Speed

I remember when I first saw this movie as a teenager. It was broadcast on TV and I was blown away. “Speed” was my first all-time favorite live action film. Pop quiz…is the theme of this film. There are surprising challenges throughout the film that threaten the survival of our heroes. The final script is very entertaining and well acted out. The direction of the film is well done also. The film is divided nicely into three parts with an irresistible premise: “There’s a bomb on a bus. Once the bus goes 50 miles an hour, the bomb is armed. If it drops below 50, it blows up.”

Director Jan de Bont was the cinematographer on movies like “Die Hard” and “Lethal Weapon 3”. His directorial debut with “Speed” was a huge success and I believe it to be a result of his previous work experience. It seems to me that he likes helicopter shots when you compare this movie with “Twister”. He knew other great ways of how to portray action and he also had the script redone for “Speed”. The changes to the script were perfect in making the film better. For example, giving Jack compassion and concern for human life made him an ideal protagonist who has something to learn. Jack is a gutsy cop who doesn’t think very much. He takes luck for granted. He learns his lesson when Harry is killed and also after saving Annie at the end of the film. The opening shot allows the music to set a mood of intensity and action. The opening sequence with the elevator is well crafted to establish the characters and relationships. It is always better drama-wise to have a preceding relationship between the criminal and the cop. The opening action sets up this association between Jack and Payne for the main event. I like how the bus passengers represent a variety of ethnicities, ages and personalities. It makes for great fun, especially thanks to Doug, Ortiz and Terry. This was done for the sake of variety and good story telling unlike today where everything has become politicized. Payne has an interesting purpose as the villain. Revenge is not what Payne wants with Jack. He is a bitter retired cop who wants “compensation” for the incident that forced him to retire. He has prepared for two years to get it one way or another. He is smart, is always a step ahead and can improvise. I like the how it is established by Harry that Payne is not an ordinary bomber as he tries to figure out the reason for the gold watch. Payne is too knowledgeable to be the average Joe Criminal. We do get humor from Payne as he always seems to be watching football. I like the fight between the passengers because it shows the emotional stress of the characters. It makes them more believable. We get resolution as they work together for the rest of the film. The celebration after the jump is so emotional and it becomes the highlight of the film for me. It is an important moment when Jack gets off the bus because now the passengers are all by themselves. I enjoy how the movie still maintains intensity at the start of the final act. For once, the cops have the upper hand as they prepare to drop off the money but then Payne realizes that he has been tricked.

As a perfectionist, there are some moments in the film that could have been handled better. Realistically, I don’t think the crane holding up the elevator would have caught on as many things as it did above the shaft. Also, I think the cable would have snapped first. The funny thing is that the bus jumping the gap was pulled off more realistically. The subway sequence has a few plot holes such as how Payne is able to hand a gun and a detonator with only one thumb. The same can be said for when he handcuffs Annie to the pole. The language for the whole movie could have been toned down a bit for the whole movie. The show would still have been fun without so many swear words like F-bombs. I don’t like the edit after we find out that Payne is alive. It cuts away mid-word. Another mistake is that I don’t think Payne could have seen the Arizona University logo. The camera image isn’t that sharp. The bus making the hard turn onto the 105 freeway is realistically portrayed as proved by the Mythbusters. They did find out however that the turn could have been made even if the passengers had remained where they were seating. Jack’s decision to have the passengers move to one side of the bus does add action on the other hand. The film also has many great lines such as “I’ve already seen the airport”, “Harry, there's enough C-4 on this thing to put a hole in the world” and “What, did you feel you needed another challenge.” A great exchange between Jack and the passenger Doug is “Did ya have any luck with the bomb.” “Ya, it didn’t go off.” Keanu gets some one-liners in the movie like “Yeah, well I’m taller” and “He lost his head”.

“Speed” was the film that introduced me to Keanu Reeves, future Oscar-winner Sandra Bullock and Jeff Daniels. Keanu’s comedy persona was almost erased because of this movie and “Point Break”. His new hairdo made him a credible cop in this film. Keanu did many of his own stunts, which makes the movie even more exciting. This film increased Bullock’s popularity. Her performance was both comedic and dramatic. Her chemistry with Keanu works well and that is important. Daniels’ performance made his character very appealing. That makes Harry’s death something that must be avenged. It is always bitter sweet to watch the performance of an actor who has since passed on and Dennis Hopper is a great villain for this show. I only just recently learned that he had died and I will remember him most for his role in “Speed”. Joe Morton as Mac is a convincing police lieutenant. I also like the performances of the actors playing the bus passengers. One of the best performances in this movie comes from a minor character: the Jaguar owner. In the sequel, his name comes to be Maurice but I like to think of him as “Tuneman” because of his novelty license plate. I can’t imagine the chase with the bus without Glenn Plummer. He is so funny. By the end for example, he doesn’t care about his cell phone.

The musical score is one of my favorites and “Speed” barely made the AFI list of the most heart-pounding movies at #99. It deserved the Oscars for sound and sound editing. It was my favorite movie until “Independence Day” but it is still a blast to watch as an adult. The sequel is an unfortunate child of this movie and I believe it failed because it had different screenwriters and no Keanu. The original film is action packed with one “pop quiz” coming after the other. The film is fun and well acted out. Jan De Bont’s direction is a big reason for the film’s success. I hope the film stays popular.

4.5 Stars