Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13778 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-06-03
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Anamorphic, Box set, PAL, Special Edition, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish, Turkish
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 110 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The movie that transformed Keanu Reeves into a bona fide action hero, Speed was also former cinematographer Jan De Bont’s assured directorial debut. It’s an almost perfect high-concept movie that lives up to its title both in the adroit choreography of the action set-pieces and Graham Yost’s taut screenplay, which is admirably stripped of all padding.

De Bont further heightens the excitement by his use of authentic locations as the out-of-control bus travels through, across and--in one unforgettable scene--a few feet in the air above the urban sprawl of LA. And instead of relegating the love interest to a dull subplot, here Sandra Bullock is an integral part of the action as she and her bus career around the city at 50-plus miles an hour. Even the opening credits neatly illustrate the film’s title, as does composer Mark Mancina’s pulsing score. Sensibly, Reeves passed on the ill-advised sequel and took on The Matrix instead; both screenwriter and director have yet to do anything better than this.

On the DVD: Speed is the kind of movie that was made for the DVD format, and this two-disc special edition does it full justice. The feature is presented anamorphically in its original 2.35:1 ratio with spectacularly vivid Dolby 5.1 or DTS 5.1 options. Jan De Bont provides a commentary, though his solo effort is less engaging than that of chatty producer Mark Gordon and writer Graham Yost who enjoy constantly interrupting each other.

Disc 2 has lots of goodies, including mini-documentaries on the key action set-pieces with storyboards and multi-angle views of the major stunts. "Inside Speed" looks at various aspects of the production, from locations to stunts; production design and visual effects, plus reproducing all of Graham Yost’s original screenplay. There are individual interviews with the director and principal stars, a short selection of extended scenes and a brief deleted one; a photo gallery, plus a promotional menu in which there is a HBO "making of" featurette, TV spots, trailers, a press kit and Billy Idol’s music video. In all, a satisfyingly extensive package.--Mark Walker

DVD Description
DVD Special Features:

Disc One:
Feature-length commentary by director Jan de Bont
Audio commentary by writer Graham Yost and producer Mark Gordon
Ratio: 2.35:1 widescreen 16:9 Language: English Dolby 5.1 / DTS 5.1
Subtitles: Hard of Hearing English, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Finnish, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish, Turkish, Dutch

Disc Two:
Making of documentary
Two featurettes -- Bus jump scene and Metrorail crash
Three "Inside Speed" featurettes -- On location stunts and Visual Effects
Interviews with the stars and director
Five extended scenes
Multi-angle stunts sequences
Multi-stream storyboards
Billy Idol music video
Producion notes
Stills gallery
11 TV spots
Original theatrical trailer

Synopsis
A mad bomber with a vendetta against a young cop plants a bomb on a bus in L.A. The hero, with the help of a beautiful passenger, must diffuse the explosive device which is set to detonate if the bus slows to under 50 miles per hour. Academy Award Nominations: 3, including Best Film Editing. Academy Awards: 2, including Best Sound and Best Sound Effects Editing.

Customer Reviews

Is there a better action film?
I'm not particularly into films. And I've never really gone for action films, to be honest. See one car chase and you've seen them all. Explosions are always orange. But 'Speed' is something else. It's one of those films that comes on while you're doing the ironing and two hours later there's a large triangular hole in your best shirt, but you don't mind in the slightest. The best opening sequence since Die Hard 3 (and I only watched that because 'Speed' attuned my palate to the genre) reels you in and then whisks you along at well over 50mph to a breakneck (sorry) finish.

The plot is as strong as a rock: After seeing his painstakingly crafted bomb plot fail at the hands of two LA Cops (Reeves and Daniels), the bomber (Hopper) sets about exacting his revenge by setting a bus to explode if its speed drops below 50mph. The tension is expertly crafted, the film adjusts its pace at the all right times and the character development and attention to detail make the film rounded enough to avoid the trap of it becoming a formulaic action or disaster movie. A smart script full of nice touches and clever one-liners keeps you listening as well as watching. The result exceeds your expectations time and again throughout the length of the film.

Hopper is perfect as the crazed bomber "I'm not crazy, Jack - poor people are crazy. I'm eccentric." Bullock gives the best performance of her career (what a shame she consistently picked turkeys after leading in this epic) as the gutsy damsel at the wheel, and Reeves (let's be kind) grunts and flexes his way through the film except on the few occasions when his acting ability is uncomfortably stretched. Jeff Daniels meanwhile appears like a different human from the actor who goofed around so hilariously in Dumb and Dumber.

The film has everything. The Radio Times (and who doesn't trust that?) gives it five stars. Even girls will like it.

If you don't like action films, watch Speed. I did.

One of the Best action Movie ever
Speed" is one of the best action films with a few comedy bits; it is so great that it will live you clinging to your chair. There are lots of action, suspense and great explosions that will bow you away. Speed does live up to its title, even if you see it multiple times; the suspense is still there. Speed has a great cast including Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, Joe Morton, Jeff Daniels and Sandra Bullock.

Keanu Reeves plays Jack Traven, an LAPD officer whom with his partner Harry Temple (played by Jeff Daniels) rescue a group of executives trapped in a sabotaged elevator, hence foils a mad bomber named Howard Payne's (played by Dennis Hopper) plans to collect a ransom of $3M. In reprisal, Payne sets a bomb on a city bus, which will arm itself when the bus reaches 50 mph, and explode if the bus goes below 50 mph and if any passengers try to get off. Sandra Bullock, who plays Annie Porter, one of the passenger who ends up driving the bus during the whole movie.

From elevator, to car, to bus, to train, the thrills never cease in Speed; it's got the finest ingredients for action, a striking romance between Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. Although I have never seen such an access panel on a bus before, I am also certain that those buses are not able to open their doors while in motion, and thinking of travelling on a public transport in Los Angeles traffic at 50 mph is astonishing. Even though this movie is still a great movie.

The thing that makes this great movie is that it is not all predictable, it makes you think, and "I was like WOW I did not see that coming".

Overall this movie is excellently made with big wonderful explosions, great casts, non-stop actions, a fast movie and it's like a roller coaster. An overall rating is a magnificent 10 out of 10.

good enough film
the debate as to whether keanu reeves can actually act gathered pace,no pun intended,with speed (1994),a film where a vengeful villain plants a bomb on a bus which will explode if the bus falls under the speed of 50 miles per hour,reeves here in places is so wooden that the part of pinnochio was crying out for him.Regardless of that this is still a high octane thriller with good performances from dennis hopper and shock,horror,yes ,sandra bullock who ends up as a heroine to reeves hero.
The film moves along nicely,there is the odd moment which defies reality but show me a blockbuster where that isnt the case,but speed is a film that has lasted the test of time,more or less and wont humilate you if you are seen with it in your dvd collection.