Speed (1994/I)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Jan de Bont

Writer (WGA):

Graham Yost (written by)

Release Date:

10 June 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Thriller

Tagline:

Get ready for rush hour.

Plot:

A young cop must save the passengers of a bus that has a bomb set to explode if the bus goes below 50 MPH.

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Women | Strapped To Bomb | Wristwatch | Shot In The Chest | Booby Trap

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 12 wins & 15 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Oct. 12

10:00 PM

MAX

Cast

Keanu Reeves	...	Officer Jack Traven
Dennis Hopper	...	Howard Payne
Sandra Bullock	...	Annie Porter
Joe Morton	...	Capt. McMahon
Jeff Daniels	...	Det. Harold 'Harry' Temple
Alan Ruck	...	Stephens
Glenn Plummer	...	Jaguar Owner
Richard Lineback	...	Norwood
Beth Grant	...	Helen
Hawthorne James	...	Sam
Carlos Carrasco	...	Ortiz
David Kriegel	...	Terry
Natsuko Ohama	...	Mrs. Kamino
Daniel Villarreal	...	Ray
Simone Gad	...	Bus Passenger #1

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Australia:MA (DVD rating) | South Korea:15 | Malaysia:U | USA:R (certificate #32945) | Brazil:14 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Finland:K-14 | France:U | Germany:16 | Ireland:15 | Mexico:B | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Ballerina Clown - 255 Main Street, Venice, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Jack's sidekick, Harry, was originally to be played by Ed Harris and in this version was going to be revealed as the mad bomber. However, when Ed Harris opted out, and Jeff Daniels signed, the producers felt that the audience would not accept the sudden twist in character so Harry was kept as a good guy throughout and the mad bomber written as a separate character.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: The plane clearly has no windows along its sides, and yet debris after the explosion seems to include rows of windowframes. But most aircraft are designed for both freight and passenger use, and the internal structure of the fuselage includes the window-shaped holes seen in the debris.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Security Guard: Hey, this area's restricted.
Howard Payne: Oh, hi. Yeah, I know. They called me down here. Some of this wiring got screwed up.
Security Guard: Nobody called it down to me. I'm going to have to see a work order.
Howard Payne: Yeah, just a second. There you are.
[stabs security guard in the ear with a screwdriver]
Howard Payne: Nothing personal.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Incredibles (2004)

"Speed"-y delivery...

Pop quiz, hot-shot - what's the most exciting action movie you've ever seen with a bus in it?

Right, the answer is "Speed" and if you've seen it then you'll have to agree that there is more action in this one movie than any ten generic action flicks that have been released in the last ten years.

A trend-setter the likes of "Die Hard", "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "Lethal Weapon", "Speed"'s premise is simple - a bus is wired by a madman (Dennis Hopper) to blow up if it drops below 50 MPH. This is to give the cop (Keanu Reeves) who ruined his last effort a run for his money in trying to save the day. In the ensuing efforts, a woman (Sandra Bullock) is recruited to drive the bus and keep it over 50 MPH at all times.

And for as deceivingly simple as it is, "Speed" pulls out all the stops by making every scene a nail-biter (the bomb discovery, Keanu getting aboard the bus, Sandra driving over an incomplete gap in a highway, etc. - the list is endless) and all the main characters (and a few of the supporting ones) are about as smart as your average movie-goer and have enough of these kinds of movies to figure out what the other guy's move will be and act on it. I LOOOOVE movies like that.

Keanu is far more heroic in this movie than he has been before (and since); Jeff Daniels is born to play best pal and does so with good-nature; Sandra is a delight to watch as well as hear - she has a voice you literally can wrap yourself up in; Hopper adds to his nutso roles with some droll lines that sound all the spicier delivered Hopper-style. Everyone is great and gives their all.

The movie is all one long action set-piece, which is what the action fan expects when they plunk down their money then sit down with their popcorn. They get their money's worth here and then some. "Speed" was obviously written by someone who loves action films as much as the action film fans that watch them. Good match-up.

Nine stars for "Speed", and let's hear it for the magic of surveillance cameras.