When it comes to high-thrill action films that defined the 1990s, few movies come to mind or have the lasting impact of Speed.
And rush hour never looked the same.
Released in 1994, starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, the film became a box office sensation, eventually taking the spot as one of the biggest summer hits of the year.
And it’s cemented its place as a modern action classic, generally regarded as the best action movie ever, and one that holds up years later, including by The Guardian.
The film follows Reeves as police officer Jack, who must stop a city bus rigged with a bomb on board by vengeful mastermind and disgruntled former cop, Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper), that will detonate if the speed drops below 50 miles per hour.
Passenger Annie, played by Bullock, becomes unexpectedly involved with the mission, as Jack is tasked with preventing the disaster. Along with his partner, Harry, played by Jeff Daniels, he attempts to save the people on the bus before the bomb goes off, while trying to figure out how Payne is monitoring them.
Critics and fans alike were both impressed by the film, inspired by 1985’s Runaway Train and Japan’s The Bullet Train, as the film grossed around $350 million worldwide, earning the rank of fifth-highest-grossing film of 1994.
For Reeves, who was already known for films like Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and Point Break, Speed helped establish him as a major mainstream action star, paving the way for future successes like The Matrix.
As for Bullock, it was a real breakout moment, as she’d only appeared in smaller movies and shows prior to the film, which catapulted her into stardom almost overnight. Shortly after the action flick, she became Hollywood’s most-wanted actress, landing hits like While You Were Sleeping and Miss Congeniality.
The duo even did most of the stuntwork themselves, with the movie’s director, Jan de Bont, making his directorial debut following success as a cinematographer on films such as Die Hard and Basic Instinct, telling the LA Times, "I knew we had something very early on."
“The moment I saw Keanu and Sandra working as a team and doing most of the stunts themselves, which is so great. The reactions are based on real reactions because they had to respond to what they were doing. That makes it so great and so relatable. And also the fact that there’s a lot of fun lines in the movie and that it’s basically nonstop and there’s real action. There’s no CGI, nothing artificial. It’s all real,” he expressed.
All of those things drove the film’s success even further, as it went on to win two Oscars at the 67th Academy Awards, taking home the honor for Best Sound and Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing.
Unfortunately, the sequel to the film, Speed 2: Cruise Control, did not see the same success as its predecessor, largely due to Reeve’s absence.
Decades later, Speed remains the blueprint for many modern-day action thrillers, with the ‘90s hit a non-stop thrill ride, landing on a perfect formula with nail-biting storytelling, tense pacing, humor and an unforgettable chemistry between the leads.
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