Speed (1994/I)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Jan de Bont

Writer (WGA):

Graham Yost (written by)

Release Date:

10 June 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Thriller

Tagline:

Get ready for rush hour.

Plot:

A young cop must save the passengers of a bus that has a bomb set to explode if the bus goes below 50 MPH.

Plot Keywords:

Bus | Bomb | Rescue | Explosive | Elevator

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 12 wins & 15 nominations

Cast

Keanu Reeves	...	Officer Jack Traven
Dennis Hopper	...	Howard Payne
Sandra Bullock	...	Annie Porter
Joe Morton	...	Capt. McMahon
Jeff Daniels	...	Det. Harold 'Harry' Temple
Alan Ruck	...	Stephens
Glenn Plummer	...	Jaguar Owner
Richard Lineback	...	Norwood
Beth Grant	...	Helen
Hawthorne James	...	Sam
Carlos Carrasco	...	Ortiz
David Kriegel	...	Terry
Natsuko Ohama	...	Mrs. Kamino
Daniel Villarreal	...	Ray
Simone Gad	...	Bus Passenger #1

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Australia:MA (Special Edition DVD) | South Korea:15 | Malaysia:U | USA:R (certificate #32945) | Brazil:14 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Finland:K-14 | France:U | Germany:16 | Ireland:15 | Mexico:B | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Ballerina Clown - 255 Main Street, Venice, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Sandra Bullock actually learned to drive a bus for the film, passing her test on her first attempt.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In a quick shot of the platform truck loaded with police officers riding alongside the bus in an attempt to rescue passengers of the bus, you can clearly tell that the film was undercranked to simulate a higher rate of travel. This is apparent by the unnatural, quick movement of the police officers on the platform truck bed.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Security Guard: Hey, this area's restricted.
Howard Payne: Oh, hi. Yeah, I know. They called me down here. Some of this wiring got screwed up.
Security Guard: Nobody called it down to me. I'm going to have to see a work order.
Howard Payne: Yeah, just a second. There you are.
[stabs security guard in the ear with a screwdriver]
Howard Payne: Nothing personal.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Father Ted: Speed 3 (#3.3)" (1998)

Soundtrack:

Speed

Guaranteed to give you a rush...the ultimate film for action fans...

'Speed' has to be the ultimate action film, involving you in an intense experience from the opening credits until the smash-bang climax. Not only do Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock do top work, but Dennis Hopper makes the most compelling villain of the '90s.

It all starts with a revenge-driven extortionist letting authorities know he has planted a bomb on a bus. The catch is it will explode if the bus is driven at less than fifty miles an hour. The script races along with non-stop action and surprise twists, without ever giving the audience time to stop for breath. It's a little too intense for its own good and could have used some lighter moments to give us a break!

Taut and suspenseful, with excellent effects and gripping suspense that keeps you riveted. Some of the stunts seem too incredible to be believable but in a film of this kind you have to go with the flow. The stunt work itself is breathtaking and makes it easy to see why the film is one of the most highly rated action films of the '90s.