An action movie which never goes below 50 miles an hour

Rating: 10/10 (22 January 2006)

Speed is an action movie which, like the bus affected, never lets up, always going at above 50 miles an hour. It is so fast-paced that mere minutes after receiving a medal, our hero Jack Traven is back in action, hopping on a bus with a bomb on it. This bus cannot go below 50 miles an hour otherwise it explodes, leading to one incredibly entertaining film. What this film does so well is grab your attention immediately, by having our villain stab a guy in the first minute or so of the film. In fact, I would go so far as to say that is one of the best action films I've seen in a long time and this is saying something considering that I only saw it last night and that I watch action films quite regularly.
The plot is simple without being stupid, as some action film's plots are. It revolves around LAPD man Jack Traven, an extortionist who wants revenge on Jack and other innocents after Jack foiled his 'elevator job' and Annie, a passenger-turned-bus driver on a bus who had her license revoked for, whatd'ya know, speeding. This movie, like the back of the DVD cover suggests, also has some unexpected, surprising twists, making it all the more entertaining, because we do not really know what will happen up to the final, intense showdown, which fluctuates between victory and defeat for Jack. This keeps us empty-handed and guessing. One twist occurs when, just when we least expect it, a bus explodes behind Jack.
The acting here is, on the whole, pretty good. Keanu Reeves has not always acted well, but he is pretty good as the intense, hardened cop Jack Traven. Sandra Bullock is not bad as Annie the panicky passenger, either. Dennis Hopper, however, is a revelation, playing the bad guy with a deranged maliciousness which makes us, as the audience, love to hate him. He always seems to act as the bad guy in movies and you can see why here.
The special effects and explosions, like in most good action movies, are awesome. The initial bus explosion is shocking, but the best one would be the airliner one, which ends up as a fireball into the sky.
All in all, this is a great action movie which never goes below 50 miles an hour for a second. Not only that, it keeps us guessing as to what is going to happen at the end, making it a credible thriller as well. If you are into action films like me and haven't seen this, see it now. You'll be in 'for a wild, crazy ride'.
5/5 stars