On this bus ride, sit down, shut up and get ready for rush hour!'

Rating: Null/10 (21 December 2002)

I know many action movie fans would say that Speed' is one of the best action films around, and I am not going to argue that its not. However, I feel that this movie is so much more. It has an intriguing and thrilling story, great stunts and special effects, characters which are genuinely concerned for each other and a first time-director who gets everything just right'. After watching Speed,' its audience can also be assured of two things. One, is making sure that their next bus ride is not booby-trapped, and two, that they are in for the movie ride of their lives'.
Jack Traven and Harry Temple are a part of the L.A.P.D. SWAT team who help to rescue a group of executives trapped in a sabotaged elevator. The saboteur is not pleased with what Jack and his cop associates have done. So in retaliation, he sends Jack on a wild goose chase, to help diffuse a bomb which he has planted on a down-town L.A. bus. But until he does, Jack and passenger Annie Porter must keep the bus speeding through the streets of Los Angeles at more than 50 miles per hour or the bomb will explode.
I know that this is hard to believe, but Keanu Reeves is really really good in this movie. As Jack, Reeves gives a performance, whereby you feel for him in almost every aspect of his character's plight, whether it is because of his job, his friends or the many people that he is trying to save on the runaway bus. The onscreen chemistry that he shares with co-star Sandra Bullock is another impressive side to Speed'. Annie (Bullock) is a passenger who is forced to drive the bus, after the driver is accidentally shot by another passenger. Bullock is so entertaining in her role, that I feel she steals the limelight from Reeves in the many shots the pair share on the bus. I also believe it would be more difficult for anyone to drive a bus like Annie has to, but that is all part of the fun.

The menacing character of Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper) is another delight of this movie. Hopper plays a mean and nasty bad guy, hell-bent on getting what he wants. In speed, he is a former cop with a grudge and will go to any lengths to get what he feel he deserves. The cat and mouse game that Hopper's character has is of great satisfaction for me. I also like how Payne says to Jack, `nothing tricky now. You know I'm on top of you! DO NOT attempt to grow a brain!' He is always holding the right cards. Hopper is hard to top as bad guy in any Hollywood picture.
However Speed' is great for other reasons besides the great cast. This film was the first-time directing experience for cinematographer, Jan De Bont. From where I see it Jan got it right on the money. Speed has great action, stunts and a feel that you would believe a director would have needed many years of experience to get right. Yet Jan got Speed' at the right pace for the entire film. At no stage were the viewers of this film given a chance to settle down, as we are always presented with situations that were not only dangerous, but seemingly out of control. This is due mainly to the good work of De Bont. He has worked as a cinematographer on movies such as Total Recall', Die Hard' and Basic Instinct', showing us how good those skills really are.
I like Graham Yost's screenplay for Speed'. He added many elements, which help keep the viewer's attention all the way through. The main story is on the bus and the many difficulties that it has to go through. I also enjoyed the start and ending to the film as this keeps the pace of the story even, and very much in the balance as to whether the good guys or bad guys will win. Then you have the many action scenes that are incorporated into Speed' by stunt coordinator, Gary Hymes. All of the bus scenes are well executed, with the jump scene exceptional. I also like the subway chase and the elevator drop, as they all look and felt believable.
Having a movie with a name such as Speed', it would be fair to assume that it will have a fast pace and action stunts that will blow you away', which indeed it does. Yet with big names such as Hopper, Reeves and Bullock, Speed' was never going to fail. However, I feel most of the credit for its success must sit with Jan De Bont, whose choice as director was a big gamble that paid off. Finally, I want to mention what a big flop that Speed 2: Cruise Control' was. If there was ever a sequel that should never have been made, it has to be Speed 2. So if you are looking for an exhilarating cinematic joyride, then you can not go past watching Speed'.
CMRS gives Speed': 5 (Brilliant Film)