Speed is one of those movies which does exactly what it says on the tin. It tears along with the machine-tooled precision of a big-budget action film intent on dispensing wall-to-wall thrills, stunts and special effects.
Young cop and bomb-disposal expert Jack Traven (Reeves) must save the passengers of a bus that has a bomb set to explode if the bus goes below 50 mph.
This inventive thriller starts with hostages trapped in an elevator and continues with two chases – one on the bus and another on a subway train.
Reeves is pitted against a maniac ex-cop with a grudge (Hopper) who is orchestrating the mayhem. Sandra Bullock co-stars as the woman who must keep the pedal to the metal on the bomb-primed bus.
The film also revealed Keanu Reeves to be a compelling action hero – next stop: The Matrix (1999).
Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997) was a laughably poor follow-up – this time it’s on a boat! What’s ropier? Flappy Sandra Bullock, balsa-faced Jason Patric or CGI work that would disgrace a Crazy Frog video? Abandon ship!
Jack Traven
Keanu Reeves
Annie
Sandra Bullock
Howard Payne
Dennis Hopper
Capt. McMahon
Joe Morton
Harry
Jeff Daniels
Stephens
Alan Ruck
Jaguar Owner
Glenn Plummer
Norwood
Richard Lineback
Helen
Beth Grant
Sam
Hawthorne James
Ortiz
Carlos Carrasco
Terry
David Kriegel
Mrs Kamino
Natsuko Ohama
Ray
Daniel Villarreal
Director
Jan De Bont
