Speed

Entertaining action-thriller that made both Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock stars. All of the scenes on the bus were great and while the finale was fine, the third act in of itself was contrived. No reason for Annie to be at the scene of the ransom drop; heck, one can argue Jack shouldn't have been there either since they know what the bomber looks like. Still, plenty of fun and seemed like Hopper was having a great time as a cackling, maniacal villain. 3.75/5

_Get off the bus!_ A SWAT officer in Los Angeles (Keanu Reeves) tries to save the lives of people on a bus from a mad bomber (Dennis Hopper) who has the vehicle rigged to blow up if it goes under 50 MPH. Sandra Bullock plays a passenger on the bus while Jeff Daniels is on hand as another SWAT officer. "Speed" (1994) is a disaster/action movie that delivers the goods as a thrilling popcorn flick. While it’s not great like “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” (1991) it’s arguably on par with “Under Siege 2: Dark Territory” (1995). Although a top-of-the-line production, it lacks the human interest of “Terminator 2” and “Runaway Train” (1985) and the story is unbelievably contrived. But, if you can roll with it, it’s a dynamic blockbuster, just kinda forgettable in the grand scheme of things. The film runs 1 hour, 55 minutes, and was shot in the greater Los Angeles area, including Mojave Airport. GRADE: B-

For my money, this is Keanu Reeves' best (and hottest) performance. He is "Jack", an LAPD officer who finds himself embroiled in a bus-hostage situation. Not any ordinary kind of scenario, though - the bus is atop a bomb that will detonate if it slows below 50mph. He must track down the bus and figure out a way of ensuring, in a gridlocked and pedestrian-riddled LA, how to make sure it doesn't explode and how to evacuate the passengers. Luckily for him, Sandra Bullock ("Annie") is on board so perhaps he has a fighting chance? We know from the start that it's explosive expert Dennis Hopper pulling all the strings - boy has he got a grudge - so the rest of LAPD (and his partner Jeff Daniels) have to try and track him down. Mark Mancina's score and some really intense action photography keep this gripping drama racing along really well with loads of (ok, pretty implausible) engineering acrobatics. The dynamic between Bullock and Reeves is effective, she plays her role really entertainingly too as it turns out the bus has it's fair share of quirky passengers too, and she ends up doing all the driving (without a driving licence!). Almost 30 years on, it hasn't really dated at all - indeed, there is an authenticity to the whole production that helps keep it enthralling all the way to an ending that sustains momentum really well.