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:

Bus | Bomb | Rescue | Explosive | Elevator

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 12 wins & 15 nominations

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:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Australia:MA (Special Edition DVD) | 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:

Filmed on location on LA's 105 freeway before it was opened to the public.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Supposedly the bus is traveling in one general direction on the freeway but in actuality they keep passing the same spots on the 105 freeway and changing direction. Sometimes the bus is heading east and sometimes west on the 105.

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:

Spoofed in I Downloaded a Ghost (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

A Million Miles Away

A Great Action Film That Is Actually a Great Film

"Speed" was a runaway success in 1994. It was a block-buster in every sense of the word and critically speaking, it is an excellent motion picture. The film deals with an LAPD swat officer (Keanu Reeves) who is playing a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with crazed ex-cop Dennis Hopper. After Reeves stops Hopper from blowing up a high-rise building, the next obstacle is a city bus. Hopper has rigged the bus to explode if the "speed" ever drops below 50 miles per hour. Sandra Bullock, in her star-making role, plays an unlucky passenger who becomes the center of attention when she is forced to be the driver when the original navigator is accidently shot. The great thing about "Speed" is the fact that it never tries to be more than it is. It goes for non-stop action, thrills, chills, and spills. However, Dennis Hopper's character is somewhat complex and his performance probably should have garnered him an Oscar nomination. A great film in spite of the fact it is from the action genre. 5 stars out of 5.