In this, as in all his work, he brought to an argument the cogency of the rationally convinced with the wisdom of one who could see the other side.

ECONOMIST: Ludovic Kennedy

The dispatcher, having started out as a klutz so ordinary that he wears a tie and a sleeveless sweater, morphs into an action hero, which is just one of a cluster of wild implausibilities that crowd out the cogency of the film.

NEWYORKER: The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3