Speed

An excellent idea translated into a not very imaginative screenplay and directed by the then still dynamic and technically gifted Jan de Bont. The actors are fine and the action is great. If the characters had been better developed, Speed would have been worthy of five stars. (08/14/2003)

A lethal adrenaline ride that, when seen on the big screen, draws the viewer into the action, but loses much on the television screen. Jan de Bont set such a high bar with his feature debut that he didn't even come close to it in his subsequent films. (07/21/2002)

One of the best action movies ever. It has a good story, excellent stars and gripping action. (11/17/2007)

Action yes, suspense yes, thrilling often, originality not so much. Speed is cleverly built on unfamiliar actors and one clever, although illogical and clunky, idea: a bomb on a bus. Otherwise, it's a typical game of cat and mouse with a clear villain, clear heroes, clear ending. Despite not being particularly afraid for the heroes (meaning everyone on the bus), Speed is still impressive craftsmanship. From the stunts to some downright brilliant lines (“everybody's fired, everybody's fuckin' fired”). In a nutshell, it’s the typical Hollywood action flick that is so familiar it's no longer pretty, but one that we will still enjoy multiple times. A packed masterpiece that I can't get enough of. (03/03/2007)

An action classic of my youth that has not lost any of its appeal even after the tenth viewing thanks to its dynamic and technically delicious story. Jan de Bont is an adrenaline master, something he also proved in the easygoing Twister, and his imaginative direction gives the film amazing charge and sparkle. And whenever the script can't keep up, the great Keanu Reeves and Dennis Hooper step in. It's a pity that the film just flies past the viewer and there is no time left for a secondary motif that would spice up the atmosphere. 80% (11/11/2012)

A magical cocktail of the purest essence of the nineties. A great villain (he's a terrible bastard, but a likable one), great lines (They're the police. Hey, your taxes are paying their salaries. We die, they gotta take a pay cut.), awesome action scenes (believability and the laws of physics are not really the point here) and a natural chemistry between the damsel in distress and the main character. Moreover, the cast of the other passengers is unexpectedly good, because it's rare to put together such a palette of individuals (and I certainly don't mean that pejoratively). The script itself then serves up basically three consecutive conflicts and doesn't quite end with a crystalline happy ending either (for some), which in the end puts Speed among the true gems of 90s action movies. (07/16/2020)