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Why We Will Probably Never See a 'Speed 3'

Jack Traven's not coming back.

By Jonathan SimPublished 6 years ago 5 min read
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One of my favorite action thriller movies of all time is the 1994 film, Speed, which features Keanu Reeves as LAPD officer Jack Traven, who faces his biggest challenge yet when a terrorist puts a bomb on a bus full of civilians that will explode if it goes under 50 mph.

And this movie was just honestly so well made. It follows a perfect three-act structure that begins in an elevator, then goes on a bus, and then ends on a train.

I could rewatch this movie over and over and never not be excited by it. Something I really appreciate about this movie is that few action movies have premises as unique as the one in Speed.

The idea of a bus that can't go below 50 mph is just the perfect premise for an exciting action movie, and if you haven't seen this movie, you HAVE to watch it. It's wildly entertaining and I could go on for DAYS about how thrilling Speed is.

A few years later, Speed director, Jan de Bont, had some nightmares involving a cruise ship crashing into an island. So, he decided to make a Speed 2, which would take place on a cruise ship.

They got Sandra Bullock to reprise her role as Annie, but Keanu Reeves turned down the movie, saying that he didn't like the script, he didn't need the money, and didn't want to do another action movie since he had just completed Chain Reaction.

He CAN dodge bullets.

So, the instant Keanu turned down a sequel to Speed, they should have IMMEDIATELY just dropped the idea and called it a day. But NO, what do they do? They hire Jason Patric to play Annie's new boyfriend, Alex.

WHAT?! Ok, this was a terrible idea for multiple reasons. A) Keanu was the main character of the original Speed, and if you get a new main character and actor, then it just doesn't feel like a Speed movie. And B) Who the hell is Jason Patric?!

I'm not knocking Patric. I'm just saying that he was no replacement for Reeves in a Speed sequel. Bruce Willis might have worked in Speed 2, but Patric? Have any of you even seen any of his movies?!

Also, you went from a fast-moving bus in Speed to a slow-moving cruise ship in Speed 2?! When you make a sequel, you're supposed to step up the action, not bring it down from 50 mph to 21 knots!

Given that Bullock is the only actress to reprise her role from Speed, this doesn't even feel like a Speed movie. It's just a slow-paced action thriller which happens to have the same actress from Speed.

So, while I could go on for days about how great Speed was, I could also go on for days about how much Speed 2: Cruise Control SUCKED. Speed 2 COMPLETELY killed the franchise. It spat on, murdered, and buried what could have been a fantastic action movie series.

But will we ever get a 'Speed 3'?

I HIGHLY doubt it. There has been no discussion about making a third movie after the god-awful Speed 2, and quite frankly, I wish I could get one of those Neuralyzers from Men In Black, and wipe the memories of everyone who actually watched that cruise ship movie.

The reason I don't expect a Speed 3 is because it would end up formatting the Speed franchise in a strange way, where Jack Traven is the main character of the original, vanishes in the second, and then becomes the main action hero AGAIN in the third.

If the second Speed movie was as bad as it was, but it still had Jack in it, then I'd want to see a Speed 3, regardless of how bad Speed 2 was. But given the fact that Jason Patric was the star of Speed 2, I can't really see Keanu Reeves coming back for a Speed 3.

Now, if there WAS a Speed 3, then it would likely feature Patric and Bullock in the main roles, like in Speed 2. But there is no way in hell that's happening given how bad Speed 2 was. NO ONE would pay to see a Speed 3 with Patric and Bullock.

So, no Speed 3 with Keanu Reeves and no Speed 3 with Jason Patric means it's not happening. Unless they get some OTHER asshole to be the main action hero in the next one.

If you ask me, the script for the 2014 action thriller, Non-Stop, would have been a FANTASTIC script to be formatted into a sequel for Speed. The main action hero is on a plane and has to find someone who will kill a person on the plane every 20 minutes. That is the PERFECT premise for Speed 3.

At this point, I don't need to see a Speed 3. I don't need another movie with Jack Traven as the main character.

I WOULD like to see another action movie with Keanu Reeves where his character is on a vehicle and the people onboard are in danger and he has to save them. It doesn't need to be a Speed 3 with Jack Traven. It should just be a good action movie.

When asked about the possibility of reprising his role for a third film, Reeves responded:

“Speed 3: Redemption! Sure. You know what I mean? Jack Traven just dusting it off.”

So, yeah, Reeves isn't taking the idea for a Speed 3 seriously. And neither am I. I'm much more excited for John Wick 3: Parabellum, coming out next year.

Keanu is on a f**king HORSE!

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About the Creator

Jonathan Sim

Film critic. Lover of Pixar, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Marvel, DC, Back to the Future, and Lord of the Rings.

For business inquiries: [email protected]

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