Speed on DVD

By Jim Bray

This action flick made Sandra Bullock a star and proved that Keanu Reeves really can act.

It's also a delicious yarn that keeps you on the edge of your seat right until the closing moments - and now it's a beautifully done 5 Star DVD from 20th Century Fox.

Reeves stars as Jack Travern, a Los Angeles cop who gets a little too involved emotionally for his compatriots' comfort. But he's good, and they respect that.

Speed opens with Jack and his partner Harry Temple (Jeff Daniels) saving an elevator full of innocent bystanders from being blown up - and very nearly getting the perpetrator in the process. But the bad guy escapes, setting up the main sequence where he puts a busful of hostages at risk by rigging the bus to explode if its speed drops to below 50 miles an hour.

Bullock is a passenger on the bus, who gets drafted to be the bus driver when the real driver gets shot by a frightened whacko shortly after Reeves gets onto the bus to, hopefully, disarm the bomb.

Dennis Hopper is appropriately nasty as the psycho ex-cop who's terrorizing the passengers and the cops with his plot.

The movie is virtually non stop action and it works very well. The only times I came close to losing my suspension of disbelief was watching some of the histrionics through which they put the GMC bus. This is because I used to drive identical buses, and I know they just aren't capable of some of the stuff they do here.

But, hell, it's only a movie and the "superbus" didn't spoil my enjoyment of this roller coaster ride.

The new DVD is a feature-packed 2 disc set that packs a real wallop.

First is the film itself, which features a THX-approved anamorphic widescreen picture (16x9 TV compatible) that's nothing short of superb. The audio is equally impressive; it's offered in both Dolby Digital 5.1 surround and DTS and the sound is great.

Disc one also includes a commentary by director Jan De Bont and another one by screenwriter Graham Yost and producer Mark Gordon.

Disc two really piles on the extras, including production notes, extended scenes, some Easter Eggs, "Inside Speed Featurettes" on the location, stunts and visual effects, and a still picture gallery of the film's production Design. You also get the original screenplay, action sequence Featurettes on the "Bus Jump" and "Metro Rail Crash, "Multi-Angle Shots with Audio," Multi-Stream Storyboards and an interview Archive featuring Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock, Dennis Hopper, Jeff Daniels, and Jan De Bont.

Not enough? Okay, you also get an HBO Special, the trailer & 11 TV Spots, a Billy Idol Music Video, the press kit, production notes, and an image gallery.

I'm not sure Speed, as good as it is, is an important enough film to warrant such a lovingly assembled package, but it's always nice to see the studios pile on the extras.

So what we end up with here is an excellent DVD presentation of an excellent action thriller. And with a pile of extras, for what more could any red blooded action flick fan ask?

Speed, from 20th Century Fox Home Vide
115 min. anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1), 16x9 TV compatible, DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround
Starring Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock, Dennis Hopper, Jeff Daniels, Joe Morton
Produced by Mark Gordon
Written by Graham Yost, Directed by Jan de Bont

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