Parents' Guide to

Speed

By Renee Longstreet, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Explosive bus ride adventure has violence, language.

Movie R 1994 116 minutes
Speed Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 15 parent reviews

KetchupIsTrash
KetchupIsTrash Adult
May 14, 2020
age 17+

Fun and Intense

It’s a fun movie, but there are three issues parents need to be aware of, beyond language (very minor spoilers): 1. In the beginning, when people are being removed from the elevator, there is partial nudity (a woman’s skirt rides-up and she is clearly wearing a g-string, or something similar) 2. In an early scene (bar scene), Harry says “I’m gonna go home and have some sex” 3. At the very end, a character says they will base their relationship “on sex”
2 people found this helpful.
Tony F.
Tony F. Parent of 11-year-old
March 28, 2023
age 14+

Good

It’s a great movie and I am loved it, but it may be scary for some younger kids and the only real scary part is the bus scene there may be some other things that are scary for kids

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 15 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In SPEED, two police officers from LAPD's bomb squad prevent a madman (Dennis Hopper) from ransoming an elevator full of people for millions of dollars. The maniacal criminal plants another bomb on a Los Angeles city bus to get even with the policemen and to try to extort the money again. Officer Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves), aided by Annie Porter, one of the bus's passengers (Sandra Bullock), has to keep the bus moving faster than 50 mph or the bomb will go off. The speeding bus careens through the city, encountering one perilously dangerous situation after another.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (15):
Kids say (56):

For action lovers, Speed delivers. There are sensational crashes, thunderous explosions, vicious hand-to-hand combat sequences, valiant maneuvers aboard a bus, on top of a moving train, in an elevator shaft ... nonstop suspense-filled feats of bravery to combat the nonstop evil of a brilliant, but unhinged, villain.

This is Keanu Reeves's first "action hero" role, and he does just fine. It's the movie that made Sandra Bullock a star, and she's as adorable as she should be. As for Dennis Hopper, no one takes more pleasure in playing the psychotic misfit. The good guys (and gal) are very, very good. The bad guy is horrid. However, nothing in this film resembles reality. True-to-life events and authentic relationships are in short supply.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Speed resembles a cartoon or a superhero movie. Do you think anyone could really do all the things that Officer Jack Traven does? How believable are the events in this movie? How believable are the characters? Do you think the moviemakers are trying to tell a real story, or make a fantastical movie that is simply fun to watch?

  • How is Speed similar to and different from other action movies, especially action movies from the 1990s?

  • What did you think of the violence here? Was it too little, too much, or just enough? Why?

Movie Details

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