Best Action Movie from the 90s, besides Terminator 2

Rating: 10/10 (2 October 2005)

The plot is pretty easy to comprehend. A bus is carrying a bomb that will detonate if the bus reduces its speed to less than 50mph after it triggers the device by first reaching 50mph. A cop, Reeves, and a passenger, played by Sandra Bullock, in a breakout role, must thwart the criminal's scheme by trying to save the lives on board the bus, and somehow catch the villain in the process. The action never lets up, as we are quickly thrust into a terrorist threat right at the beginning of the movie, which is a preamble of things to come. Dennis Hopper plays a very intelligent and conniving bad guy. This is a true action movie. All cylinders are in full gear on this one. Great action, great villain, great characters, great plot.
I only wish De Bont, the director, would make something as good as this movie again. Sadly, he has faltered ever since. Not all of his movies after this 1994 masterpiece are terrible or bad, but he is just missing something, maybe plausibility. All in all, even if you aren't a big Keanu Reeves fan, this is a breathtaking, adrenaline racing, awesome action movie. It really packs a punch and it is plausible. You may think that sounds silly to say, but everything that happens could actually happen. And I'm not a big Reeves fan myself, though I certainly respected his choice to make this movie. As for Bullock, this movie allowed her to breakout into bigger movies, mostly romantic comedies, and some darker material. Most recently she starred in CRASH, and she'll soon reteam with Reeves in an American version of a foreign movie, IL MARE, now titled THE LAKE HOUSE.