Review – Speed

This remains one of the all-time winners in the “what’s going to go wrong next?” sub-genre of the action movie. The basic premise is simple enough: a mad bomber puts a chunk of C-4 on a bus, and if the vehicle goes under 50 MPH it blows up. Every time Keanu Reeves (as the heroic young police officer) and Sandra Bullock (as the plucky young commuter) figure out how to overcome one obstacle, the script throws in another twist. By the time everyone finally gets off the bus, the story’s so wrinkled that it might just as well go back in the washer for another cycle (and remember to hang it up right away this time). If you’re a big fan of this kind of movie, well then you’re likely to love this one. However, I found Eddie Izzard’s 60-second summary of the plot – delivered in French – considerably more entertaining than the real thing. See if desperate