A passenger bus is armed with a bomb that will detonate if the bus speed goes below 50 mph and they are also been monitored in case anyone tries to escape. LAPD cop, Jack and his partner tries to save people before the bomb goes off.
Speed kills -- it kills wit, character, charm and empathy. But it does go fast. Since that is its sole reason for existence, one must say it achieves its narrow goal brilliantly.
Keanu Reeves and Dennis Hopper are fun to watch as the dueling protagonists, and Sandra Bullock is fetching as an astonished commuter who finds herself behind the steering wheel.
Action directing is a put-up-or-shut-up game, a skill that can't be faked or finessed; even a 10-year-old can tell if you've got it or not. And on the evidence of the invigorating Speed, Jan De Bont has definitely got it.
The deft arabesques of cinematographer Andrzej Bartkowiak juice up the suspense, and if you're not too put off by the sheer ridiculousness of the story you won't be bored.
It's more than a mere knockoff. It's a clever, carefully constructed action machine that generates lots of high-octane thrills and spills. What it lacks in originality, it more than makes up for in full-throttle pacing.
De Bont has assembled it with masterly precision. And Speed looks terrific. There are breathtaking aerial shots, mind-boggling stunts, and camera positioning that you just don't expect. It's a rocketing eyeful.