jace_the_film_guy

The concept behind Speed is a fantastic one: "A bus must stay above 50MPH or it will blow up." Simple. Interesting. Exciting. You know exactly what you are getting yourself into.

With that mindset going in, I found that I enjoyed 90% of this movie. The action is over-the-top, the bus is indestructible, the cast is full of surprises and the plot is pretty straightforward.

The acting is pretty bad in moments, mostly from Keanu Reeves Dennis Hopper. The interesting thing is that I didn't mind the poor line-delivery. It almost added to the charm of the movie.

My biggest gripe with Speed is everything that goes on outside of the bus. I just didn't care that much about Harry trying to find the bad guy, the romance and especially the subway scene. On top of that, there are too many plot-holes to count.

All problems aside, this movie is exactly what you would expect and I loved that. I'm a fan of "bottle episodes" of TV and films that take place in one location. For that reason, I loved the majority of this movie and would gladly watch it again.

Best Character: Jack Best Quote: "Pop quiz, hotshot." - Howard Best Scene: Getting on the Bus.

Heat is exactly what you want in a heist/crime film. You have high stakes, insane action and a profound amount of character depth. On both sides of the coin, the character motivations are clear and inescapable. While the two characters share little screen time together, their storylines are completely intertwined with each other.

The film is long and it takes its time to develop the plot, but it is all necessary. The intricate details, the edge-of-your-seat moments and the complexity to the story make for a phenomenal movie.

Best Character: Neil Best Quote: "No matter what, you will not get in my way. We've been face to face, yeah. But I will not hesitate. Not for a second." - Neil Best Scene: The Diner Scene.

Takers delivers on exactly what was advertised. Over-the-top action, some interesting heists, poor acting, even poorer character development and an overall entertaining popcorn flick.

Honestly, my biggest gripe with this film is the surplus of characters with minimal development. Take out the brothers or swap them for the Walker/Elba duo and there could have been something there. Unfortunately, because of the shallow characters and relationships, the third act redemption feels unwarranted. Looking at the writing credits, everything makes sense: re-writes and too many writers in the room made for a convoluted mess.

That being said, seeing a tattooed, fedora-wearing Hayden Christensen made this movie worth it.

Best Character: AJ Best Quote: "We're takers, gents. That's what we do for a living. We take." - Gordon Best Scene: Hotel w/ the Russians Best Piece of Score: All Signs Point to It.