Review: Speed (1994)

Directed by: Jan de Bont
Written by: Graham Yost
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, Sandra Bullock and Jeff Daniels

More than twenty years on I think it's become very easy to overlook Speed. It's one of those films that you watch once, it thrills you like few other movies ever will, but then it gets pushed aside. We either forget the kind of effect it had on us, or we revisit it and it doesn't hold up the same way. Suspense really is about anticipating a certain result and knowing a film's outcome can really change the experience as a whole. When I first saw Speed in high school I adored it. It was one of the most intense film experiences I've ever had, and watching it again more recently I still look at it as one of these experience. I was not as on the edge of my seat as a I was when I first saw it, but I think I'll always be 'in it' as much as its characters.

The story concerns a young SWAT officer, Jack foiling the effort of Howard, a sociopathic, money-hungry bomber seeking a ransom. In an act of vengeance Howard rigs a Los Angeles bus with a bomb that'll detonate if it drops below 50 mph forcing Jack to use all of his wits save the lives of those aboard while the LAPD tracks down the cruel man responsible.

While the premise doesn't allow for the most in terms of character development or drama it makes up for this by driving the suspense up to the highest possible limit. I can't even think of that many films that have given me the heart-pounding feeling I got here watching this bus go down the road while its characters contend with each new obstacle. Director Jan de Bont illustrates an aptitude for building tension through lightning-fast yet carefully edited scenes and choices in sound that amplify the sense of urgency. The script's nearly total taking place on the bus itself puts the viewer right in the middle of the situation, creating a sense of empathy with otherwise arbitrary people.

As far as character goes it really isn't anything special. Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock are likable as Jack and Annie despite having no characteristics that stand out from any typical action movie hero/heroine. What actually grabbed me more than anything was just how much Speed makes you hate its villain, Howard Payne. Dennis Hopper shouts cheesy, narcissistic dialogue like no other and this man's moral bankruptcy really puts him into a league of his own. He's not a compelling villain like Darth Vader or Norman Bates. He's simply a bastard you want to see get his comeuppance.

It's fascinating that I and many other can hold Speed in such high esteem despite how unevenly it applies the conventions of a great cinema. I don't think Jan de Bont is a great director, but I think this, his feature film debut is in a lot of areas of mastery of certain techniques. This movie isn't perfect, but if someone is looking for a thrill-ride like no other this will be one of my first recommendations. If you haven't seen Speed, please do so. I'm envious of everyone that still has the opportunity to see it for the first time.

My Rating: 8.5/10