Delayed Reaction: Speed

Premise: "Die Hard on a bus."

 

I've obviously seen this movie before, but it's been a long time. I've really wanted to rewatch it since the strong of 25th anniversary pieces a couple years ago. After all, it's the movie that introduced the world to Sandra Bullock and really established Keanu Reeves as a star. Simply put, it's one of the great dumb action movies of the 90s.

 

I assume this movie began with the idea of the bus that explodes if it goes too slow and they worked back from there. I get why. That's a fantastic idea. It's got both the tenseness of people locked into a room together and the speed of a high-octane action movie. Getting to it is rough though. Dennis Hopper's masterplan make very little sense and is riddled with holes. It's the epitome of a "just go with it" movie setup.

 

I was surprised to realize how under-developed Sandra Bullock's character is. She really does a lot with very little. That she used this as a star turn is really impressive*. Reeves was a full-blown star before this movie, but I do think Speed is responsible for a lot of his reputation as a bad actor. Even by The Matrix, he had a good sense of what he can and can't do as an actor. In Speed though, he's asked to make already cheesy dialogue work, which he can't do. Let's be honest though, everyone has some groaners in this movie. Dennis Hopper is hamming it up throughout too. His character is allowed to be weird though.

 

*Also, let's be fair. She had several movies under her belt at the time, including Demolition Man. Speed launched her to a new level, but I feel like she was well on her way to stardom even without this.

 

I point out these problems I have with the movie only to say that ultimately none of them matter. The final result is a bus racing down the highway and making a 50-foot jump. What's not to love about that? I don't think there's a natural way to actualize that premise, so I'm glad they just owned up to the craziness. Any screenplay that begins with "What if a madman..." should immediately throw the story out when judging the final product. Does stuff explode? Yes. Are there a bunch of great stunts? Yes. Are there a couple moments that made me nervous and thrilled? Yes. Does Keanu Reeves look good doing physical stuff? Yes. Is Sandra Bullock fun and quippy? You bet.

 

In other words, this movie delivers the goods.

 

Verdict: Strongly Recommend