Speed (1994)
Average Rating: 7.6/10
Reviews Counted: 42
Fresh: 38 | Rotten: 4
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: 6.6/10
Critic Reviews: 10
Fresh: 7 | Rotten: 3
No consensus yet.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.3/5
User Ratings: 596,617
My Rating
Movie Info
If you don't think Speed is the fastest-moving adventure film ever made, we challenge you to find a faster one. Keanu Reeves stars as an LA Bomb Squad specialist whose principal antagonist is elusive bomber-extortionist Dennis Hopper. Seeking vengeance after his latest ransom scheme is thwarted, Hopper presents a personal challenge to Reeves: A wired-for-destruction city bus, which will detonate if the speedometer drops below 50 MPH. Playing the reluctant civilian who is pressed into service as
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Cast
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Keanu Reeves
Jack Traven -
Dennis Hopper
Howard Payne -
Sandra Bullock
Annie Porter -
Joe Morton
Capt.McMahon -
Jeff Daniels
Harry -
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 -
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Thomas Rosales Jr.
Coffee Shop Worker -
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Speed Trailer & Photos
All Critics (43) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (47) | Rotten (4) | DVD (36)
Talk about simple. But the film's sheer cut-to-the-chase straightfowardness is part of its appeal.
Top CriticAthough it hits any number of gaping credibility potholes on its careening journey around Los Angeles, Speed delivers the goods as a non-stop actioner that scarcely pauses to take a breath.
Eventually, inevitably, [it] goes too far, too fast, and ends up off the rails.
Cleverer action films (Die Hard II and The Fugitive, for instance) deliver more sardonic intelligence, but this one still gets the job done.
The smart and sassy Bullock is a knockout. She makes us believe the impossible things Annie is doing and, better, makes us care.
The most breath-stoppingly thrilling motion picture to open since the original Die Hard.
fast-moving, totally undemanding and relentlessly entertaining, this actioner should do more for the career of Sandra Bullock than for that of its nominal star, Keanu Reeves.
Explosive bus ride for mature action lovers.
Speed lives up to its title, delivering carefully crafted action/adventure thrills without ever breaking out of the genre rut.
A classic of its kind.
It's all about the speed. If you can get that through your head, this is one wild and entertaining ride.
One of the '90s' best popcorn flicks, Jan de Bont's bomb-on-a-bus thrill ride has ... enough tense, fiery mayhem to please even the most jaded action fan.
Sandra Bullock steals the movie. You can actually see her working her charms on Keanu during certain scenes; he cracks a smile from time to time.
A taut, endlessly entertaining action spectacle. They really don't make them like this anymore.
An exhilarating thrill machine that goes from 0 to 50 in the opening minutes and never lets up.
Good suspense movie, third act is weak
Hopper and Reeves make for a great match-up and the tension never stops.
Audience Reviews for Speed
Super Reviewer
Read it all at themoviefreakblog.com
Super Reviewer
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- Harry: You shoot me and they give you a medal, you little prick.
- Jack Traven: Harry, you told me to.
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- Annie Porter: Just so you know, I got my license suspended.
- Jack Traven: What for?
- Annie Porter: Speeding.
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- Harry: [observing explosives mounted on the elevator] What do you think?
- Jack Traven: I dunno. YOU'RE the expert, I just work here.
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- Howard Payne: Pop quiz, hotshot. 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. What do you do? What do you do?
Discussion Forum
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Latest News on Speed
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December 4, 2008:
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Foreign Titles
- Speed (1994) (DE)
- Speed (UK)
Speed is one of those action movies that has a familiar premise that were sure we've seen somewhere else before. But we can't quite put our fingers on where. Even if originality is not it's strongest point it's fast paced, relentless, action packed and emotionally involving. But on the down side it's a bit tiring and heavily reliant on the cliches. Without doubt it doesn't in any way re-invent the bomb/hostage style thrillers but even though it isn't in a fine work of art it's continuously filled with nail biting suspense and easily one of the better action B movies of it's time. Despite the fact it's longer than it needs to be and dumb without charm, it's definitely worth seeing once and most remarkably believable considering the various flaws in the plot. It features great hero and bad guy chemistry from Keanu Reeves and Dennis Hopper, and a sassy, lovable one from "pre oscar" Sandra Bullock. Also the special effects sequences are well choreographed, the camerawork is perfect, and the pain the characters feel isn't weightless. So technically it's pretty well structured, and even though it's entirely empty and very thinly plotted it gets the job done. So if you want to see an above average blockbuster with Keanu Reevers (something that strangely doesn't come around often), you will finish it satisfied. Personally I was constantly at the edge of my seat the whole way through, and overall I think it deserves it's title as one of the most respected action films released in the 90's. Most impressively the brilliantly nostalgic and welcoming tone of it to it really reminded me of the time when mainstream action audiences weren't being served criminally bad explosion fests like Transformers: Dark Of The Moon every weekend. And because of that, Speed remains an extremely fast and over the top slice of ridiculously fun escapism that deliriously grips you, and really doesn't let go until it ultimately comes to a stop.