerawork--anything, it would seem, to keep us from seeing exactly what the hell is going on. Nothing terrifies Tony Scott more than a static frame. Would this finally be the movie where he went too far, even for me?

Thankfully, no. He settles down once the story gets into motion; his practice of shooting conversations like they're action scenes can get a little wearying, and sometimes you wish he'd just stop moving the damned camera and hold a shot for more than a second and a half. But he does show some restraint in the film's quiet, more contemplative moments, even if he can't resist (at the big climax) shooting a conversation from a chopper.

Say what you will about his extravagancies, but once this thing gets going, it pulls us in--the storytelling is tight, the cuts are surgically precise, and it hums right along. Walter Matthau's transit cop has been transformed into Denzel Washington's Walter Garber (first name changed in tribute to the role's originator), an MTA upper-management type who has been busted down to dispatcher while he's under investigation for taking a bribe. His day at the microphone is disrupted when a group of armed thugs, led by "Ryder" (John Travolta) take over a 6 train; they move it deep into the tunnels and disconnect the front car, while Ryder tells Garber that the city has 60 minutes to come up with $10 million, or they start popping hostages.

That ticking clock--and Ryder's clear lack of hesitation to carry out his threat--gives the picture a tremendous momentum; it spins like a top, propelling breathlessly forward and giving us a snazzy freeze-frame and on-screen text when we need a reminder of how close we are to that deadline. New York viewers will also appreciate how many of the details they get right; early in the film, when Garber is barking out an on-the-fly re-routing, the stops and trains make sense (even if on-train wi-fi access in the early scenes is still a bit of a pipe dream).

The primary divergence between Scott and Helgeland's take and the 1974 original is in the backstories of the two main characters and the relationship forged between them. Matthau and Robert Shaw were given fairly simple characterizations (hard-working cop and bitter ex-military), and their radio communications were mostly centered on the transaction at hand. An actor who so effortlessly projects Washington's strength and intelligence wouldn't quite work in the Matthau role, as originally conceived; in a fine example of tailoring the role to the actor, Washington's Garber has some flaws and real complexities. His falling-star wants to prove himself worthy here (watch the way he tentatively walks out of the command center after he's been dismissed), and creating a situation where his character has something on the line is an ingenious way of raising the stakes.

Travolta, coming off a long line of tepid projects, is clearly having a great time playing a pulpy lowlife, though he's just a wee bit over the top here--he's frequently hyper-active and bug-eyed, and he's not helped much by the fact that much of his dialogue appears to have been re-written by Bobb'e J. Thompson's character in Role Models. But is it meant to be a tough-guy "act"? How meta is this guy supposed to be? Travolta's got some good moments here, so I hesitate to call it a bad performance, per se--I don't know what the hell it is, exactly. What is certain is that Washington brings out the best in him; the scenes where they level with each other, and speak plainly, have the same kind of motivational pull as that terrific first act of Man on Fire.

The expansion of their relationship comes at the cost of the distinctive characterizations for Travolta's accomplices. The only one with any presence is Luis Guzman, and he mostly brings that with him; I'll maintain that there is no film that can't be made better by the introduction of Guzman in a supporting role, and I would say the same about co-star John Turturro, but even he couldn't help Transformers. Point is, we don't even know these guys' names (the original film gave them color coded names--Mr. Grey, Mr. Blue, etc.--but Tarantino already recycled that in Reservoir Dogs). On the other hand, the original film's thin characterization of the NYC mayor as sniveling, sick-bedded weakling is one of its weaker elements; Helgeland's more active mayor is clearly modeled on Bloomberg (down to the subway riding and one dollar annual salary), and James Gandolfini is quietly terrific in the role.

Like so many popcorn directors, Scott lets his film go a good twenty minutes too long--once the clock has ticked out, he can't maintain that energy, and the picture loses steam once it comes up out of the subway. A car chase is cut too jaggedly, to a degree that there's no spatial relationships established and therefore no suspense. And while the final confrontation is pretty damned good, it can't hold a candle to the gotcha brilliance of the original's closing line. But again, I could make disparaging comparisons all day. In and of itself, as a representative of its particular genre (big studio summer action film) in its specific time and place (post-Giulliani, post-9/11, Disneyfied New York), The Taking of Pelham 123 delivers; it's slick and fast and loud and fun to watch, and some summer nights, that's good enough.

Here is the direct download for the movie Taking of Pelham 1,2,3.