Pop quiz: what's the best action movie of the nineties?

Rating: 10/10 (27 January 2015)

Answer: Speed. I just watched it again, now twenty-one years after I first saw it in the cinema. There are few movies that can be considered 'timeless' and, although 'Speed' may be an unlikely name to be added to that list, I truly believe it deserves its place among the 'action greats.' Even though it was filmed in the nineties, it looks as good today as it ever did. Okay, so the absence of iphones and Twitter may be noticeable, but it could basically be set today and you wouldn't really notice. The special effects are perfect and blend seamlessly with the action (no dodgy computer generated armies of monsters of far away planets to distract you and pull you out of the moment).
Yes, it's definitely an 'action' movie (okay, there's a beautifully-woven romance element in there, but it's not central to the overall story). And, normally when I watch a blatant all out action film, I assume that the – primary – audience would be the lads. However, Speed is actually a film that's so good it's probably quite watchable even if you're not really into explosions and car chases.
Speed's primary selling point is its simplicity. The story is hardly complicated and yet so original that it's amazing that it's never been done before. A mad bomber places an explosive device on a Los Angeles passenger bus and, if it slows down to less than fifty miles an hour, the bomb detonates. That's pretty much it for the majority of the film – the bus ride. And it's a hell of a ride to say the least.
And then there's the cast. Poor ol' Keanu Reeves sometimes get a little flack for his acting abilities. However, he's on top form here as the no-nonsense cop who's determined to save the passengers and bring down the bomber at the same time. I always remember one of the reasons 'Die Hard' is also regarded as a classic action film – because the relationship between the hero and the villain is at the forefront of the story. Here, we have Dennis Hopper as the bomber who's always one step ahead of the police. Thanks to mobile phones he's in constant contact with Keanu, reminding him how the police are going to fail. Of course it wouldn't be complete without the obligatory 'love interest.' Granted Sandra Bullock was sort of well-known from Demolition Man the year before this, but Speed was definitely her break-through performance.
Like I said, Speed is timeless and one of the most accessible, watchable movies ever made in its genre. It really does have everything you could ever want if you're looking for an all out thrill-ride – it's primarily fast, but also contains moments of genuine heart and sadness (let's just say the path of the righteous doesn't always run smoothly). It's just a shame that lightning obviously wasn't able to strike twice (and by that I'm talking about the – sadly – inferior 'Speed 2').