Rating: Summary: Be careful what bus to get on! Review: I really liked this movie! I thought that this movie was very interesting and creative! I personally thought that it started out very well, and as the movie progressed, it got better. I did enjoy all of the explosions and how the bus ran into so many things because it had to be driving at 50 mph. I hope that they make another movie similar to this one in the near future. I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes action and explosions!
Rating: Summary: Didn't age well Review: SWAT officer Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves) must face off against a mad bomber (Dennis Hopper) who has rigged a city bus to explode if its speed falls below 50 mph. When this film was first released, I was as caught up in the action as anyone and easily forgot the absurdity of the plot. Upon a recent reviewing, however, I found that it just didn't hold up for me. I couldn't overlook how silly the basic concept is, and the stereotyped characters and dialogue grated on my nerves. Nevertheless, director Jan DeBont deserves credit for taking this idea farther than anyone else could have.
Rating: Summary: Five stars indeed Review: Director Jan de Bont (who crafted the brilliant cinematography for the original Die Hard) helmed this 1994 smash hit that, like Die Hard, would set the standard for hundreds of following action films, and, also like Die Hard, made a superstar out of it's lead, Keanu Reeves. Reeves plays an L.A. cop who gets in the path of a crazed bomber with an agenda (Dennis Hopper in psycho mode), and eventually winds up on a rigged bus that will explode if it falls below 50 MPH. The frentic action is carried at a speedy (no pun intended) pace, and Reeves carries the film on his shoulders, while Hopper gives a great performance as well and you can tell that this guy is in his element with his role. Speed also features the star making performance of Sandra Bullock as a pivotal bus passenger, and we also get smaller, but nonetheless important, roles from Jeff Daniels, Joe Morton, and Glenn Plummer. Naturally, since Speed was such a sucess, a sequel was released (Reeves wisely elected not to star in it because "he didn't want to get typecast as an action star", yet this is the guy in the bankable Matrix trilogy, go figure, maybe he got an advance of the sequel's script) with Jan de Bont at the helm, but didn't carry an ounce of the magic that this action classic does. 20th Century Fox has done another fantastic job with this Five Star Collection DVD; it's packed with extras including an insightful commentary from de Bont and it even has the rarely seen Billy Idol music video for the film's theme song. All in all, Speed more than deserves a spot in your action library, and it did what the original Die Hard did 15 years ago; revolutionize the genre.
Rating: Summary: A classic action film Review: This is a great, fast-paced movie, refreshingly free of high-rise terrorists with hostages. This movie is on TV frequently, and I never tire of it. By the way, the gap in the road that the bus jumped was on a downhill section; that's how the bus cleared it. How many people will die before the villain is caught?
Rating: Summary: Speed On Review: I can't understand why any fan of action would dislike this film. This movie is . . . fast. The first time I saw it, my heart was racing as fast as the bus itself. I kept saying to myself, there is no way they can sustain this kind of pace for 120 minutes--but they did! This movie rocks!
Rating: Summary: Worst Movie EVER Review: Did you ever actually sit down and watch this movie, it's ridiculous. It's not believeable at all, a large city bus could not jump a gap in a 50 foot gap in a bridge at 70 miles per hour. That may be cynical but it's the truth. Anything to get attention to the films poor acting and horrible plot line. The only thing that saved it (and not by much) was Dennis Hopper, but I don't understand what he was thinking by being in such a terrible movie. I find it sad that this movie actually became a blockbuster hit, and so much so that they decided that there must be a sequal to it. I don't know who made that decision but there should never have even been a first one. If I'm wrong and you like this movie more power to ya, but if you have never seen this movie...go get something better, anything better please...don't waste your time...I know this movie isn't suppose to be a work of art...so you be the judge...but I'm sure I'm wrong
Rating: Summary: Non-Stop Action Review: Just saw it again last night for probably the tenth time. It is non-stop action. Sometimes when I would look at my collection of DVDs for a movie to watch that night, I would think so-so about this movie -- until I started watching it again. It is no wonder that one of the top movie reviewers said that this may be the best action movie ever. It keeps you on your toes and doesn't have to resort to a sex or foul language to keep you glued to the screen. This was the kickoff for Sandra Bullock and she does very well. Keeanu Reeves is in one of his better performances. All-around good stuff.
Rating: Summary: Love and danger. Review: This is an incredibly exciting and moving film, and the rush of adrenaline it provides hardly lets up for a second. And, unlike so many films with their complicated plot lines and twists that leave you feeling confused and irritated, it tells a very simple, if somewhat implausible, story that is easy to follow and understand and that might happen to any of us. I'd put this film ahead of even "Die Hard" because this film has something which DH doesn't have; an appeal to both sexes. DH was a man's film. John McClane had only a wife so that negated any opportunity for romance. But in this film, without interfering with the action, they manage to interweave a fairy-tale romance between two extraordinarily good looking and attractive young people. Jack (Keanu Reeves) is the superlative dare-devil hero; fearless and bold, strong and muscular, kind and gentle, highly intelligent and ready to lay down his life in the fight against evil and to save Annie (Sandra Bullock) the lovely young woman he has come to love. And his love is returned. How could it not be when they have shared such danger together and he, with all the attributes of a story book hero, has proved his worth many times over? And she only a frightened young girl looking to him for protection and salvation. He is a woman's dream; a knight on a white charger. And she is a man's dream; an intelligent, spirited, and brave woman, but one who is frightened and dependant and in need of protection. The heart-rending way he stays with her near the end to face almost certain death, when he could so easily have saved himself and left her alone to die, proved his commitment and love. I don't know which I admired most in this film; the non-stop action and dramatic tension, or the tender love story. What a combination! No wonder the film did so well at the box office.
Rating: Summary: Speed (Five Star) Review: Whoever at Fox Home Video organized this DVD set forgot to put the DTS digital soundtrack on. I knew something was wrong when I didn't see the DTS trailer at the beginning of the movie. Please FOX, go back and put DTS back on Speed.
Rating: Summary: Speed: 5 Star Collection -- Entertainmentopia Review Review: Speed is one of those movies that has such a stupid premise its fun to watch, and many people do, myself included, over and over and over again until we are sick of it, and then we give it one more round. The film stars Keanu "Whoa!" Reeves as a LA police officer who boards a bus with a bomb armed below it. Go above 50 the bomb is armed, go below 50, Kaboom! Sandra Bullock stars alongside crazed bomber Dennis Hopper as a chick who got on the wrong bus this morning. What really drives this movie along is the relentless action that director Jan DeBont seems to throw at the audience like it's candy. Coming off of one obstacle leads to another more challenging problem. Nearly all the time you would be board of "Not Again..." syndrome, but the movie keeps everything fresh and good and keeps you entertained for it's two-hour running time. Speed was giving an initial release on DVD (along with it's god-awful sequel) back when the format was still young, while every studio has to double dip, FOX takes the cake with their excellent 5-Star Editions of classic action movies like Independence Day, Die Hard, and The Abyss. So here we are with Speed being given the ultimate treatment and you couldn't have a better result. Video For being a movie made in the mid 1990s the picture quality is right on and the color definition is excellent, especially during the explosions in the beginning with the first bus and the cargo plane at the end. Blacks, although not present that much, unlike Resident Evil, are deep when they can be seen on screen. I didn't notice any edge enhancement of the print, but then again I was to busy watching the movie. There are still a few artifacts here and there, but for the most part video quality is excellent and is right up there with Die Hard and ID4 for superior quality with the 5-Star name. Sound One word: Excellent. I love FOX for including the DTS soundtrack with it's ample use of your subwoofer. Your neighbors will be either pissed, or begging to join your party. I know I am a sucker for DTS, but man, this is an excellent track. While I still like the sound in Black Hawk Down and Behind Enemy Lines better, Speed's soundtrack is excellent. I do with that voices were a bit higher defined in the center channel, but with all the sound effects and explosions everywhere you won't be listen that hard to see where people are talking from. The THX optimization only adds to an already great sounding track. The disc also provides a Dolby Digital 5.1 track for those of you without the pleasure of DTS. Extras As with all of FOX's 5-Star DVD's the entire second disc of the two disc set is loaded with special features. You can see the full listing below, but there is some really cool stuff on this disc. You get some extended scenes, stunt break-down, an eight camera shot of the final bus vs. cargo plane sequence. You get music videos, and HBO special, screen play, trailer, and TV spots, not to mention interviews with the cast. A wealth of material and a worthy addition to the series. Summation Speed was a great movie when it was released on a bare-bones DVD, and it becomes an excellent movie with one of the best discs I have in my vast collection of DVDs. This is a great disc and if you are second guessing the position to buy it, don't, this is a great movie, pick this disc up now.
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