SPEED

Keanu Reeves stars as a cop out to save the day when an L.A. city bus full of passengers is rigged with a bomb set to explode when the vehicle’s speed goes below 50 miles per hour in the action-packed thriller, SPEED. As police bomb expert Jack Traven, Reeves thwarts a mad bomber’s first attempt to extort $3.7 million by rescuing hostages held on an express elevator rigged with explosives. The bomber (Dennis Hopper), angry at the missed financial opportunity, goes after Jack personally with his next scheme–the bomb planted beneath the city bus. The bomber informs Jack by phone, making him the only person with a chance to save the passengers. Thus, the race is on…a race against time, fuel, pavement, and SPEED.

Suspense, tension, great action, and excellent stunts abound, along with some credible acting performances. Sandra Bullock is extremely natural and believable as Annie, the stand-in bus-driver without a license, and provides needed comic relief and witty dialogue. Dennis Hopper plays simply the best psycho-crazy man in the business. Keanu Reeves, still sporting his tired surfer accent and said to be nervous about carrying a film, is surrounded by enough excellent work that SPEED manages to carry itself. However, an overabundance of foul and profane language serves only to offend and distracts from an otherwise truly exciting film.