Name: Retro Film Review: Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997)
Item: Speed 2: Cruise Control
Rating: 15
Author: @drax

(source:tmdb.org)

Judging by the blockbusters produced in recent years, Hollywood seems convinced that enough hype and few recognisable faces on the posters can always compensate for the lack of creativity. But, every now and then it turns out that the taste of great unwashed masses were seriously underestimated. Speed 2: Cruise Control, 1997 action thriller directed by Jan de Bont, was one of few blockbusters to suffer because of that rare phenomenon.

Originally devised for the third film in Die Hard series, the story of the film served for the sequel of Speed, immensely successful 1994 action film that had catapulted careers of Jan de Bont and Sandra Bullock. In this film Bullock reprises her role of Annie Porter, Los Angeles woman who just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. After breaking up with her previous boyfriend, she has started dating Alex Shaw (played by Jason Patric) unaware that the dashing young man, just like his predecessor, happens to belong to LAPD SWAT team. Once she finds out about this, the relationship is in crisis, so Alex tries to mend things by luxurious cruise in the Caribbean where he would ask Annie to marry him. The cruise ship "Seabourn Legend" indeed looks like a floating paradise, but one of the passengers intends to turn it into floating hell. Than man is John Geiger (played by Willem Dafoe), embittered computer genius who sabotages ship in order to take away valuable diamonds and doesn't think much of the thousands of lives that could be endangered on the ship out of control. It is for Annie and Alex to save the day, stop Geiger and rescue innocent passengers.

Few films show the utter lack of creativity in Hollywood as clearly as Speed 2 does. This film is less of a sequel and more of a carbon copy. Entire plot of Speed is copied here, including the hero who just happens to be LAPD SWAT member. Screenwriters could have easily changed few details for plausibility and variety sake, but the only changes are changes in dimension. The doomed bus with dozens of passengers was changed into doomed cruise liner with thousands of innocent passengers, while the crazed villain was replaced by even crazier villain. All that could have at least looked spectacular, but it isn't the case. Until the last twenty minutes, most action takes place within the ship interiors and de Bont's shaky camera makes it incomprehensive and unattractive. The acting in this film is synonymous with tragic miscasting and waste of talent. Jason Patric is so bland that he makes Keanu Reeves lively in comparison, while Willem Dafoe is so over the top that his villain is plain ridiculous. Sandra Bullock is forced to use all of her charm and talent to make this film float, but her noble efforts weren't enough to save Speed 2 from becoming one of biggest commercial disappointments and 1997 and later sinking into well-deserved oblivion.

RATING: 2/10 (-)

(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.films.reviews on February 12th 2004)