Based on the novel ‘On Speed’ by Stephen King, the movie ‘On Speed’ follows the exploits of Los Angeles police officer Jack Neilsenkorser (Keanu Reeves). Retired bomb disposal expert Howard Payne ( Dennis Hopper ) hates the day-to-day life of a retired police officer, and feels as if he’s been replaced by a new breed of commando-style commandos. In retaliation, Payne sends a squad of motorcycle cops to pick up and interrogate a group of suspected bomb makers.
When the squad arrives in a rented bus, they find that the passengers are a group of speed freaks who have chosen to hitchhike. When ordered to dismount, they are taken to a small house where a man ( emitting a heavy smoke from inside the home) removes from a briefcase a crate containing two live bombs. The briefcase bomb is attached to the end of the bus seat, and when the timer goes off, one of the bombs goes off and the other is disabled. With the aid of a police detective (Rhys Ifans), the police are able to capture the suspect. Meanwhile, the other bomb goes off and several of the passengers are injured.
Jack, along with his partner Harry, become interested in learning as much as possible about the security measures being employed in the area. Although he seems to be an expert on security issues, he’s actually quite ignorant. He has little experience using high-tech computer programs to analyze security systems, so he needs the help of his friend. Meanwhile, Harry suffers a stroke, and is taken to a hospital. While she recovers in the hospital, Harry begins to develop a curiosity for solving crime using high-tech computer programs.
As the series progresses, we learn more about each of the characters. Harry gets a date with Frank, but things go terribly wrong. Frank is arrested, while Harry flees. When Harry and Frank reunite, they both learn that they had both made mistakes…
The series climaxes with the arrest of a criminal – Michael Knight. He becomes the central figure in the investigation of a bank robbery. Harry and Frank help him build a case against the criminals, which turns out to be successful. The movie ends with the pair going to the bank to confront Michael Knight. They try to steal the money inside, but Michael Knight escapes.
There was considerable hype prior to the release of the movie regarding the possibility of a spin-off series. This didn’t happen, however, due to financial difficulties. Instead, the film became a worldwide phenomenon, grossing over three hundred and sixty million dollars. Due to the massive success of the film, it was eventually made into a sequel…
The Speed Movie cast list includes quite a few well-known names. The original’main’ characters include Tom Selleck, John Candy, Flea, John Bon Jovi, Yusef Islam, and David Strathairn. These are just some of the main players from the film. The cast also includes Dabney Coleman, Whoopi Goldberg, Christopher Walken, and singer Cher. It should be noted that the’main’ characters in the film are only mentioned in passing throughout the course of the movie.
Because the film is so popular, there have been attempts to make a film based on the novel. However, these have not been successful. Probably because the book’s plot is too complex to be filmed, and the actors involved have long since retired from acting. The Speed Movie cast list is therefore incomplete. Other popular series include the Rambo series and the Rambo Chronicles.
The Rambo series is a spin-off of the Speed movie franchise. This series follows after the events of the first film where the former police man turned martial arts expert returns to action once again. A younger version of Robert Lee turns up as an instructor at a dojo who teaches Rambo the ways of his craft. There are a number of movies and TV spin-offs based on this cast, but no solid conclusions have yet been drawn.
Another member of the ‘Rambo’ family is the late Patrick Swayze. He appeared in three films – ‘When the Bough Comes’, ‘The Thin Red Line’, and ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’. A lesser known member of the cast is Wesley Snipes. His most recent movie ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ saw him returning to his roles as the foul mouthing, cheating and mean-spirited character he became famous for. He later went on to star in the series ‘American Gods’ which was eventually cancelled after the third installment.
Perhaps the most well-known member of the ‘Rambo’ crew is Robert Duvall. His roles in the films have seen him become a name synonymous with hard-hitting, dramatic action movies. He has appeared in the likes of the Coppertone film ‘The Man Who Played with Death’, the Michael Mann directed ‘Locating Private Ryan’, and the Wes Anderson film ‘Oblomov’. A relatively new addition to the ‘Rambo’ cast is Jamie Fox. He has appeared in films such as ‘The Perfect Score’, ‘Unlocking the Code’, and the upcoming ‘X Files’ series.
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