Since the missus didn't have her Blu-ray of Vertical Suckage Limit here at Xanadu to pair with Cliffhanger (oh darn) I finally was able to get her to watch the 4K of 1994's Speed which was Keanu Reeves action peak following Point Break before he'd go into another career lull broken by The Matrix. As the "Die Hard on a bus" entry in the long line of Die Hard-inspired action flicks, it also kicked Sandra Bullock up to the A-list.
Reeves stars as LAPD Officer Jack Traven whom we meet in the opening set piece working with his partner Harry Temple (Jeff Daniels) rescuing an elevator full of hostages trapped by a madman, Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper), and held for ransom. Jack suspects the bomber is somewhere in the building and is correct as they find him, though Payne takes Harry hostage. After shooting Harry to get Payne to let him go, Payne appears to blow himself up with the suicide vest he was wearing. Movie over.
Oh wait, there's still another 100 minutes to fill. Some time later, Jack is getting his morning coffee when a bus explodes, killing the driver (and occupants?)? A pay phone rings, Jack answers it and is told by the not-dead Payne that he has rigged another bus with a bomb that will activate when the bus goes faster than 50 mph and explode if it drops below that mark. If any of the passengers try to leave the bus, he'll blow it up. The city has a couple of hours to deliver $3.7 million in ransom or kaboom.
We then meet our plucky heroine, Annie (Bullock), who has a suspended driver's license (for speeding), and the passengers including visiting tourist Doug (Alan Ruck). Jack manages to catch up to the bus and board it, but when a guy with a gun freaks out that Jack will arrest him, the driver is shot in the struggle and Annie has to take the wheel. Hijinks ensue.
Speed was Jan de Bont's directorial debut (he would follow it up with Twister) after a lengthy run as a cinematographer for films by John McTiernan (Die Hard, The Hunt For Red October), Ridley Scott (Black Rain), Paul Verhoeven (Basic Instinct), and Richard Donner (Lethal Weapon 3) and he clearly paid attention on how to stage an effective action movie. While sharp-eyed viewers can spot that often the bus is travelling well under the boom-triggering 50 mph - they really should've made it something more realistic, while still challenging, like 35-40 mph - de Bont's capably keeps the tension simmering even as impossible moments like the bus jump occur.
The last act where Payne is able to grab Annie and hold her hostage is a bit of a stretch and a bit of a comedown after the bus trip ends, feeling like a second ending. This was Graham Yost's first screenplay which would be followed by John Woo's Broken Arrow and nothing else exceptional, but he'd do far better in television creating Justified and Silo, the latter I'm eagerly awaiting its return for its 3rd season.
The iTunes presentation includes 4K Dolby Vision and while there are some bright sparks and nice orange explosions, the generally silver/gray color palette and naturalistic daytime cinematography doesn't serve as very good demo material. On the extras front, there are two commentaries (which I haven't listened to) and a smattering of making-of and deleted scenes presented in standard-def.
I can't recall how the 2006 Blu-ray looked and if you're not a AV fiend, it may suffice if you're just a fan of the movie. If you want to bump up on a budget, it's frequently available on iTunes for $5, but you must have an iDevice or an Apple TV 4K to access extras/commentaries. The Apple TV app only plays the movie.
Score: 8/10. Buy it for $5 digitally.
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