Speed (1994 film)

1994 action film by Jan de Bont

Speed

Theatrical release poster

Directed by| Jan de Bont
Written by| Graham Yost
Produced by| Mark Gordon
Starring|

* Keanu Reeves
* Dennis Hopper
* Sandra Bullock
* Joe Morton
* Jeff Daniels

Cinematography| Andrzej Bartkowiak
Edited by| John Wright
Music by| Mark Mancina

Production
companies

Mark Gordon Company
20th Century Fox

Distributed by| 20th Century Fox

Release dates

* June 7, 1994 (1994-06-07) (Hollywood)
* June 10, 1994 (1994-06-10) (United States)

Running time

| 116 minutes
Country| United States
Language| English
Budget| $30–37 million[1][2]
Box office| $350.4 million[3]

Speed is a 1994 American action thriller film directed by Jan de Bont in his feature directorial debut, and written by Graham Yost. Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, and Sandra Bullock star in the film, alongside Joe Morton and Jeff Daniels in supporting roles. The plot centers on a city bus rigged by a vengeful extortionist Howard Payne (Hopper) to explode if its speed drops below 50 miles per hour (80 km/h). Reeves plays LAPD officer Jack Traven, who is tasked with preventing the disaster, with Bullock portraying a passenger who becomes unexpectedly involved in the mission.

The film was inspired by both Runaway Train and the 1975 Japanese language action thriller film The Bullet Train[4]. Screenwriter Graham Yost was told by his father, Canadian television host Elwy Yost, about a 1985 film called Runaway Train starring Jon Voight, about a train that speeds out of control. Elwy mistakenly believed that the train's situation was due to a bomb on board. Such a theme had in fact been used in The Bullet Train. After seeing the Voight film, Graham decided that it would have been better if there had been a bomb on board a bus with the bus being forced to travel at 20 mph to prevent an actual explosion. A friend suggested that this be increased to 50 mph.[5]

Speed premiered on June 10, 1994 by 20th Century Fox. The film received positive reviews from critics and grossed $350 million worldwide against a $30-37 million budget, becoming the fifth-highest-grossing film of 1994. At the 67th Academy Awards, Speed won Best Sound. The film also won Best Sound and Best Editing at the 48th British Academy Film Awards.

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

[edit]

LAPD SWAT bomb 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, Jack and Harry hunt down Payne, resulting in Harry getting wounded. Payne seemingly blows himself up while Jack and Harry are conferred medals in a ceremony. However, it is revealed that Payne has faked his death, and has become personally bitter towards being defeated by Jack and his subsequent recognition. After blowing up a bus to divert Jack's attention, Payne contacts him with a new deadly scheme: a bomb planted on a city bus that will activate upon reaching 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) and detonate if the bus slows below 50 but is also set to go off sometime before noon.

Jack receives the ultimatum from Payne—$3.7 million in ransom or the bomb will go off. Racing through traffic, Jack gets a ride from a Jaguar owner named Maurice to warn the bus driver of the bomb. Realizing he has surpassed 50 and the bomb is already active, Jack boards the bus, but a felon's panic leads to the driver being shot; a passenger, Annie Porter, takes over the driving. With the bomb armed and passengers aware of the threat, Jack contacts Harry for help while trying to keep the bus moving. Payne agrees to allow the wounded driver to be handed to the paramedics as a sign of good faith. Annie's seatmate, Helen, panics and attempts to get off the bus, but Payne sets off a smaller bomb underneath the steps, sending Helen underneath the tires and killing her.

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, and being unable to defuse the bomb due to Payne's methodical planning. Meanwhile, Harry discovers Payne's identity as a former Atlanta Police Department bomb squad officer, who was place on administrative leave after losing his thumb, and developing long-lasting bitterness with being undercompensated with nothing but a "cheap gold watch". Harry leads a SWAT team to arrest him: however, most of the team, including Harry, is killed when Payne's house, having been rigged with bombs, explodes.

Seemingly out of options, Jack is left hopeless until he notices Payne is monitoring the bus through a hidden camera, allowing him to be one step ahead at every moment, seeing that Annie was sporting a University of Arizona shirt and remembering that Payne constantly called her a 'wildcat'. 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. While noticing the LAPD has made the delivery and are waiting to apprehend him, Payne notices the looped feed on the news and realized that he has been bested by Jack once again, as he intended to let the bus explode after the ransom delivery for his own self-satisfaction.

After noticing that Payne hasn't collected the ransom, Jack discovers the drop-off in a trash can is connected to the subway system as a ruse so that Payne could collect the money safely. Jack chases Payne into the subway system, where he discovers that Payne has posed as an officer to kidnap Annie, simply to spite Jack out of his continued bitterness, despite having the ransom. Payne straps an explosive vest to Annie, but his plans unravel when he discovers an exploding dye pack in the duffel bag of money. Furious, Payne fights Jack on the train roof, eventually resulting in Payne's decapitation from an overhead sign. Jack deactivates the vest, but the subway train cannot be stopped. Jack instead 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.

## Cast

[edit]

* Keanu Reeves as LAPD Officer Jack Traven
* Dennis Hopper as Howard Payne
* Sandra Bullock as Annie Porter
* Joe Morton as LAPD Lieutenant Herb 'Mac' McMahon
* Jeff Daniels as LAPD Detective Harry Temple
* Alan Ruck as Doug Stephens
* Glenn Plummer as Maurice the Jaguar Owner
* Beth Grant as Helen
* Hawthorne James as Sam Silver
* Carlos Carrasco as Ortiz
* David Kriegel as Terry
* Natsuko Ohama as Mrs. Kamino
* Daniel Villarreal as Ray
* Margaret Medina as Officer Robin
* Jordan Lund as Bagwell
* Robert Mailhouse as Young Executive
* Patrick Fischler as Bob, Friend of Executive
* Patrick John Hurley as CEO
* Susan Barnes as Female Executive
* Neisha Folkes-LeMelle as Mrs. McMahon
* Richard Lineback as Sergeant Norwood
* Beau Starr as Commissioner
* Richard Schiff as Hughe, Train Driver
* John Capodice as Bob, Bus Driver
* Thomas Rosales Jr. as Vinnie
* Sandy Martin as Bartender

## Production

[edit]

Part of the film featured the bus making its way onto Interstate 110 through the traffic.

### Writing

[edit]

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,[a] 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 20 mph, but a friend suggested raising the speed limit to 50 mph.[6] 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".[7]

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.[7] 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.[8]

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.[9] 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.[9] Yost used this opening to establish the cleverness of LAPD SWAT officer Jack Traven, inspired by Perseus' trickery with Medusa.[7] De Bont also suggested concluding the film with a subway sequence to provide a final twist, which Fox approved.[7][9]

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."[7][10][11] Whedon also reworked minor characters, such as turning Doug Stephens (Alan Ruck) from an unpleasant lawyer into a hapless tourist.[10] 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.[7]

### Casting

[edit]

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.[12] Stephen Baldwin was initially offered the role of Jack Traven but declined, citing the character's similarity to John McClane from Die Hard (1988).[11] Richard Grieco also turned down the role, later expressing regret over his decision.[13] Other actors considered for the part included Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Wesley Snipes, and Woody Harrelson.[7] 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.[11] Reeves underwent physical training and cut his hair short for the role, a decision that initially concerned the studio.[11]

The character of Annie was originally written as an African American paramedic 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.[7][14] As the character evolved into a comic relief sidekick, Ellen DeGeneres was considered for the part.[15] 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.[16] Meryl Streep, Kim Basinger, and Anne Heche were also offered or considered for the role but declined.[17][18]

### Filming

[edit]

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.[19] During production, River Phoenix, a close friend of actor Keanu Reeves, died.[11] 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.[11] 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.[20]

The production utilized eleven GM New Look buses (TDH-5303) and three Grumman 870 buses.[21][22] 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.[23] The film's fictionalized bus route, "33 Downtown", was modeled after the real-life Big Blue Bus serving Santa Monica.[21] One of the buses used in the film was auctioned for $102,000 in 2018.[24]

Eleven GM New Look buses were used to represent the bus in the film. Displayed at Tokyo Comic Con 2024.

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.[19] The scene where the bus jumps over an incomplete freeway was achieved using a ramp to give the vehicle the necessary lift.[25] Computer-generated imagery (CGI) was later used to create the appearance of a gap in the freeway, aided by Sony Pictures Imageworks.[23] A 2009 episode of MythBusters tested the feasibility of the bus jump and concluded that it was impossible under real-world conditions.[26]

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 film's final scenes were shot at Mojave Airport, which stood in for Los Angeles International Airport. Shots of the LACMTA Metro Red Line during the film's climactic subway sequence were created using an 1/8 scale model, except for the train derailment jump.[23]

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.[27][28]

## Reception

[edit]

### Box office

[edit]

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.[29][30] Speed held the number one position for a week before being overtaken by Wolf, generating $12.9 million in its second weekend.[31][32] In its third weekend, despite the debut of The Lion King, the film retained second place at the box office, collecting an additional $12.4 million.[33] It enjoyed prolonged success in international markets, staying number one for 8 consecutive weeks in Australia and 10 weeks in Japan.[34][35] 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.[36][37][38]

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.[39]

### Critical response

[edit]

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Speed holds a 95% approval rating based on 79 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."[40] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 78 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[41] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[42]

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.[43] On their TV show, Ebert's colleague Gene Siskel praised Reeves as "absolutely compelling" and said that "all of the sequences work." Both critics enthusiastically agreed that the film was "a lot of fun."[44]

Peter Travers of Rolling Stone remarked that "Speed works like a charm," highlighting its entertainment value.[45] 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.[46] 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.[47][48]

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.[49][50] Entertainment Weekly ranked the film eighth on its list of "The Best Rock-'em, Sock-'em Movies of the Past 25 Years."[51] Empire included Speed in its "500 Greatest Movies of All Time" list in 2008, ranking it #451.[52] In 2017, BBC's Mark Kermode revisited the film and declared it a "timeless masterpiece," praising its enduring appeal as an action classic.[53]

### Home media

[edit]

* 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.[54]
* 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.[55]
* 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.[56] 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.[57][58] Other special features included trailers, deleted scenes, galleries and a music video.[57][59] This edition was re-released as part of Fox Home's "Award Series" on February 7, 2006.[60]
* 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.[61]
* 20th Century Studios and Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released the film on Ultra HD Blu-ray on May 4, 2021. This edition retains the commentaries and most of the special features from the 2002 special collector's edition.[62][63]

### Accolades

[edit]

#### Year-end lists

[edit]

* 7th – Mack Bates, The Milwaukee Journal[64]
* 7th – John Hurley, Staten Island Advance[65]
* 9th – David Stupich, The Milwaukee Journal[66]
* 9th – Joan Vadeboncoeur, Syracuse Herald American[67]
* 9th – Michael Mills, The Palm Beach Post[68]
* 9th – Dan Craft, The Pantagraph[69]
* 9th – Christopher Sheid, The Munster Times[70]
* 10th – Bob Strauss, Los Angeles Daily News[71]
* 10th – Robert Denerstein, Rocky Mountain News[72]
* Top 10 (listed alphabetically, not ranked) – Matt Zoller Seitz, Dallas Observer[73]
* Top 10 (listed alphabetically, not ranked) – William Arnold, Seattle Post-Intelligencer[74]
* Top 10 (listed alphabetically, not ranked) – Eleanor Ringel, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution[75]
* Top 10 (listed alphabetically, not ranked) – Steve Murray, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution[75]
* Top 10 (listed alphabetically, not ranked) – Jeff Simon, The Buffalo News[76]
* Top 10 (not ranked) – Bob Carlton, The Birmingham News[77]
* Best "sleepers" (not ranked) – Dennis King, Tulsa World[78]
* "The second 10" (not ranked) – Sean P. Means, The Salt Lake Tribune[79]
* Top 3 Runner-ups (not ranked) – Sandi Davis, The Oklahoman[80]
* Honorable mention – Mike Clark, USA Today[81]
* Honorable mention – Betsy Pickle, Knoxville News-Sentinel[82]
* Honorable mention – Duane Dudek, Milwaukee Sentinel[83]
* Honorable mention ("until the subway") – David Elliott, The San Diego Union-Tribune[84]
* Dishonorable mention – Glenn Lovell, San Jose Mercury News[85]

#### Awards

[edit]

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|

Association  | Ceremony Date  | Category  | Recipient  | Results

|
|
|
|

Awards Circuit Community Awards  | 1994  | Best Stunt Ensemble  | Gary Hymes
Eddie Matthews
William Morts
Jimmy Ortega
Brian Smrz  | Won
Best Film Editing  | John Wright  | Nominated
Best Achievement in Sound  | David McMillan  | Nominated
Best Visual Effects  | Boyd Shermis  | Nominated
Honorable Mentions  | Jan de Bont | Won
Academy Awards | March 27, 1995 | Best Film Editing | John Wright  | Nominated
Best Sound | Gregg Landaker
Steve Maslow
Bob Beemer
David MacMillan | Won
Best Sound Effects Editing | Stephen Hunter Flick | Won
American Cinema Editors Awards | 1995  | Best Edited Feature Film | John Wright  | Nominated
BAFTA Awards | 1995 | Best Sound | Stephen Hunter Flick
Gregg Landaker
Steve Maslow
Bob Beemer
David MacMillan  | Won
Best Special Visual Effects | Boyd Shermis
John Frazier
Ron Brinkman
Richard E. Hollander  | Nominated
Best Editing | John Wright  | Won
Blockbuster Entertainment Awards | 1995  | Favorite Actress - Action/Adventure | Sandra Bullock | Won
BMI Film & TV Awards | 1995  | BMI Film Music Award | Mark Mancina | Won
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | 1995 | Most Promising Actress | Sandra Bullock | Nominated
Cinema Audio Society Awards | 1995  | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing
for Feature Films | Gregg Landaker
Steve Maslow
Bob Beemer
David MacMillan  | Nominated
Edgar Allan Poe Awards | 1995  | Best Motion Picture | Graham Yost | Nominated
Golden Camera Awards | 1995  | Golden Screen | —  | Won
Japan Academy Prize Awards | 1995  | Best Foreign Film | —  | Nominated
Jupiter Awards | 1994  | Best International Actress | Sandra Bullock | Won
Motion Picture Sound Editors Awards | 1995  | Best Sound Editing - Sound Effects & Foley,
Domestic Feature Film | 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  | Won
MTV Movie + TV Awards | June 10, 1995 | Best Movie | —  | Nominated
Best Male Performance | Keanu Reeves | Nominated
Best Female Performance | Sandra Bullock | Won
Best On-Screen Duo | Keanu Reeves
Sandra Bullock | Won
Best Kiss | Nominated
Most Desirable Male | Keanu Reeves | Nominated
Most Desirable Female | Sandra Bullock | Won
Best Villain | Dennis Hopper | Won
Best Action Sequence -
for the bus escape/airplane explosion  | —  | Won
Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards | May 20, 1995 | Favorite Movie | —  | Nominated
Favorite Movie Actor | Keanu Reeves | Nominated
Favorite Movie Actress | Sandra Bullock | Nominated
Nikkan Sports Film Awards | 1995  | Best Foreign Film | —  | Won
Saturn Awards | June 26, 1995 | Best Action/Adventure-Thriller Film | —  | Nominated
Best Director | Jan de Bont | Nominated
Best Actress | Sandra Bullock | Won[b]

American Film Institute recognition:

* 100 Years...100 Thrills: No. 99[86]
* 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains:
* Jack Traven & Annie Porter - Nominated Heroes
* Howard Payne - Nominated Villain

## Music

[edit]

Further information: Speed (soundtrack)

### Soundtrack

[edit]

A soundtrack album featuring "songs from and inspired by" the film was released on June 28, 1994, with the following tracks.[87] The soundtrack was commercially successful in Japan, being certified gold by the RIAJ in 2002.[88]

### Score

[edit]

Michael Kamen was initially considered to do the score of the movie. However, De Bont chose Mark Mancina, who at the time worked in some Hans Zimmer scores like Days of Thunder, Where Sleeping Dogs Lie and True Romance.[89]

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.[90]

La-La Land Records and Fox Music released a limited expanded version of Mark Mancina's score on February 28, 2012.[91] 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.[91]

## Sequel

[edit]

Main article: Speed 2: Cruise Control

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.[92]

## Legacy

[edit]

* Keanu Reeves is shown wearing a G Shock DW-5600C-1V watch in one of the scenes.
* MythBusters' 2009 season disproved the real-world viability of the film's bus jump scene.
* 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 4 mph.
* 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 the first 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.[citation needed]
* A somewhat similar mission in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, "Publicity Tour", features the player having to drive a limousine while the band members of Love Fist are defusing the bomb, with the vehicle exploding if it slows down too much/stopped. Dennis Hopper, an actor from the movie, is also the voice actor for the game character Steve Scott.
* The level "Velocity" in the video game Pursuit Force is an adaptation of the main premise of the movie, inasmuch as both feature a police officer rescuing hostages from a bomb-rigged bus that will explode if it slows down.[93]
* 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.[94] 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.[95]
* 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".[citation needed]
* 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 55 km/h for more than 10 seconds.[96]
* 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.[97]
* The film is heavily referenced in Mandy (TV series) in the 2025 episode Seed when an escaped rat is preventing Mandy from hitting the brakes of the bus she's driving.

## See also

[edit]

* 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.

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Such a plot had coincidentally been used in the 1975 Japanese movie The Bullet Train.
2. ^ Tied with Jamie Lee Curtis for True Lies.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Weinraub, Bernard (June 11, 1994). "Hurtling to the Top: A Director Is Born". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
2. ^ a b Bart, Peter (July 29, 2021). "Peter Bart: Hollywood Yearns For Budget-Bending Box Office Blast-Offs Of Former Summers". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
3. ^ a b "Speed". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on October 16, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2008.
4. ^ "The Bullet Train (1975) – Junya Sato". AllMovie.
5. ^ Empire – Special Collectors' Edition – The Greatest Action Movies Ever (published in 2001)
6. ^ Empire \- Special Collectors' Edition - The Greatest Action Movies Ever (published in 2001)
7. ^ a b c d e f g h Bierly, Mandi (June 10, 2014). "'Speed' 20th anniversary: Screenwriter Graham Yost looks back". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 18, 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
8. ^ Weintraub, Steve (April 20, 2022). "Exclusive: Michael Bay Breaks Down the Making of 'Ambulance' in 60-Minute Q&A and Answers Tons of Fan Questions". Collider. Archived from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
9. ^ a b c O'Hare, Kate (June 6, 2003). "The 'Bus Guy' triumphs". The Post-Star. Archived from the original on November 25, 2014. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
10. ^ a b Kozak, Jim (August–September 2005). "Serenity Now!". In Focus. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved April 9, 2009.
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## External links

[edit]

Wikiquote has quotations related to Speed (1994 film).

* Speed at IMDb
* Speed at the TCM Movie Database
* Speed at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
* Speed at Box Office Mojo

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Speed

Film|

* Speed (1994)
* Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997)

Music|

* "Speed" (song)
* Speed (soundtrack)
* Speed 2: Cruise Control (soundtrack)

Parody|

* "Speed 3" (1998)

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Jan de Bont

* Speed (1994)
* Twister (1996)
* Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997)
* The Haunting (1999)
* Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life (2003)

Awards for Speed

* v
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Academy Award for Best Sound Editing

Sound Effects
1963–1967|

* Walter Elliott (1963)
* Norman Wanstall (1964)
* Treg Brown (1965)
* Gordon Daniel (1966)
* John Poyner (1967)

Sound Effects Editing
1982–1999|

* Charles L. Campbell and Ben Burtt (1982)
* Jay Boekelheide (1983)
* Kay Rose (1984)
* Charles L. Campbell and Robert Rutledge (1985)
* Don Sharpe (1986)
* Stephen Hunter Flick and John Pospisil (1987)
* Charles L. Campbell and Louis Edemann (1988)
* Ben Burtt and Richard Hymns (1989)
* Cecelia Hall and George Watters II (1990)
* Gary Rydstrom and Gloria S. Borders (1991)
* Tom McCarthy and David E. Stone (1992)
* Gary Rydstrom and Richard Hymns (1993)
* Stephen Hunter Flick (1994)
* Lon Bender and Per Hallberg (1995)
* Bruce Stambler (1996)
* Christopher Boyes and Tom Bellfort (1997)
* Gary Rydstrom and Richard Hymns (1998)
* Dane A. Davis (1999)

Sound Editing
2000–2019|

* Jon Johnson (2000)
* George Watters II and Christopher Boyes (2001)
* Ethan Van der Ryn and Mike Hopkins (2002)
* Richard King (2003)
* Randy Thom and Michael Silvers (2004)
* Mike Hopkins and Ethan Van der Ryn (2005)
* Bub Asman and Alan Robert Murray (2006)
* Karen Baker Landers and Per Hallberg (2007)
* Richard King (2008)
* Paul N. J. Ottosson (2009)
* Richard King (2010)
* Eugene Gearty and Philip Stockton (2011)
* Per Hallberg and Karen Baker Landers / Paul N. J. Ottosson (2012)
* Glenn Freemantle (2013)
* Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman (2014)
* Mark Mangini and David White (2015)
* Sylvain Bellemare (2016)
* Richard King and Alex Gibson (2017)
* John Warhurst and Nina Hartstone (2018)
* Donald Sylvester (2019)

* v
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* e

Nikkan Sports Film Award for Best Foreign Film

* The Last Emperor (1988)
* Rain Man (1989)
* Ghost (1990)
* Dances With Wolves (1991)
* Basic Instinct (1992)
* Unforgiven (1993)
* Schindler's List (1994)
* Speed (1995)
* Dead Man Walking (1996)
* The English Patient (1997)
* L.A. Confidential (1998)
* Elizabeth (1999)
* Gladiator (2000)
* Billy Elliot (2001)
* The Son's Room (2002)
* The Pianist (2003)
* The Last Samurai (2004)
* Million Dollar Baby (2005)
* Brokeback Mountain (2006)
* Letters from Iwo Jima (2007)
* No Country for Old Men (2008)
* Mother (2009)
* The Hurt Locker (2010)
* The King's Speech (2011)
* The Intouchables (2012)
* Les Misérables (2013)
* Frozen (2014)
* Whiplash (2015)
* Spotlight (2016)
* Dunkirk (2017)
* Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2018)
* Green Book (2019)
* House of Hummingbird (2020)
* Nomadland (2021)
* Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
* Barbie (2023)
* The Zone of Interest (2024)

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