Review of Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997) by Rj M — 15 Jun 2009

The original Speed is one of the great action movies of all time. This sequel falls squarely under the category of guilty pleasure. I honestly can't tell you why I like this movie. It's poorly written, woodenly acted, and directed with sleepy hand by Jan DeBont.

But I do like the movie. A lot. Sandra Bullock reprises her role from the first movie, but makes her more whiny than the tough and capable spitfire she was in the first. Jason Patric steps into the role as a basic clone of Keanu Reeves hero cop from the original.

Patric is a capable actor, and is does his best to make himself an action hero. But it's a one note character, and except for the name change, might as well be Reeves' character. Willem Dafoe sneers and cackles in a precursor to his Green Goblin role, and is a by the numbers villain.

Well, except for a certain leech fetish. To set an action movie aboard a cruise ship makes about as much sense as casting Nicolas Cage as Superman. But the movie makes the most of its surroundings, and manages a couple of really exciting action sequences.

Patric's attempt to manually turn the ship before it collides with an oil tanker is a highpoint. The movie is preposterous, overblown, and one of the most blatant cash grabs in the history of Hollywood.

Even director DeBont, who helmed the original, begged the studio not to make the movie. But instead of handing it over to someone else, he took the reins and, I suppose, tried to give the best movie he could from a lazily written script.

Yes, it's a bad movie. But it's a bad movie I love, and that is the mark of a guilty pleasure.