Speed is an incredible roller coaster!

Rating: 9/10 (28 October 2007)

Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves) and Harry Temple (Jeff Daniels) are called in when a terrorist bomber, Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper) threatens to kill 13 passengers in an express elevator. Jack volunteers himself and Harry to examine the bomb which leads to them eventually saving the passengers and finding the bomber. After a confrontation, Jack and Harry think the bomber exploded and are awarded medals. However this ride has only just begun.
After the explosion elevator opening sequence - which lasts upwards 10 minutes - Jack is sent into another game of Howard's as he's rigged a city bus with a bomb. But this one has a different catch than just explosion upon a button press. This one is armed when the bus exceeds 50mph and explodes when it drops below 50mph thereafter.
Jack quickly finds a way to get on the bus after having to jump from a civilians's car to the bus. The bus driver gets shot and Annie Porter (Sandra Bullock) must take over. But not aware of the bomb, she tries to slow down before Jack gives the reveal of the whole situation in front of all the passengers.
Keanu Reeves gives probably the best performance of his career. Jeff Daniels supports really well, and Dennis Hopper is the classic bad guy. When it comes to the action, it is really amazing. You are on the edge of your seat the entire time because you don't know how in the hell they will keep the bus above 50.
The score is wonderfully crafted and goes together very well. Joe Morton also supported really well and added depth to the plot when his big scene came up. He delivered all his lines with great emotion as well as mainly all the rest of the cast. Alan Ruck is a passenger providing comedic relief.
The directing and a the script is all top notch and definitely dramatic when the action gets slow paced. No matter what, the tension is high and you can feel it throughout every character - except Annie.
Three paragraphs and I still haven't discussed Sandra Bullock - I bet you wonder why. It should be fairly obvious that I despise her. Her acting is less than par level and her voice is dreadfully annoying. She is barely decent looking so it's hard to care for her at all. Her lines have no emotion as far as I can tell, which makes the Annie character pointless. The only reason why the driver was shot was to bring in this character. She quickly becomes romantically linked with Keanu's character. I just think the film would have done a lot better without her character. The only satisfaction I got from Sandra in this movie was her line: "What you thought you needed another challenge or something?"
Sandra is the reason I refuse to give this a perfect 10. It is unfortunate that Forrest Gump, Interview With the Vampire, and Pulp Fiction came out the same year because Speed could have gotten more awards.
Overall, the a-list actors, the incredibly intense ride the movie gives, the few laughs you have, the superb acting, the amazing plot, the dazzling special effects and props and the Oscar-Winning sound are all wonderful reasons to watch Speed at least once.