In what is certainly Jan de bont's best film, and Keanu's best role before Neo, this has earned its place as one of the best action films ever. Good action films have good story lines to justify the explosions and violence. There is no exception here. The story is a simple one, which sets up the scenes for plenty of tension and action. If I was to make one criticism, I think it was in the part played by Dennis Hopper. He didn't come across as entirely convincing, but the rest of the film made up for this and it seems alright. It's a pity that de bont thought he could do it again in speed 2, and another pity that Sandra bullock agreed to be in it. Keanu made the right decision to not appear in this, as this seems a polar opposite to the first film. Ignore the second, the first is, to me, a classic in its genre.