The Classic That Upped the Stakes for All Action Movies and Transformed Keanu Reeves' Career Is Now on Max

There were a lot of great pivotal moments in the action movie genre in the 1990s. From Heat (1995) to Léon: The Professional (1994), these movies dominated the box office for their action-packed sequences and innovative plots. One of the most popular movies of that decade, Speed, revolutionized the action genre. Directed by Jan de Bont and starring Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock, and Dennis Hopper, the 1995 film is quintessential in the genre for giving high stakes, a realistic premise, and a new style of shooting these exhilarating action sequences that were genuinely dangerous. Speed centers on an LAPD cop, Jack Traven (Reeves), who has to save a lot of people from a bomb that will blow off if the bus drops below fifty miles per hour. This is a simple yet thrilling plot that changed the layout of action movies and also introduced audiences to a new kind of hero that defied the brooding, muscular physique.

How 'Speed' Reformed Action Movies

Speed's high-concept premise, filmed in a tight space setting with a group of everyday people, was nothing that was seen in an action film before. We don't see the typical two-shot fight scenes. Instead, we have a single setting that is relatable and heightens the tension for the audience. Screenwriter, Graham Yost, wrote the one-location script after the Die Hard craze, with then-thirty-year-old Joss Whedon (The Avengers), to help clean up the dialogue. Together, they created a hero with no backstory and instead focused on one who is a problem solver who must act under severe pressure. These were big over-the-top action sequences that utilized practical effects, something that audiences had not seen delivered in this manner before. For instance, the moment Jack has to chase down the bus to warn them about the bomb is extremely riveting as he runs after it on the freeway. Taking over the Jaguar car from the owner and lining up at the door of the bus shows us the kind of problem-solver Jack is. He goes above and beyond to help Sam, the injured bus driver, and attempts to disarm the bomb under the moving bus, showing just how determined he is to save those passengers.

James Cameron's Terminator 2: Judgement Day is also considered one of the best action films of all time. It is critically and commercially acclaimed for its special effects. The film used CGI to create the liquid metal image of T-1000 (Robert Patrick). Everything else about the film used practical effects, including the incredibly gripping car chase scene when T-1000 goes after T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and John Connor (Edward Furlong) in a stolen truck, along the Los Angeles River. Many of Speed's action sequences were similar to Terminator 2's practical effects, as they both went big with their car chases, explosives, and shoot-outs that led to the villains meeting their demise. Many of its car chase scenes and the elevator action scenes take on after Cameron's film by using complex wire techniques that put these characters in danger, yet Speed was much more realistic in the sense of its premise and single setting.

How Keanu Reeves Changed The Action Hero Stereotype

Speed's influence on the genre showed viewers a whole new look at the action hero. Keanu Reeves portrayed a new type of hero who studies his next move with intelligence and agility. Given the amount of pressure he is under, he still manages to present himself in a calm state. Before Speed, Reeves was not highly associated with action films. He was previously in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Point Break, Bram Stroker's Dracula, among others. Sandra Bullock, on the other hand, also blossomed into stardom with Speed. Bullock plays Annie, an everyday woman, who is trapped in the bus with the other city people. Her strong-willed persona was just what Jack needed to keep him leveled during those dangerous moments. The chemistry between her and Reeves is one of the best parts of this film because of their instant connection to save the passengers and make it out alive. Her charming, funny personality in this film launched her career to many versatile roles where she could play that balance between tough action stars with the sweet, charismatic character like Gracie Hart in Miss Congeniality and Ashburn in 2013's, The Heat.

The success of Speed and The Matrix franchise launched Reeves into the star he is today. According to director Jan de Pont, he chose Reeves because of the "vulnerable" look he had. Different from Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis, he broke the mold of what an action star is supposed to look and be like. Before him, they were stoic and muscular and seemed to lack any kind of empathy that we see in Jack. Reeves. This gives us something different in this genre that continues to be utilized today by showing a different side to the persona. His dedication to learning martial arts for the action choreography for these sequences has impacted many of the modern action movies today now, with actors putting in the intense work to perform their own stunts. We continue to see that in one of his most iconic roles to date: John Wick.