Speed is an absolutely awesome action movie. Jan De Bont was at the helm for this one and has produced a stunning movie. It has got the lot action, great acting, great plot and a little romance too. What more could you want?
The plot is pretty original. There’s a bomb on a bus and when the bus goes 50 MPH it will arm itself then if it drops below 50 it blows. So why is their a bomb on this bus? Well an extortionist (Dennis Hopper) is after revenge on an L.A.P.D. Swat team specialist Jack Traven. So he plants the bomb on the bus to get money but drags Jack in to see how he copes. The passengers include Sandra Bullocks character Annie Porter who has to drive the bus through L.A. till Jack can figure out what to do.
The acting throughout is brilliant. I am not a huge fan of Keanu Reeves and detest the Matrix but I think he is brilliant in this role. He plays the Swat teams Jack Traven perfectly. He is excellent in the action scenes and also in the more drama based scenes. Dennis Hopper is brilliant as the madman who is effectively holding the passengers of the bus to ransom. He acts really well and makes the plot believable (what’s and action movie without a great bad guy/gal). Sandra Bullock is also superb as the unfortunate passenger who has to drive the bus during its rampage through L.A. There are some excellent supporting roles. In particular Jeff Daniels who plays Jacks partner. He gives a brilliant performance.
It is a great plot that gives plenty of opportunities for action. It really is amazing how much can actually be done with a bus. Possibly the best stunt in the movie is when the bus jumps over a gap of 40 feet in the freeway and amazingly appears relatively realistic. There are stunts galore and they range from the tense lift sequence at the beginning of the movie to the dramatic train scenes at the end. It is packed with stunning action that will certainly not disappoint.
This is a stunning action movie that is pure entertainment. If you haven’t seen this movie then I recommend you see it. The sequel isn’t as good but also deserves a look.