How can this happen? You take an exhilarating film like "Speed" which was a big success at the box office, approved by fans and critics alike and then you follow it up with a sequel that fails to measure up. What went wrong? I've seen a lot of bad sequels or good ones that were inferior to its predecessor, but this is the worst one of them all. The thing that angered me the most was that it possessed a lacking effort to even try to even stay in sync with the original "Speed" even though it took an enormous budget to make this. The whole idea of the story is completely illogical and convoluted. "Speed 2: Cruise Control" sees Sandra Bullock again caught in the centerfold of another hijacking only this time instead of on bus, we are now on a cruise ship complete with dumb passengers and an equally stupid crew. The main baddie is Willem Dafoe who's mission is to mess up the computer systems on the ship that he designed to that it will go on a collision course with a tanker while also taking in possession valuable jewelry.
Nobody in the audience wanted this movie to be made and though I never really care much about popular opinions, I have to say that I agree with the majority of the fans. There were signs that this film could have been great. Bullock always has a great deal of charm. Director Jan De Bont was successful in thriller films at the time with "Speed" and "Twister". Willem Dafoe has been in many great films over the years. It's just a shame that this film was so bad it was beyond repair.
"Speed 2: Cruise Control" demonstrates that just because it was a big budget film, doesn't mean that it'll guarantee high approval from the masses. The original "Speed" had shoestring budget coming in and it became box office gold. Sure it was surreal and illogical, but it gave high tension, a scary but effective atmosphere and character that you truly care about. The sequel, you don't find any of that. Even the action sequences lack any drama or intensity you can be invested in. It's just there for action and nothing more.
De Bont's strategy is simple, keep the action running and let the action do all the talking. And if he thinks for one minute that the constant shaking of the camera has any kind of lasting impact on the action scenes, he is seriously wrong. The only thing it does is make your stomach churn.
So now we find Bullock back as Annie Porter, who is now in new relationship with a cop named Alex (Jason Patric) who surprises her with two tickets on a luxury cruise, even though she still laments that her ex-boyfriend, Jack (Keanu Reeves from the original "Speed" who cleverly backed out) gave her an anniversary gift of pepper spray which resulted her spending some time in an emergency room. While they're enjoying a relaxing vacation, a madman named John Geiger (Dafoe) has nothing but evil intentions as he wants to crash the ship into a tanker and steal some loot.
As a rule, most villains are not evil for the sake of being evil, there's always a method to their madness. In Geiger's case he was the one responsible for installing the computer panel on the ship. But one day he reported sick, the next day he was fired where he uses leeches as medicinal remedies for his declining health. It also explains the reasons for his anger.
Part of the reason why I saw this movie was because I naturally enjoy Sandra Bullock and her character is easy to become sympathetic with. She's easy to like, makes a few wisecracks here and there and tries to make this movie a bit interesting. Once Geiger takes over the ship, we hope that the number of deaths are few and far between.
Sadly the rescue mission getting people off the ship and into the lifeboat was tedious and boring. Though I did wish them that they'd return to shore safely, the scene was badly affected by the soundtrack from composer Mark Mancina.
The biggest blunder in "Speed 2: Cruise Control" is when the ship loses control and glides into a coastal town located in the island of St. Martin. While civilians can spot surfers, sailboats and ski boats a mile away. But they all can't see a giant luxury liner coming their way. The most labouring part is that the sequence lasts over minutes long and no one sees it coming until it's too late.
Although Bullock has an adorable smile, but her smile can be featured in many scenes where there's very little to smile about. When the oil tanker explodes and dozens of people are killed in the process she's still holds her head up with glee like it doesn't phase her in the least. When Alex slips the engagement ring on her finger, her shiny teeth gills the air without knowing that she's to embark on another dangerous misadventure.
Is it just me but in movies doesn't it seem ironic that couples seem to form when something terrible seems to happen? It might also happens in the real world too. Maybe this movie would have been better if everything was just normal the way it is. In this movie too many things happen with very little to keep you intrigued.
Nobody in the audience wanted this movie to be made and though I never really care much about popular opinions, I have to say that I agree with the majority of the fans. There were signs that this film could have been great. Bullock always has a great deal of charm. Director Jan De Bont was successful in thriller films at the time with "Speed" and "Twister". Willem Dafoe has been in many great films over the years. It's just a shame that this film was so bad it was beyond repair.
"Speed 2: Cruise Control" demonstrates that just because it was a big budget film, doesn't mean that it'll guarantee high approval from the masses. The original "Speed" had shoestring budget coming in and it became box office gold. Sure it was surreal and illogical, but it gave high tension, a scary but effective atmosphere and character that you truly care about. The sequel, you don't find any of that. Even the action sequences lack any drama or intensity you can be invested in. It's just there for action and nothing more.
De Bont's strategy is simple, keep the action running and let the action do all the talking. And if he thinks for one minute that the constant shaking of the camera has any kind of lasting impact on the action scenes, he is seriously wrong. The only thing it does is make your stomach churn.
So now we find Bullock back as Annie Porter, who is now in new relationship with a cop named Alex (Jason Patric) who surprises her with two tickets on a luxury cruise, even though she still laments that her ex-boyfriend, Jack (Keanu Reeves from the original "Speed" who cleverly backed out) gave her an anniversary gift of pepper spray which resulted her spending some time in an emergency room. While they're enjoying a relaxing vacation, a madman named John Geiger (Dafoe) has nothing but evil intentions as he wants to crash the ship into a tanker and steal some loot.
As a rule, most villains are not evil for the sake of being evil, there's always a method to their madness. In Geiger's case he was the one responsible for installing the computer panel on the ship. But one day he reported sick, the next day he was fired where he uses leeches as medicinal remedies for his declining health. It also explains the reasons for his anger.
Part of the reason why I saw this movie was because I naturally enjoy Sandra Bullock and her character is easy to become sympathetic with. She's easy to like, makes a few wisecracks here and there and tries to make this movie a bit interesting. Once Geiger takes over the ship, we hope that the number of deaths are few and far between.
Sadly the rescue mission getting people off the ship and into the lifeboat was tedious and boring. Though I did wish them that they'd return to shore safely, the scene was badly affected by the soundtrack from composer Mark Mancina.
The biggest blunder in "Speed 2: Cruise Control" is when the ship loses control and glides into a coastal town located in the island of St. Martin. While civilians can spot surfers, sailboats and ski boats a mile away. But they all can't see a giant luxury liner coming their way. The most labouring part is that the sequence lasts over minutes long and no one sees it coming until it's too late.
Although Bullock has an adorable smile, but her smile can be featured in many scenes where there's very little to smile about. When the oil tanker explodes and dozens of people are killed in the process she's still holds her head up with glee like it doesn't phase her in the least. When Alex slips the engagement ring on her finger, her shiny teeth gills the air without knowing that she's to embark on another dangerous misadventure.
Is it just me but in movies doesn't it seem ironic that couples seem to form when something terrible seems to happen? It might also happens in the real world too. Maybe this movie would have been better if everything was just normal the way it is. In this movie too many things happen with very little to keep you intrigued.