The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

Four armed men hijack a New York City subway car and demand a $1 million dollar ransom for the passengers - they are lead by Robert Shaw's Mr. Blue. (That's his codename among the other hijackers) In response, the city's police try to figure out how to respond - they are lead by transit cop Lieutenant Garber played by Walter Matthau. And what results is a tense action-packed standoff between cops and criminals in a movie which was so influential that it inspired two star-studded remakes...