Speed 2: Cruise Control
3/4
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Jason Patric, Willem Dafoe, Temura Morrison, Brian McCardie
Rated PG-13 for Frenetic Disaster Action and Violence
"Speed" was an unexpected blockbuster for 20th Century Fox. Originally an August release, it was moved up to July when a producer for the studio realized that he had a hit on his hands when test audience members were walking backwards to the bathroom so they would miss as little as possible. Easily one of the best and most original action thrillers ever committed to celluloid, the box office success demanded a sequel. Which brings us to "Speed 2: Cruise Control." While it has earmarks to its successor (including the return of the leading lady, Sandra Bullock), they're wildly different movies. "Speed" was a white knuckler with moments of humor to release the tension. "Speed 2" is more comical, almost to the point where it is appropriate to classify it as an action comedy.
The film begins with two scenes: Annie (Bullock) is retaking her drivers test since it was revoked for speeding before the events of the first film. It doesn't go well, since her instructor (veteran comic Tim Conway) suffers through about a half dozen close calls with the Grim Reaper. The second scene features Annie's new boyfriend, Alex Shaw (Patric), who is chasing down an ice cream truck filled with stolen computer equipment. Naturally, he saves the day, but Annie sees the aftermath, which annoys her since she believed he was a beach cop. To save face, Alex presents her with tickets to a cruise in the Carribean aboard the Seabourn Legend. Someone forgot to tell him about her tendency to get into life-threatening disasters. A psychotic computer genius by the name of Geiger (Dafoe) quickly takes control of the ship and intends to make it join the Titanic at the bottom of the ocean.
Apart from the setting, the biggest change with the film is the lead actor. Keanu Reeves nailed the part of Jack Traven in the original. Declining the role to tour with his band Dogstar, the studio hired indie actor Jason Patric to fill his shoes, something that the actor is ill-suited for. I've seen Patric in a number of roles ("Sleepers," "Narc," "In the Valley of Elah") and have never been impressed with his acting ability. His "talents" lie in low-key intensity, which has no place in a movie as silly as this. To be fair to the actor, there are times when he's decent, but he tends to get drowned out by all the mayhem and his higher-wattage co-stars. Speaking of which, Sandra Bullock returns as Annie Porter. In an interesting twist, Annie has learned from her experiences with Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper in the original), although that doesn't help with her lack of luck. Bullock is as adorable as ever, and tailors her character to fit the lighthearted nature of the plot. She's more fun and has a lot of one-liners. Willem Dafoe digs into his bag of tricks and makes Geiger a suitably menacing psycho, but the writing isn't as strong as it was in the original, which makes the character less memorable (although who can forget his "nurses?"). "Once Were Warriors" star Temuera Morrison and Scottish actor Brian McCardie are two members of the crew who are struggling to regain control of the ship.
While it's true that the premise of "Speed" was absurd (action movies are rarely set in the "real" world), "Speed 2" takes absurdity to new heights. Jan de Bont, who returned as the director, is smart enough to know that he couldn't get away with taking this movie even half as seriously as the first film. This is a silly premise, and he knows it. The film is loaded with jokes, and if there's a moment that's not played with the tongue at least partly in cheek, I missed it.
"Speed 2" did not do well at the box office, although all things considered, it did make a small profit. Most everyone hated it. Their loss. This is a movie where you can just sit back and relax. It never pretends to be something that it's not. It's got lots and lots of action, comedy and general silliness, but that's what makes it such a blast to watch!
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Jason Patric, Willem Dafoe, Temura Morrison, Brian McCardie
Rated PG-13 for Frenetic Disaster Action and Violence
"Speed" was an unexpected blockbuster for 20th Century Fox. Originally an August release, it was moved up to July when a producer for the studio realized that he had a hit on his hands when test audience members were walking backwards to the bathroom so they would miss as little as possible. Easily one of the best and most original action thrillers ever committed to celluloid, the box office success demanded a sequel. Which brings us to "Speed 2: Cruise Control." While it has earmarks to its successor (including the return of the leading lady, Sandra Bullock), they're wildly different movies. "Speed" was a white knuckler with moments of humor to release the tension. "Speed 2" is more comical, almost to the point where it is appropriate to classify it as an action comedy.
The film begins with two scenes: Annie (Bullock) is retaking her drivers test since it was revoked for speeding before the events of the first film. It doesn't go well, since her instructor (veteran comic Tim Conway) suffers through about a half dozen close calls with the Grim Reaper. The second scene features Annie's new boyfriend, Alex Shaw (Patric), who is chasing down an ice cream truck filled with stolen computer equipment. Naturally, he saves the day, but Annie sees the aftermath, which annoys her since she believed he was a beach cop. To save face, Alex presents her with tickets to a cruise in the Carribean aboard the Seabourn Legend. Someone forgot to tell him about her tendency to get into life-threatening disasters. A psychotic computer genius by the name of Geiger (Dafoe) quickly takes control of the ship and intends to make it join the Titanic at the bottom of the ocean.
Apart from the setting, the biggest change with the film is the lead actor. Keanu Reeves nailed the part of Jack Traven in the original. Declining the role to tour with his band Dogstar, the studio hired indie actor Jason Patric to fill his shoes, something that the actor is ill-suited for. I've seen Patric in a number of roles ("Sleepers," "Narc," "In the Valley of Elah") and have never been impressed with his acting ability. His "talents" lie in low-key intensity, which has no place in a movie as silly as this. To be fair to the actor, there are times when he's decent, but he tends to get drowned out by all the mayhem and his higher-wattage co-stars. Speaking of which, Sandra Bullock returns as Annie Porter. In an interesting twist, Annie has learned from her experiences with Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper in the original), although that doesn't help with her lack of luck. Bullock is as adorable as ever, and tailors her character to fit the lighthearted nature of the plot. She's more fun and has a lot of one-liners. Willem Dafoe digs into his bag of tricks and makes Geiger a suitably menacing psycho, but the writing isn't as strong as it was in the original, which makes the character less memorable (although who can forget his "nurses?"). "Once Were Warriors" star Temuera Morrison and Scottish actor Brian McCardie are two members of the crew who are struggling to regain control of the ship.
While it's true that the premise of "Speed" was absurd (action movies are rarely set in the "real" world), "Speed 2" takes absurdity to new heights. Jan de Bont, who returned as the director, is smart enough to know that he couldn't get away with taking this movie even half as seriously as the first film. This is a silly premise, and he knows it. The film is loaded with jokes, and if there's a moment that's not played with the tongue at least partly in cheek, I missed it.
"Speed 2" did not do well at the box office, although all things considered, it did make a small profit. Most everyone hated it. Their loss. This is a movie where you can just sit back and relax. It never pretends to be something that it's not. It's got lots and lots of action, comedy and general silliness, but that's what makes it such a blast to watch!
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