MONEY TRAIN
A film review by Ben Hoffman
Copyright 1995 Ben Hoffman
In the New York City subways, and probably at other subway systems as well, there is a special train that comes by each station every night to pick up the day's fare that has been collected. There are about a half dozen guards who accompany each train allowing Donald Patterson (Robert Blake), the very tough chief of Metropolitan Transit, to boast that never, but never, has one of his trains been robbed. Blake, best known for the TV show where he starred as Baretta, has not been in a film in about ten years. That is a pity because he is in a class by himself. No one would ever mistake him for some other actor.
Back to the story: There are two brothers who, despite an unusual situation, would die to protect the other. When Charlie (Woody Harrelson), who is white, escaped from an orphan asylum when he was very young, he was taken in by John's (Wesley Snipes) family who is black. Charlie has always been on the wild side and foster brother John has been kept busy keeping Charlie from getting into deep trouble. The two bicker but they love each other as siblings should. It is that relationship that gives the film a real boost.
Now grown up, they are transit police who work for a division of Patterson's subway security. Their job, however, involves much acting, pretending to be drunk or asleep in the subway while the other watches to see what petty thief will attempt to prey on the seemingly defenseless . Their apprehending of criminals in the subway trains and at subway stations is what keeps whatever safety there is.
When Charlie runs up a $15,000 gambling debt that he will obviously never be able to repay, his life is in danger. A way out occurs to him; what if he and John were to make off with some of the money bags being transported by the Money Train? Despite John's strenuous objections, ("We are cops! We don't steal!") Charlie decides to take a crack at doing it himself.
Up until then, MONEY TRAIN is very funny, with snappy, witty dialogue (written by Doug Richardson and David Loughery from a story by Richardson). Add some love interest by the beautiful Grace Santiago (Jennifer Lopez) who is a new recruit, and you have a very entertaining film.
So what went wrong? A couple of things: the runaway subway train scene seems to go on forever; too much of a good thing. In addition, like so many movies, the writers do not know how to end it. MONEY TRAIN, unfortunately, falls into that category. The ending has much to be desired, especially from a moral standpoint.
Directed by Joseph Ruben.
2.75 bytes
4 Bytes = Superb
3 Bytes = Too good to be missed.
2 Bytes = So so.
1 Byte = Save your money.
-- Ben Hoffman
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