If it moves, it can be hijacked. And not just in South Africa. From submarines to space shuttles, commandeering vehicles for cash is, alongside romcoms and bad Megan Fox films, a Hollywood cornerstone. As ideas wear really thin, 'Speed 3' is likely to take the action to golf carts and dessert trolleys; for now, the genre keeps sputtering along on inevitable remakes.

'The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3' pulls into the station right on schedule. The third adaptation of a 1973 novel, it's not exactly new or original — gang takes control of a New York subway train; gang demands money or hostages will die — but certainly is thrilling.

Veteran filmmaker Tony Scott may have toned down the tension of the now rather pedestrian 1974 version but ruthlessly amps up the action as he pits a troubled everyman against a ruthless sociopath. Denzel Washington, reteaming with his 'Man On Fire' director for the fourth time, is disgruntled New York public transport employee Walter Garber, demoted to the dispatch desk while under investigation for corruption. John Travolta — all gay biker moustache, wild Nicholas Cage hand gestures, and extreme overacting — is the enigmatic Ryder, whose itchy trigger finger and violent mood swings mask his real intention down in the tunnel.

Theirs is an over-the-radio face-off kept on track by two actors playing to their strengths and a director who places their volatile relationship at the centre of what could have been just another heist plot. Not that Scott's gone soft — high octane chases through NYC's crowded streets and cavalier gunplay are never far off. It's only the uncharacteristically drawn-out standoff that threatens to derail this brisk, tech-savvy modern thriller. But, by that point, there's no stopping this runaway train.