Speed
Speed
An extortionist bomber rigs a Los Angeles city bus to explode if its speed drops below 50 mph, forcing a young cop and a female passenger to keep it moving and save everyone on board.
PrimeViews reviewedAugust 16, 2025
So, the other day I decided to rewatch Speed for the first time in quite a long while actually. I'm usually not a big fan of most "classics" (which I define as pre-2000 movies) but this one holds up really well.
The pacing is surprisingly good for a movie of its time, most older films are really slow in terms of pacing, but Speed manages the pacing almost perfectly. It never feels boring, right from the get go they throw in an intense sequence, and the intensity is pretty continuous up until the very end. Some people might be against that, since that means the story is pretty simplistic as a result, but I think it works well for this kind of film. Characters are likable, and the villain was actually pretty solid and well portrayed by Denis Hopper.
I personally don't have a problem with the third act, some people say it was tagged on and the movie should've ended earlier, but I think that would've been kind of abrupt, and the relationship between the two leads would have felt rushed. I think having this sort of "final showdown" with the villain is appropriate and pretty satisfying. I overall don't really have any meaningful issues with the movie, it's really well paced, with good action, characters, villain, and a solid enough story.
The only real nitpick I can come up with is the final line of Sandra Bullock's character. I thought the entire thing with "relationships that stem from intense circumstances don't last" should've been dropped entirely, but it's not a major issue. The only reason I dont give this 5/5 stars is because, even if the movie doesn't have any major issues, I can't quite say I like it more than all the movies I've rated as 4.5/5 stars. Hence why it earns that rating. It's still a blast and an awesome movie that's definitely worth watching.