Speed Movie Review

Speed (1994)

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Written by: Graham Yost
Directed by: Jan de Bont
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, Sandra Bullock, Joe Morton, Jeff Daniels, Alan Ruck
Rated: PG-13
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Plot
A police officer must prevent a bomb exploding aboard a city bus by keeping its speed above 50 mph.

Verdict
A simple concept perfectly executed, Speed incorporates the elements of a thriller with a moving countdown clock. The ticking timer in this movie is a bus that can't slow down.  Keeping the pacing moving are multiple subplots with well-cast actors.
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Review
Many a-list actors turned down the role of Jack Travers. No one expected the movie to be a success, and the producers ran out of money before completion. Rave reviews at audience test screenings started changing minds. Joss Whedon did an uncredited rewrite, revising most of the dialog.

This is a great concept for a hostage situation. No one can just jump off a moving bus, and the timer isn't a hard deadline.

Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock play Jack and Annie.

First we get people stuck in an elevator as an introduction to a terrorist. These scenes have a really set, we don't often see this much detail of elevator shafts.
Hopper does a good job as Payne with a role that could have easily fallen flat. This encounter with Jack (Keanu Reeves) and Harry (Jeff Daniels) provide just enough character development. Jack would shoot the hostage given the chance to catch a criminal. When Jack later has a bus full of hostages, that answers lingers. What can Jack do to eliminate the hostages to get to the bad guy?

The casting all around is really good. Annie (Sandra Bullock) ends up driving the bus as Jack must figure out how to save everyone. Jack's a bit of the every man hero, and a bus that must stay above 50 mph generates plenty of drama. Generally the answer to you can't slow down is speed up.

The story rotates between Jack on the bus, Harry back at the office, the Lieutenant trying to help Jack, and of course Howard who orchestrated the situation. Because of that the movie never slows down. This movie does everything a thriller should. There have been race against the clock movies, but this is a smart play on it that doesn't have a hard deadline. A few people on the bus get a bit of characterization to act as audience surrogates.

Part of this movie's charm is the simplicity.  While it's been mocked and imitated, it's not been beaten. The other part of the movie is solid writing and good actors. While Keanu can be a bit wooden, that works to his advantage in this movie where he's supposed to be the sardonic hero.