This is a movie that would later be picked up in cinematography for quotes, tricks, and situations. A film classic that's still fun to watch 35 years after its release! And not every movie can stand such a test.
There are so many moments in 'The Taking of Pelham on 1-2-3' which will keep you riveted to the screens, to see how the hell the train ride will end, how the gangsters with a million dollars will manage to get away from the subway, will they stay alive, what the authorities will do to save the hostages. All this is seasoned with colorful characters - Lieutenant Garber in the first place, the 4 hostage-takers, the mayor, who was shown rather unusually for such a movie... these are just a small fraction of the people who are interesting to watch. The movie is filled with lively actors who play at the highest level and it is all done very masterfully by Joseph Sargent, who managed to create a wonderful suspenseful movie.
I recommend watching it to all fans of these kinds of movies and to those nerds who say that old movies are good for nothing!