Speed (1994)

It's interesting to revisit movies I've seen a lot as a child either on grainy VHS or on tiny TV sets in their full splendor on recent HD releases. For a fan of movies this is one of the best possible future dystopias. The landscape of action cinema has changed dramatically in the last 20 to 30 years. With the dominance of comic book movies there are a lot more movies with action in them but fewer films that I would actually call action movies, ie where action has a meaning, drives the plot and the emotional connection with the audience forward and has a palpable danger that keeps you on the edge of your seat. In a lot of big modern movies the action lacks weight, both physically and emotionally, a notable if rare exception being Mad Max Fury Road. Furthermore they fail to tell action with a keen sense of the visual language of cinema. The late eighties to mid nineties gave us a few classics that might not have been smart movies but were made in incredibly smart ways, like the first die hard, terminator 2 or speed. Despite being completely dissimilar they share a few key elements that make them stand the test of time. The most important element being rhythm. Much like a musical piece there's tension and relaxation and exciting action doesn't work without build-up and the investment of the audience. This also translates into the visuals as well. It is much more evident in the golden age of Hong Kong action in the eighties, where the fight movies can be registered as elaborately choreographed dance moves, but Hollywood action used to share this strength albeit done with different props. For people who only watch movies and have never worked in the medium itself this may sound strange or unbelievable but a movie constantly leads the attention of your eyes from one point to another, much like a stage magician, and composing an image, especially one in motion is a tough challenge. So even movies that noone would call art because of their banal content can be serious pieces of art if you ask me.Speaking of which the premise of Speed is simple and genius for a thriller (although not entirely original since it was already done in a similar fashion in the japanese movie "shinkansen" decades before) it's almost a parody. If you were to scribble out the set-pieces for someone who hasn't seen the movie it would sound like the most absurd trash imaginable, however the language or should I say magic of cinema makes it work and Jan DeBont sells it to you piece by piece, much like John McTiernan and James Cameron did in their prime. What surprised me most about Speed upon revisiting it after many years is how gorgeously it is shot. DeBont's main strength as a cinematographer is showing strongly and fortunately it's not just eye-candy as the bone and grisl of the action is captured perfectly. There was some serious thought put into how to tell this movie visually that I miss in a lot of modern blockbusters. Think of a Tony Scott movie but less ridiculous. To be fair though 1995 would see the rise of Michael Bay, a vulgar plagiarist without taste and flair where every shot is so over-engineered and polished as to be absolutely meaningless. I can see how a parallel universe Speed may have looked like under his direction and I shudder. Not everything is shiny in retroland.As for the few negatives: Reeves (whom I honestly love as an actor) is a bit wooden, Dennis Hopper is hamming it up like crazy and despite the great presentation the finale goes a bit too much over the top and thus loses a lot of the believability that made the rest of the movie so exciting. A smaller scale would have been preferable here. Earlier in the film when we see Reeves just centimeters above the asphalt at breakneck speed we get a better sense of danger than can be achieved with the special effects shots of the ending.Still, a simple and entertaining movie that doesn't insult your intelligence, with relateable characters with enough nuance that they feel like people. Speed doesn't pretend to have a deep plot and lofty messages, it's just there to take you on a ride - and after being inundated with comic book movies good and bad the last ten years that simplicity and honesty is very refreshing.

As so aptly indicated by its title, the film is fast-paced! Thrilling and exciting from beginning to end with some amazing action sequences, and great suspense, as well. Awesome music and a great cast. This is a thrill-ride deluxe!

"Speed" is an American English-language film from 1994, so two more years only until this one has its 25th anniversary. It was directed by Jan de Bont (actually the first directorial effort of this prolific cinematographer) and written by Graham Yost and for both of them this (almost) 2-hour movie is among their most famous. One reason is that this film won 2 of its 3 Oscar nominations (lost Editing to Forrest Gump) and another is that this film is still considered one of the defining action films of the 1990s. It features the relatively young Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock and (the not so young) Dennis Hopper. This is obviously not a film about performances, but it needs to be said that Reeves was working the part nicely and Hopper was also good, but admittedly had very little to work with in terms of both screen time and material. Bullock on the other hand I don't even think the performance was a problem at all, but eventually her character was the weakest of the entire film and it is ridiculous she even got awards attention for her turn. It is the epitome of a badly-written female character in an action movie. Early on she gets hit on by a guy who is somewhat of a mini antagonist, but of course she is too good for him and then there are these banter moments with Reeves' character and we knew exactly where this was heading. She is a tough intelligent woman, but needs constant saving and nice words from the big hero. I cannot deny I would have preferred her character to be completely out of the picture, but I guess they did not want to go for a sausage fest. Oh well.Back to the positive: This film has a fairly massive runtime, but it never drags and has no lengths at all I would say. They weren't scared of sacrificing several of the good characters to show how evil the bad guy was and this is a brave movie that we do not always get. I also found it interesting how the movie, fitting the title, moves from slow to fast methods of transportation. It all starts in an elevator, then a bus (the core of the film), and eventually a metro train. Talking about the metro train, fans of the television show "The West Wing" will see (and hopefully enjoy) a familiar face in there. Back to this one here, this is not a film you want to go for if you are in need of realism. There were probably a hundred aspects that would not happen like that in reality or we can also include unrealistic plot developments here. There is a hole in the road and the rails aren't finished either? Nah. Also admittedly the screenplay is not particularly creative as all the ideas are fairly simple really, like the traffic jam, or the lack of fuel etc. But I will admit they still worked. As did the entire film. It has its weaknesses and I would not call it a classic, but it was a genuinely entertaining two hours. I give it a thumbs-up and recommend checking it out.

Speed is the definition of a film that knows what it is. It finds its tone and it excels.The film tells the story of Jack Traven, an LA SWAT officer. After the film immediately catches the audience's attention with a high-pressure hostage situation in a downtown LA elevator (an exploit that provides smart indirect characterization of our leads), the film deals mostly with a city bus on the highway. A bomb expert has rigged the bus, and if its speed drops below 50 MPH, the explosive will detonate, The narrative takes twists and turns, and as our protagonists decipher clues left behind by the villain, the viewer is always highly engaged. The always-evolving plot is very smartly designed. While the series of difficulties our characters face is numerous, it is never confusing. Plot arcs appear and resolve themselves in such a way that the audience is never lost, in fact the clues are simple enough for the audience to play detective along with the characters.The characters in Speed are all very simple but very strong. We learn about who the characters are by seeing them react in high-pressure situations. This is ideal in making people who seem real and it is executed effectively. By the time the movie ends, it's hard not to feel pride and relief for the characters after seeing the hell that they go through and their courage. This is an action movie, but it constructs its characters with more nuance than most acclaimed dramas.Speed isn't afraid to be what it is, and that is perhaps its biggest triumph. All of the film's action is totally over-the-top. The bus infamously makes a totally unrealistic jump across a giant stretch of uncompleted highway, and the viewer is left laughing at its sheer stupidity. But, the film wears the insanity on its sleeve and isn't embarrassed by the craziness. If you wanted a serious police drama, Speed wasn't the right choice.If you want to crack open a beer and just enjoy a smart, funny, and just plain fun action movie, Speed is the right choice.