Speed

Rating: 10/10 (2 March 2007)

I had seen bits of the not-so-good sequel, I had seen the Father Ted spoof episode, "Speed 3", and now I have actually seen it, I love it! It does start a little slow with the opening credits and an elevator shaft, but the music is what keeps me interested. It then moves to the scene where the great villain, Howard Payne (a great Dennis Hopper) has planted a bomb on an elevator and held people inside ransom for $3.7m, and the heroes, Officer Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves) and Det. Harold 'Harry' Temple (Jeff Daniels, in a serious role, cool) manage to save the hostages, while Payne escapes. But it is not over for Traven, not long later he sees a bus explode, and is told on a near public phone that there is a bus with a bomb on it. If it goes over 50mph it is set, but if it goes below 50mph, it blows, and if anyone besides him gets off, he blows it. It is now a race against time, before 11pm, to figure some way to stop the bomb, or save the passengers, including revoked driver Annie Porter (Sandra Bullock), who returned in the sequel. Oh, and when they do stop it, it concludes with a speeding train chase. There are some fantastic twists in this adrenalin filled high action thriller. Also starring Terminator 2's Joe Morton as Capt. McMahon, Alan Ruck as Stephens, Saw II's Glenn Plummer as Jaguar Owner, Richard Lineback as Norwood, Beth Grant as Helen, Hawthorne James as Sam and Carlos Carrasco as Ortiz. It won the Oscars for Best Sound Effects Editing and Best Sound, and it was nominated for Best Film Editing, and it won the BAFTAs for Best Editing and Best Sound, and it was nominated for Best Special Effects. Dennis Hopper was number 80 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars, and he was number 49 on The World's Greatest Actor, and the film was number 99 on 100 Years, 100 Thrills. Outstanding!