Speed (1993) Review

Speed (1994)

Speed follows LAPD cop Jack Traven, who, after foiling the bomb attempt of an ex-cop, is thrown into another game of wits after a bus is rigged to explode, killing everyone on board if Jack can’t keep it above 50 mph. 

You’d be hard pressed to find a great action flick that is also a great film, since the two don’t often go hand in hand, but Speed is the unique exception to that rule. It’s an incredibly high-octane thriller that never tries to be more than it is. There’s a bus that’ll explode if it slows down. End of story. A simple concept, yes, but in the hands of director Jan de Bont, it’s one that packs in the thrills from open to close, never letting off the gas (and sure as hell not dropping below 50), as he throws every manner of excitement at us like it’s the last time he’ll ever do it. It’s also the manner in which he keeps the stakes high, that always keep us invested, not shying away from sacrificing important characters to keep the story interesting and giving Traven a reason to stay on his toes, filling in the lulls in the story perfectly. 

Ultimately though, it’s the pacing that really keeps this one moving far past the finish line. Because let’s be real, Speed is 700 shades of impossible. Yet it’s the (yes) speed at which we go that makes it all worth it, as we bounce around from elevators, to buses, and even a train, moving so fast that ridiculous stunts and lost logic hardly ever tick on our radar. 

We get an awesome cast here as well, starring Hawthorne James, Beth Grant, Carlos Carrasco, Alan Ruck, Joe Morton, Jeff Daniels, Dennis Hopper, Sandra Bullock, and Keanu Reeves. Hopper has made a career on terrifyingly insane dudes and so it’s no surprise his efforts here, but it’s the surprise pairing of Reeves and Bullock that makes the dream work. Their chemistry immediately shines on screen, with Keanu showing just how crazy he can go as Payne puts him through the gamut, while Bullock charms us, and Traven, along the way. 

Speed, directed by Jan de Bont, is an adrenaline pumping, nonstop thriller, that takes the word speed to new heights, generating a type of manic exhilaration in this summer blockbuster that is guaranteed to give you one hell of a rush. 

8.2/10