The plot centers on a city bus rigged by a vengeful extortionist (Hopper) to explode if its speed drops below 50 miles per hour (80km/h). Reeves plays an LAPD officer tasked with preventing the disaster, with Bullock portraying a passenger who becomes unexpectedly involved in the mission.
A sequel, Speed 2: Cruise Control, was released on June 13, 1997, but performed poorly and was critically lambasted, receiving widespread criticism for Reeves's absence and the film's change in setting.
Plot
LAPDSWATbomb disposal officers Jack Traven and Harry Temple are tasked with preventing a bombing on a city elevator containing 13 people, masterminded by a vengeful extortionist, Howard Payne. After narrowly rescuing the passengers, where Payne seemingly blows himself up, Jack and Harry are conferred medals in a ceremony. However, Payne, who survived, resurfaces with a new deadly scheme: a bomb planted on a city bus that will detonate if the bus slows below 50 miles per hour (80km/h).
Jack receives the ultimatum from Payne—$3.7 million in ransom or the bomb will go off. Racing through traffic, Jack boards the bus, but a felon’s panic leads to the driver being shot. A passenger, Annie Porter, takes over driving. With the bomb armed and passengers aware of the threat, Jack contacts Harry for help while trying to keep the bus moving.
Despite Payne’s constant surveillance, Jack maneuvers the bus through several dangerous obstacles, including a gap in the freeway, and directs it to Los Angeles International Airport to prevent traffic issues. Meanwhile, Harry discovers Payne’s identity as a former Atlanta Police Department bomb squad officer and leads a SWAT team to his home. Most of the team, including Harry, is killed when Payne’s house explodes, leaving Jack to try and defuse the bomb alone. When that fails, he learns Payne is monitoring the bus through a hidden camera. A clever ruse involving looping the surveillance footage allows the passengers to escape, and the empty bus explodes while crashing into an empty cargo plane. After Payne realizes his plan’s been foiled, he kidnaps Annie and demands the ransom.
Jack chases Payne into the subway system. Payne straps an explosive vest to Annie, but his plans unravel when Jack fights back, resulting in Payne’s decapitation. Jack deactivates the vest, but the subway train cannot be stopped. Jack accelerates the train, causing it to derail and crash onto Hollywood Boulevard. Jack and Annie emerge unscathed and share a kiss as onlookers watch in amazement.
Part of the film featured the bus making its way onto Interstate 110 through the traffic.
Writing
Screenwriter Graham Yost was inspired to write Speed after hearing about the 1985 film Runaway Train from his father, Canadian television host Elwy Yost. Elwy mistakenly believed the train's out-of-control situation was caused by a bomb, leading Graham to think that such a concept would work better on a bus. He initially envisioned a bomb that would detonate if the bus dropped below 20mph, but a friend suggested raising the speed limit to 50mph.[4] The film's ending was inspired by the 1976 film Silver Streak. Originally titled Minimum Speed, Yost renamed it Speed to avoid negative connotations associated with "minimum".[5]
Yost's initial draft had the entire film set on the bus, with no elevator or subway sequences. The bus was meant to drive around Dodger Stadium and ultimately crash into the Hollywood Sign.[5] After finishing the script, Yost presented it to Paramount Pictures, which showed interest and suggested John McTiernan to direct. However, McTiernan declined, feeling the script was too similar to Die Hard (1988), and recommended Jan de Bont instead. De Bont, who had been the director of photography for action films like Die Hard and The Hunt for Red October (1990), agreed to direct. Michael Bay had also expressed interest in directing.[6]
Paramount ultimately passed on the project, believing audiences wouldn’t want to watch a film set almost entirely on a bus. Yost and de Bont then pitched the film to 20th Century Fox, who agreed to green-light the project but requested additional action sequences beyond the bus.[7] De Bont suggested starting the movie with a bomb on an elevator, drawing from his own experience of being trapped in an elevator while working on Die Hard.[7] Yost used this opening to establish the cleverness of LAPDSWAT officer Jack Traven, inspired by Perseus’ trickery with Medusa.[5] De Bont also suggested concluding the film with a subway sequence to provide a final twist, which Fox approved.[5][7]
Joss Whedon was brought in a week before filming began to rework the dialogue and improve the script. Whedon made significant contributions, including transforming Jack Traven’s character from a maverick hotshot into a more earnest and polite officer, removing forced one-liners, and creating the iconic line, "Pop quiz, hotshot."[5][8][9] Whedon also reworked minor characters, such as turning Doug Stephens (Alan Ruck) from a lawyer into a hapless tourist.[8] Additionally, the character of Harry Temple was originally intended to be the film’s villain, but once Dennis Hopper was cast as Howard Payne, this role was adjusted, and Temple’s character remained non-complicit.[5]
Casting
When Speed was under development at Paramount Pictures, Jeff Speakman was originally attached to star in the lead role. However, after the project was acquired by 20th Century Fox, Speakman was dropped.[10]Stephen Baldwin was initially offered the role of Jack Traven but declined, citing the character’s similarity to John McClane from Die Hard (1988).[9]Richard Grieco also turned down the role, later expressing regret over his decision.[11] Other actors considered for the part included Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Wesley Snipes, and Woody Harrelson.[5] Director Jan de Bont ultimately cast Keanu Reeves after seeing his performance in Point Break (1991), believing that Reeves projected a balance of vulnerability and strength.[9] Reeves underwent physical training and shaved his head for the role, a decision that initially concerned the studio.[9]
The character of Annie was originally written as an African Americanparamedic to justify her ability to drive the bus. The role was first offered to Halle Berry, who declined, but later expressed regret over her decision.[5][12] As the character evolved into a comic relief sidekick, Ellen DeGeneres was considered for the part.[13] Eventually, the role was rewritten as a love interest for Jack Traven, leading to the casting of Sandra Bullock. Bullock auditioned alongside Reeves to ensure their on-screen chemistry, which involved performing physically demanding scenes.[14]Meryl Streep, Kim Basinger, and Anne Heche were also offered or considered for the role but declined.[15][16]
Filming
Principal photography for Speed commenced on September 7, 1993, and concluded on December 23, 1993, in Los Angeles. Director Jan de Bont used an 80-foot model of a 50-story elevator shaft for the film’s opening sequence.[17] During production, actor Keanu Reeves experienced the death of his close friend River Phoenix.[9] In response, de Bont adjusted the shooting schedule to accommodate Reeves, giving him less demanding scenes. De Bont noted that the loss deeply affected Reeves, making him quieter and emotionally withdrawn. Initially hesitant about the film’s action sequences, Reeves expressed to de Bont, “I’m not an action hero. I don’t like it. I don’t know how to do it,” which de Bont saw as an advantage, believing it paralleled Reeves’ character, who was thrust into an extraordinary situation.[9] As production progressed, Reeves became more involved with his stunts, even secretly rehearsing the Jaguar-to-bus jump, which he later performed himself, against de Bont's approval.[18]
The production utilized eleven GM New Look buses (TDH-5303) and three Grumman 870 buses.[19][20] Two of these buses were destroyed in explosions, while others were adapted for specific scenes, including high-speed sequences, interior shots, and "under bus" scenes. The bus jump scene was filmed in one take using a specially rigged bus equipped with a ramp to allow for lift-off. The driver was suspended in a shock-absorbing harness to prevent injury during the landing.[21] The film's fictionalized bus route, "33 Downtown", was modeled after the real-life Big Blue Bus serving Santa Monica.[19] One of the buses used in the film was auctioned for $102,000 in 2018.[22]
Eleven GM New Look buses were used to represent the bus in the film.
Many of the freeway scenes were shot on California's Interstate 105 and Interstate 110, specifically at the Judge Harry Pregerson Interchange, which was under construction at the time of filming. De Bont noticed unfinished sections of the freeway during a location scout and suggested adding a bus jump to the script.[17] The scene where the bus jumps over an incomplete freeway was achieved using a ramp to give the vehicle the necessary lift.[23]Computer-generated imagery (CGI) was later used to create the appearance of a gap in the freeway, aided by Sony Pictures Imageworks.[21] A 2009 episode of MythBusters tested the feasibility of the bus jump and concluded that it was impossible under real-world conditions.[24]
De Bont revealed in a DVD commentary that the bus jump stunt did not go as planned on the first attempt. The stunt driver missed the ramp, damaging the bus beyond repair. A second bus was prepared, and a successful jump was filmed two days later, although it traveled further than expected and destroyed one of the cameras set up to capture the landing. Fortunately, another camera, placed 90 feet from the jump ramp, recorded the stunt.
The MD520N helicopter featured in the film, registration N599DB, was later sold to the Calgary Police Service in 1995 and remained in use until 2006, after which it was sold to a private owner.[25][26]
Reception
Box office
Speed was released on June 10, 1994, in 2,138 theaters across the United States and Canada. It debuted at number 1 at the US box-office, surpassing The Flintstones and City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold, and grossing $14.5 million in its opening weekend.[27][28]Speed held the number one position for a week before being overtaken by Wolf, generating $12.9 million in its second weekend.[29][30] In its third weekend, despite the debut of The Lion King, the film retained second place at the box office.[31] It enjoyed prolonged success in international markets, staying number one for 8 consecutive weeks in Australia and 10 weeks in Japan.[32][33] The film set opening records for 20th Century Fox in South Korea with $216,077; Brazil with $669,725; and South Africa with $267,140.[34][35][36]
Overall, Speed grossed $121.3 million in the United States and Canada, with an additional $229.2 million internationally, for a total worldwide gross of $350.5 million. This far exceeded its production budget, estimated between $30 million and $37 million.[3][1][2] The film remained Sandra Bullock's highest-grossing film until Gravity surpassed it in 2013.[37]
Critical response
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Speed holds a 95% approval rating based on 73 reviews, with an average rating of 8.10/10. The site's consensus reads, "A terrific popcorn thriller, Speed is taut, tense, and energetic, with outstanding performances from Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, and Sandra Bullock."[38] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 78 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews."[39] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[40]
Roger Ebert of The Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film 4 out of 4 stars, describing it as "manic exhilaration" and praised Reeves's transition into a credible action hero, while also commending Hopper's performance as the film's villain.[41]Peter Travers of Rolling Stone remarked that "Speed works like a charm," highlighting its entertainment value.[42]Janet Maslin of The New York Times praised Hopper’s portrayal of "crazy menace" and noted the film’s swift pacing, which left little room for character development but maintained momentum.[43]Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film an "A" rating, lauding director Jan de Bont’s craftsmanship, and Richard Schickel of Time noted the film’s ability to tap into common anxieties, calling it an effective thriller.[44][45]
The film has also received long-term recognition. Quentin Tarantino named Speed as one of the top 20 films he had seen between 1992 and 2009.[46][47]Entertainment Weekly ranked the film eighth on its list of "The Best Rock-'em, Sock-'em Movies of the Past 25 Years."[48]Empire included Speed in its "500 Greatest Movies of All Time" list in 2008, ranking it #451.[49] In 2017, BBC's Mark Kermode revisited the film and declared it a "timeless masterpiece," praising its enduring appeal as an action classic.[50]
Home media
On November 15, 1994, Fox Video released Speed on VHS and LaserDisc formats for the first time. Rental and video sales did very well and helped the film's domestic gross. The original VHS cassette was only available in standard 4:3 TV format at the time.
On August 20, 1996, Fox Video re-released a VHS version of the film in widescreen alongside True Lies, The Abyss and The Last of the Mohicans, allowing the viewer to see the film in a similar format to its theatrical release.[51]
On November 3, 1998, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment released Speed on DVD for the first time. The DVD contains the film in widescreen format but only has the film's theatrical trailer.[52]
A special two-disc collector's edition DVD was released on July 30, 2002, as part of Fox Home Entertainment's "Five-Star Collection" series.[53] This THX certified DVD release included two commentaries (one with director Jan De Bont and another with writer Graham Yost and producer Mark Gordon), a DTS 5.1 audio track and various behind-the-scenes featurettes.[54][55] Other special features included trailers, deleted scenes, galleries and a music video.[54][56] This edition was re-released as part of Fox Home's "Award Series" on February 7, 2006.[57]
A Blu-ray Disc edition was released on November 14, 2006, being part of the first wave releases on the format from 20th Century Fox. This edition includes the two commentaries from the special collector's edition, a trivia track, the theatrical trailer and an interactive game.[58]
Stephen Hunter Flick Donald Flick David E. Stone Eric Potter Paul Berolzheimer David Bartlett John Dunn Patricio A. Libenson Dean Beville John T. Cucci Ken Dufva Judee Flick Avram D. Gold Warren Hamilton, Jr. Greg Hedgepath Dean Manly Dan O'Connell Catherine Rowe Joan Rowe Kirk Schuler Bruce Stubblefield Solange S. Schwalbe
A soundtrack album featuring "songs from and inspired by" the film was released on June 28, 1994, with the following tracks.[84] The soundtrack was commercially successful in Japan, being certified gold by the RIAJ in 2002.[85]
In addition to the soundtrack release, a separate album featuring 40 minutes of Mark Mancina's score from the film was released on August 30, 1994, by 20th Century Fox Film Scores.[87]
La-La Land Records and Fox Music released a limited expanded version of Mark Mancina's score on February 28, 2012.[88] The newly remastered release features 69:25 of music spread over 32 tracks (in chronological order). In addition, it includes the song "Speed" by Billy Idol.[88]
On June 13, 1997, Speed 2: Cruise Control, a sequel to Speed, was released to overwhelming negative reviews and poor box-office performance. Sandra Bullock reprised her role as Annie, reportedly in exchange for financial backing on another project, but Keanu Reeves declined to return as Jack Traven. As a result, Jason Patric was cast as Alex Shaw, Annie’s new boyfriend, with the storyline explaining that she and Jack had broken up due to her concerns over Jack’s dangerous profession. Willem Dafoe portrayed the villain, John Geiger, while Glenn Plummer, who played a carjacking victim in the first film, made a cameo as the same character, this time involved with a boat. Speed 2 is widely regarded as one of the worst sequels ever made, holding a 4% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 71 reviews.[89]
The film is parodied in the UK Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted, in the 1998 episode "Speed 3", where Father Dougal drives a booby-trapped milk float that will explode if its speed falls below 4mph.
In The Simpsons episode "The Springfield Files", the film is cited by Homer Simpson as the inspiration for his idea to use old CCTV footage to allow him and his friends to go drinking, though he believes it is called The Bus That Couldn't Slow Down.
A hidden mission in Grand Theft Auto features the player having to drive a bus at speed, with the vehicle exploding in the event that it slows down too much.
The mission "Publicity Tour" from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was inspired by the movie. Also, a character named Steve Scott was voiced by Dennis Hopper.
The level "Velocity" in the video game Pursuit Force is an adaptation of the main premise of the movie.
A clip of Speed is seen in the 2020 live-action/CGI film Sonic the Hedgehog, in which the title character considers it one of his favorite action films and quotes some lines from the film. Keanu Reeves would later voice Shadow the Hedgehog in the third installment in the series, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024). Paramount Pictures posted the clip of Sonic watching Speed to the film's official TikTok account with the caption "foreSHADOWing" to announce the casting.
In the 2018 video game Spider-Man, the title character can mention that a crime committed by the Demon Gang involving an armed bomb inside of a truck is similar to the plot of the film. In the voice line, he attempts to recall the name of the film, suggesting "Fastness" and "Super Quick".
In 2018, the vehicle simulator BeamNG.drive released an update featuring a new campaign titled "Hustle and Bustle" inspired by the movie. The bomb detonates when the bus is driven with a speed under 55km/h for more than 10 seconds.
A sequence in the 1997 anime film Detective Conan: The Time-Bombed Skyscraper involves a train on the city's "loop line" being threatened by bombs that will detonate should the speed of the train go under 60 kmph. The bombs are revealed to have sensors that react to sunlight, so each time a train passes over one at full speed, it does so with just enough time to reset the bombs countdown timers.
Webcomic series Cyanide & Happiness made an animated short film named "Waiting for the Bus", a man who waits in bus stop starts to catch the bus because it doesn't slow down due to bomb on its board. The man succeeds to catch the bus and eventually becomes world's fastest man.
See also
The Doomsday Flight, a 1966 TV-movie in which a bomb will explode if a plane descends to land.
The Bullet Train, a 1975 film in which a bomb will explode on a train if its speed falls below 50 miles per hour.
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