One Bus That Doesn't Make Any of Its Stops

Rating: 7/10 (17 March 2009)

Keanu Reeves has the uncanny ability to pop up in a legitimately good movie just often enough to keep people convinced that he may not be a completely worthless actor after all. "Speed" became a big hit in 1994 against all expectations. It was meant to be a disposable genre film and instead became a blockbuster.
It's the ultimate high-concept movie: a bus will blow up if it's not kept moving above a certain speed. You can imagine the results. Reeves is fine, as is Dennis Hopper, hamming it up as the villain, but the reason for the film's success is mostly due to Sandra Bullock (this may have been her debut?) as the plucky bus driver. Bullock is such a pleasing presence on film that even if the movie around her sucks, you keep watching just for her. Fortunately for us, the movie around her is pretty good too.
Grade: A-