Speed (1994)

So Which One Is Wylie Coyote

After the first 30 minutes of non-stop action and hair-raising close calls with little or no dialog-- about the time the super-charged bus made a death-defyimg leap across a freeway chasm-- I figured there had to be a pause coming up. You know the old-fashioned type movie-making when the audience gets a chance to catch its breath and anticipate the action to come. Maybe even a few minutes of human interest. But that pause never came. Then after the second 30 minutes of non-stop action and hair-raising close calls-- about the time the bus blows up the airplane real good-- I figured the pause had to come. But no, it never did. Instead, there was another 30 minutes of non-stop action and hair-raising close calls, and about the time the subway began to get a mind of its own, something really strange happened. I realized I had gotten bored. Now you wouldn't think that with all that non-stop action and hair-raising close calls, a viewer could actually get bored. But I was. Something, I think, about too much of one thing becoming first familiar, then old, and finally tedious. Then when the non-stop action and hair-raising close calls finally did come to a stop, as all things must, I had my final revelation. What I had just sat through only looked like a real life movie. But it wasn't. Not really. Instead it was only a cartoon version of non-stop action and hair-raising close-calls with human versions of those familiar characters the Roadrunner and Wylie Coyote. Unfortunately, the money I spent was not cartoon money. May 5, 2008

Speed

This is one of those rare action/suspense movies that will far surpass your expectations. You will be on the edge of your seat a lot because the suspense build up is done that well. The cast is what impressed me the most. I knew what to expect with the Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves pairing, but the supporting characters were a surprise as they were outstanding. Jeff Daniels is always wonderful on screen. Dennis Hopper was great as the lunatic holding them hostage.
April 3, 2008

Picture quality may disapoint you

If you have seen Planet Earth in HD, this movie will disapoint you in terms of picture quality. Don't get me wrong, it's better than a upscale 1080p DVD.

I guess technology is not there yet to convert old movies compared to the ones that were shot in HD format originaly.

Sound is good, DTS HD at 1.5Mb but not PCM 5.1 which is at 6Mb.

If you always push for the best quality and sound this movie is not for you.

If you are a fan buy it. February 13, 2008

Disappointing Blu-ray transfer

Movie is great. Acting is pretty good. Video quality for Blu-ray DVD is poor. There is no extra material (as seen on the Special Edition DVD). But it looks better than the regular DVD version. A buy if you love the movie. December 29, 2007

Still a thrill ride

I haven't watched Speed in many years. Now the timeless classic is on Blu-ray in all it's cinematic glory. These movies make it clear why Blu-ray is what the director intended his movie to look like after all these years. After all the movies that have come out recently that use computer graphics it's great to watch a movie that uses traditional special effects and stunts.

Speed could be considered an epic in what it has done for action movies. The sit on the edge non-stop unpredictable action that makes movies like this great. The name of the movie implies what the movie is about. Dennis Hopper plays a deranged man who is out to get what he believes is his. He will do anything to get it including killing dozens of people. The only thing that stands in his way is an action cop played by Keanu Reeves.

Although some of the acting could be considered cheesy at parts it is still good. Sandra Bullock does an excellent job in one her first big movies. This movie did enough to put these stars on the blockbuster map. Of course after watching the movie some of the scenes are very unrealistic but that is why you need to watch the movie without being a critic which is sometimes hard for me. From the first minute on the action was intense and the movie stayed fun making this a movie I could watch over and over again as I already have.

The Blu-ray version is excellent with a very refined picture and greatly improved sound. This is how the movie was intended to be seen. Especially when watching it on a big screen with full surround sound. For anyone looking for a great action movie in high definition this is it. December 25, 2007

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