It’s well-known what the seasons of film are, but for those who don’t know, the year typically looks like this. Summer blockbusters are really the start of the year – all your action flicks, superhero adventures, family films usually come into theaters in April thru September. Then, as September drags on, you’ll start to see a few horror movies, maybe a sleeper hit. As the end of the year approaches, filmmakers have to get their award contenders in theaters to be eligible for the awards season – so you see a spike in what is known as “Oscar bait”. While the January thru March releases used to signify that a studio didn’t think a blockbuster could stand out later in the year, lately there’s been a rise in indie films and hidden gems (think about Black Panther – released in February 2018).

You know what a summer blockbuster looks like. It has “bwahhhhh” in the trailer 30 million times and they’ve remixed an 80’s song to go along with it. There’s explosions and high stakes and palpable testosterone.

Some film critics dismiss the summer blockbuster as expensive explosions and lackluster acting. I’ll admit, I’ve said that a few times myself, but there’s something to say about when a summer blockbuster gets it right. And you want to know what summer blockbuster gets it right? I’ll give you three hints:

1. An exceptional grasp of tension and when to release said tension during action scenes.
2. Charismatic leads that brought out the best in each other (who secretly had a crush on each other)
3. An absurd plot that only a 90’s action movie could get away with

Have you guessed it yet? Yep, it’s Speed (1994). That’s right – I’m writing a love letter to an
action movie that is older than I am.

A quick recap of the plot: Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves), L.A.P.D. officer, and his partner Harry (Jeff Daniels), foil terrorist Howard Payne’s (Dennis Hopper) plot to blow up an elevator in exchange for $3 million dollars. Payne seeks revenge on Jack, which involves strapping a bomb to a bus that will explode if the bus travels under 50 mph.

Let’s dive in – here’s what makes Speed the epitome of what a summer blockbuster should be.

• The build-up and subsequent release of tension
  I’ve never seen a movie that knows its pacing so well. Every time you get a second to breathe, there’s a new issue Jack’s having to address. It feels like most summer blockbusters build up tension, only to release it at the end. This movie is basically three extended action scenes lined up, with the push and pull of each masterfully done. It locks you in from the beginning, and doesn’t let go for the next (almost) two hours.
  
• The charisma between the leads
  People like action, and people like romance. Sometimes people like only one or the other, and sometimes people like it all. Speed is masterful at not ham-fisting a romance subplot into the movie. The natural charisma is just there, an added bonus on top of your explosions and extreme driving. Does it have something to do with the two leads secretly having a crush on each other during filming? Maybe. Who’s to say.
  
• Let’s talk about Keanu
  I’m ashamed to admit I wasn’t onboard with Keanu the first few films I saw him in. But lately, I’ve noticed that he is arguably one of the greats. He can shoulder whatever action scene you put him in (even now, at 54!) and one of my favorites movies, My Own Private Idaho, shows how great he can be. That’s not to say sometimes I don’t find him a bit stunted, but now I’m starting to wonder if that’s a choice.
  
• Dodging Action Movie Cliches
  As an audience member, you can tell when a movie takes itself too seriously – and it’s my biggest pet peeve when it comes to action films. Every action film has that scene where characters are sitting across from each other, and someone asks “Well, are we doing this?” and someone answers “Hell, I don’t think we got the choice,” or something similar. It’s cliche and unnecessary – especially if you’ve done a good enough job building the background and motivations for the characters. Speed launches itself full (I’m so sorry for this pun) speed ahead, starting with a bang and wasting no time.
  
  That’s not to say there aren’t some other cliches they don’t fall prey to, but for the most part, it’s action-heavy and cliche-light.
  
• Representation of women
  If there is one thing I can say that makes you look at this movie differently, consider the character of Annie. They could’ve so easily fallen into the pitfall of the damsel in distress trope, but Annie keeps that bus above 50 and (spoiler alert) even with a bomb strapped to her chest, keeps her cool. She’s in cute clothing that is clearly what she likes to wear and not something a Michael Bay type would’ve put her in to show off her….assets. There’s no monologue from Annie about how hard it is to be a woman, or “even though I’m a woman, I can do this!” or even a second of self doubt – girl really just jumps behind the wheel and starts doing what she needs to do to save people. And that’s what I call feminism babeyyyyy.

• Pulling off absurdity – and doing it well
  Point blank – there should be no reason this movie works. It’s about a bomb on a bus that will explode if it goes below 50 mph. But it does. And it’s a mixture of all of the above – plus some uncredited screen writing from Joss Whedon.

Look, I’m sorry that I’m still talking about Speed in 2020, but I feel like it has to be said that it is the perfect summer blockbuster. If you haven’t seen it, it’s streaming on USA Today (YouTube TV), FX Movie Channel, and you can rent it for $3.99 on Amazon.

4.5/5 stars – minus 0.5 for my boy Harry. Unneccesary.