Speed Reviews

If I recall correctly, I saw this movie in the theaters when it was released. Since then, it has reached a rather solid status and it is even considered one of the best movies made in 90's by Quentin Tarantino (Tarantino was actually offered the chance to direct, but turned it down). To be honest, I never thought it was that amazing. Still, since it has been years since I saw it I thought it was time for a re-watch with Nick, my step-son. To my surprise, it was damned entertaining, even more than I remembered. The most enjoyable thing was the fact that it was made before the whole CGI overdose. Indeed, thanks to the CGI technology, they can make basically everything they want which is sometimes awesome but also sometimes rather underwhelming, especially concerning action movies. Take the last 2 Die Hard installments. There, you have a whole bunch of completely preposterous action scenes where neither Bruce Willis or even a stuntman was actually involved. It is all fake but back in the 90's, those were real explosions and you really wondered how they managed to shoot all that stuff. This movie was also the directing debut for Jan De Bont who was up to that point Director of Photography above all for Paul Verhoeven but also for a few Hollywood productions such as 'Die Hard' or ' The Hunt for Red October'. The Dutch director basically made his best flick and never reached that level again, unfortunately. A young Keanu Reeves was back then trying to profile himself as an action star and even though many thought his acting was wooden (which is often the case), I thought it worked here. Indeed, the guy is supposed to portray a cop, focused on his work, not making jokes à-la-John McClane and I thought he was convincing. For Sandra Bullock, it was her breakthrough performance and I must admit it, she was really damned charming back in those days (she still is, as a matter of fact). Honestly, I was surprised about how the whole thing was damned so entertaining and I was on the edge of my seat during the whole duration. The only flaws would be that it was a little bit too long and the romantic ending was rather underwhelming. Still, it is easily one of best action movies ever made and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

I thought that this sounded like a clever idea for an action movie. ('If you slow down, this bus will explode!')

{Although, you know, if they had gotten out onto the interstate or something, they could have gone gone 50mph as easily as the terrorist watched football games when he wasn't making snide comments about the news....}

But it ended up being a mediocre action movie. I thought that there were a few too many explosions.... It's not so much metal as wooden.

And sometimes, the.... sorta cool, thing about action is, that you don't mind as much if its's mediocre, or not as much. I mean, it's not like some really subtle interpersonal drama, where you get really pissed off if the character that you identify with gets treated unfairly-- you don't care as much, I think. But.... that's still not really, the *great* thing about action, you know.

Because once you lose the characters, you start to wonder....

Can you really *receive* a call on a pay phone? While you're out in public?

Do they really put cans filled with water on the side of the freeway? Is action drama similar to sci-fi drama?

Do pensions really suck? Would you want a gold watch as a retirement thing?

Would the cops get a pay cut if the hostages died? Would it affect the tax revenues?

What would you do? Would you have a plan or something?

I mean, it's actually a suck-y movie.

And I also think that there's too much boring, back-and-forth repeating dialogue.

Police Chief Raven: I want to pick the Bears to win on Monday night.

Relay person: We're picking the Bears for Monday!

Hero: We've got the Bears for Monday! They're our pick! C'mon! Click! Click!

Female in opening credits: (Who does not have an iPhone because it's 1994) I'm clicking! I'm clicking!

And I wonder what Doctor Who would say about the whole 'shoot the hostage' theory.

Perhaps, 'Oh, woh, shit', or something, would be an appropriate response.

Like I said, the 'great' thing about action is, that sometimes you don't mind mediocre as much.... But suck-y-ness still sucks.

{Oh, but don't forget the best line: "Don't get dead." *Classic*.}

(6/10)

First, let it be known that this movie is crap. Yes, it is full of action, but it's also got mediocre actors, and the script is filled with flaws.

That said, it brings me back memories from years ago, when I first saw it. I just can't help watching it once every year, just for the memories it brings back: I was living in Riga then, and SPEED was the ONLY movie the ONLY theater played for ... *three months*.
Needless to say, having the need to watch *any movie*, even subtitled in Latvian and Russian, thus hiding half the screen, I went and saw Speed about half a dozen times... at least! So I know this movie by heart, despite its being so bad and predictable. And so funny! (I remember one particular scene that didn't have any subtitles at all... I guess the Russian and Latvian translators didn't figure out what was said.)

For those who don't know anything about the movie, here's the simple plot: A SWAT explosive expert, Jack (K. Reeves), has to deactivate a bomb that is on a bus, without the bus ever going down below 50 MPH. Any passengers get off, the bus will explode. Chase, action, what more can you ask of such a film.

What are you gonna do? :) Watch it or not ?
It's up to you, I know I do... Once a year. Just to have fun!

(If it weren't for the memories, I'd give this film a 5/10.)

So, no, this isn't a "good" movie. It's not full of deep meanings and themes, and it won't make you cry. (I don't think a movie has to be good to make you cry, but other people seem to think so...)

But you know what? It's fun! It's one of those movies that no matter how many times you've seen it, you always find yourself sitting forward in your seat, waiting to see what will happen.

So no, it's not lastingly meaningful or anything like that, but it provides good entertainment :)

And Keanu Reeves is attractive like WOAH in that movie. I don't really like his later stuff, and I'm not actually convinced he's a good actor...but...Yummy!

(and Sandra Bullock is amazing, as always!)