MIDDLE-AGED MATINEE! #31 - 'Speed' (1994)

5/5 Stars

In 1994, my Uncle James recommended a movie for me and my Dad to rent. He mentioned that it was an action film that was crammed with action from beginning to end. The movie was “Speed” and he was not wrong.

When people ask me what my favorite action movie is, I often tell them that it is “Speed”. The reason for this is simple. It is a pure bang-for-your-buck action extravaganza with a simple premise that supports the action within.

This was one of those movies where after Dad and I watched it, I rewound the tape and watched it again. Every time I’ve watched it since, I’m amazed at how it pulls me in and doesn’t let go until the last thrilling minute.

Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock star in 'Speed'!

The movie follows Officer Jack Traven, played by Keanu Reeves. Jack and his partner Harry Temple (Jeff Daniels) help a group of hostages in an elevator that is rigged with explosives. They then proceed to stop the culprit Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper) who seemingly kills himself.

One morning while getting coffee, Jack witnesses a bus explode and he gets a call at the payphone. Howard faked his death and still wants the money he thinks he’s owed. He explains to Jack that there is another bus with a bomb on it and that if it reaches 60 m.p.h., the bomb is armed and if it falls below 60, the bus will then explode.

Jack races to the bus and manages to get on it and this is where he meets Sandra Bullock’s Annie Porter. She is a rider on the bus who ends up having to take over driving duties when there is an unexpected incident with the bus driver. Now, while Annie is trying to keep the bus above the appropriate limit, Jack must figure out how to disarm the bomb and save everyone onboard.

Dennis Hopper plays the villainous Howard Payne in 'Speed'!

When my uncle told us all those years ago that the movie was packed from beginning to end with action, he wasn’t kidding. The movie starts with Jack and Harry’s daring rescue of the hostages in an elevator at the beginning of the movie and the film wastes no time getting Jack into his latest predicament on the bus.

That’s all to say that the movie has no fat on its story. It’s straight and to the point.

The movie is directed by Jan de Bont in his feature directorial debut. Before this movie, de Bont was known mostly as a director of photography on films such as “Die Hard”, “Lethal Weapon 3”, and “The Hunt for Red October”. Here, he brings the lessons he learned on those films and generates some of the best action sequences ever caught on camera.

The movie ranges from Jack having to deal with unruly bus passengers who are simply scared to Annie having to navigate the bus through treacherous turns and around civilians. No matter the situation, though, everything is executed flawlessly.

Things get pretty hairy in the classic action film, 'Speed'!

For a lot of people, “Point Break” is the first real action film that people saw Reeves in, but for me it was this movie that solidified his action star status. This was a role made for Reeves and it is no wonder that it has gone down as one of his signature roles in the 30 years since its release.

This is also the first movie where most people caught on to Sandra Bullock and she was propelled into leading lady status with this movie. For me, I had remembered her from “Demolition Man” which had come out the year prior, so it was good to see that she was getting her leading star chance with this movie.

Not only are Reeves and Bullock good on their own, their chemistry onscreen is undeniable. Apparently, it was revealed later on that the two stars had a crush on each other, but they both kept their feelings to themselves in order to remain professional on set. Well, those feelings may have helped the aforementioned chemistry because the electricity between the two of them was most definitely there.

I’ve said this before about action films and I’ll say it again, you can’t have a great protagonist without an equally great antagonist. Who better to be your villain than the madcap actor that was Dennis Hopper. Here, the actor understands the assignment fully and Howard Payne is a truly sinister yet darkly fun villain who successfully chews the scenery when he’s onscreen and interacting with Jack.

This is one of those movies where everything came together. The performances are great, the story is simple and to the point, the run time is not too long for the premise, and the action is absolutely on point. So, when people ask me what my favorite action film is, I’m still going to give the same answer: “Speed.”