Speed (1994)
Get ready for rush hour
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, Sandra Bullock, Joe Morton, Jeff Daniels, Alan Ruck, Glenn Plummer, Richard Lineback, Beth Grant, Hawthorne James, Carlos Carrasco, David Kriegel, Natsuko Ohama, Daniel Villarreal (I), Simone Gad
Director: Jan de Bont
Running Time: 116 minutes
US MPAA rating: N/AUK BBFC rating: 15
Action, Thriller
On DVD Pop quiz, hotshot. There's a bomb, it's on a bus, and if the speed of said bus drops below 50mph then it's going to be snuff-it time for Sandra Bullock, that bloke who played Cameron in 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' and a whole host of vaguely-recognisable Hollywood extras. What do you do?
If 'Speed' is anything to go by, the answer to the above question is probably send for Keanu Reeves. He might seem to be a bit of a dullard and, let's face it, 'The Matrix: Reloaded' is a pile of pap - but he sure knows how to board a speeding coach, defuse a bomb, fool the baddie (Dennis Hopper) and get the girl. His mum's bound to be proud.
This film is often criticised for its' questionable acting (well, it IS a Keanu movie), ridiculously unrealistic plot points (the bus leaps a fifty-foot gorge) and diabolical script (Hopper and Reeves take it in turns to fire God-awful one-liners back and forward between one another). But there's little denying that, as action-packed no-brainers go, this one's up there with the very best of the lot.
There's no time for a breather as debutant director Jan de Bont keeps things moving at the most rip-roaring of paces. From the opening section where Reeves and unlikely sidekick Jeff Daniels defuse a bomb threat in an elevator, to the main story on board the bus, and then to the final climactic battle aboard a runaway subway car, this is one of the classic edge-of-the-seaters.
DVD Extras: A host of goodies including documentaries, director & cast interviews, extended/deleted scenes, photo gallery, TV spots, trailers, press kit, and even a Billy Idol music video!
It's Got: Thrills and spills seldom matched by your average action jaunt.
It Needs: To be viewed with no shortage of suspended disbelief.
Alternatives: Speed 2: Cruise Control, Lethal Weapon, Die Hard
Summary: The acting and script are less than impressive, but for sheer entertainment 'Speed' packs a fantastic punch.
Review by Gary Panton
Review Date: 25th June 2003
External Links
Speed at the IMDB
