Speed Movie Minute

It's the last minute of credits, thankfully. This one seems to be mostly broken down into the subway crew and the elevator crew, which seemed to be separate from the rest of the movie. We also get some driving folks in this minute, which makes sense. Finally we get the second unit and the thank yous, before concluding with the usual logos.

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It's our third minute of credits, focusing mostly on music, sound effects and mixing, and foley work. We also get the construction crews (not the ones in the subway tunnel) and the visual effects folks.

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The second minute of credits starts with mostly camera operators and continues through more technical cast and crew -- costumes, makeup, gaffers and grips, and then moving into special effects.

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With the crisis finally over, Annie and Jack celebrate with some heavy petting. The tourists from the van arrive on the scene, surprised by many things they see. Jack recalls Annie's relationship advice from the last time they came to rest after exiting the bus, but she is not concerned and promises lots of sex. The romance of the scene is somewhat diminished by the dozens of onlookers and the persistent shower of broken glass.

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The subway car keeps climbing up a ramp heading for a brand-new station that it's about to create in the middle of the road. It leaves an impressive swath of destruction in its wake. Finally it bursts through the "Safety First" sign -- we see what you did there, Jan de Bont -- crashes onto the ground, and flips on its side, which fortunately yanks the standee pole from its mooring and releases Annie from captivity. The subway car grinds to a halt, doing an impressive job of staying in its lane. It comes to rest in front of an indignant city tour guide. Annie and Jack continue their embrace as she expresses disbelief at his loyalty.

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Bentley, Roger and Mark discuss the subway car, as it continues to accelerate as it rounds the corner, giving the construction crew quite a surprise. Jack gets his wish -- the train is going too fast and jumps the half-finished track. It then begins crashing its way through the unfinished tunnel as Jack and Annie hold onto each other for dear life. The momentum of the subway turns it sideways just long enough to be bisected by a concrete pillar, and then it crawls slowly up an incline.
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Bentley, Mark and Roger discuss Annie pleading with Jack to jump off the subway himself. Ever the selfless hero, Jack pushes the throttle to the max as the subway heads towards a sharp curve. Derailment, here we come! Realizing that their fates are now bound to each other and the subway car, Annie and Jack huddle together. We get our second tender moment of the movie as Annie puts her handcuffed arms around Jack's neck. Hmm, that could be exciting later!? An unsuspecting work crew does some welding in the tunnel, having no idea what is hurtling their way.

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Roger, Bentley and Mark really talk some shop today becvause with no key, Jack and Annie try several homemade techniques to get her out of the handcuffs. Ripping out the standee pole doesn't seem to work.  Neither does pulling hard on her wrists to somehow get her hands to slither through the hole in the cuffs. That's why they make handcuffs like that. Then Jack decides to employ the bus plan -- anything works better if you just speed it up, so says the title of the movie.

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Guest Mark Hofmeyer joins Bentley and Roger this week.

Jack manages to defuse the bomb vest with a simple jerking out of the wires -- gee why wasn't the bomb on the bus that easy? After removing the bomb vest, Jack gets a call from Mac with the final crisis of the movie. Does the LA Public Works Office every finish their projects? Jack tries some percussive maintenance on the emergency brake, which responds by dying in a shower of sparks. And the bigger problem is that Jack has no key to release Annie from her handcuffs.

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Payne seems to have the upper hand on Jack, whacking him a few times with the trigger and then smashing his head against the subway car roof. We get an almost Pop Quiz moment as Payne taunts Jack while he is semi-conscious. But having the high ground works against Payne, as he is decapitated by the red warning light. Fortunately, Jack grabs the trigger before Payne exits the movie. Jack rushes back down to join Annie and the two begin trying to extricate her from the bomb vest.

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Payne realizes his plan has been foiled once again, and resorts to his only remaining opportunity for success -- killing Jack. He shoots several dozen holes in the ceiling, but misses the target. Payne takes off running to catch up with Jack on the roof of the subway car. When he reaches him, the two begin a very odd hand-to-hand fight, made weirder by the setting and also that one of Payne's hands needs to be clutching the bomb trigger.

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Payne finishes explaining how he plans to elude the police, concluding with a very graphic description, followed by some uncomforting words, about Annie's eventual demise. Meanwhile Jack has decided to attack the problem from above, crawling along the roof of the subway car. He rolls out of the way of Chekov's warning light, and the noise alerts Payne to his presence. He still seems very smug until he discovers that his payoff has been ruined by a paint bomb. This sends him into a frenzy.

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Jack races to catch up to Payne, Annie, and the subway by shooting his way through a door and adding more mayhem to an understandably alarmed crowd of civilians. He races down the steps and finds a subway already beginning to leave the station. As with the bus, he seems to find the most perilous way to get on board.

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Payne seems very satisfied with himself, until he sees the conductor attempting to communicate using the radio. He gives Annie the trigger, along with a safety lesson about hand grenades. He then solves the conductor problem with a few well-placed bursts from his machine gun. RIP conductor. Annie, traumatized by the shooting, begins to fall apart and Payne hastily reclaims the trigger to prevent any combustive accidents. He then gives us some low-grade sexism. Jack looks to find a way to sneak up on Payne. Annie begs to be released, while Payne starts to explain his plan for her.

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Payne concludes his cynical diatribe about the futility of working as a demolitions expert for the police, before reminding us that he is now $3 million richer -- or so he thinks. He then gives a lot of one-word commands to both Annie and Jack before fleeing into the station with Jack in pursuit. With a brief machine gun salvo, Payne clears the scene and boards a subway with Annie, who he then handcuffs to the standee pole.

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Payne arrives on the scene to gloat once again over having one-upped Jack. After refusing Jack's demand to release Annie, he forces her to transfer the money into Payne's carrying bag. Jack repeats his demand to release Annie, first plaintively, then angrily. Payne threatens to release the trigger and detonate the bomb, and then explains to us the virtues of bomb-making.

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Turns out that Payne had the jump on the police the whole time, rigging up the trashcan so that the money would fall through into the subway tunnels. Jack follows him through the hole, catching up quickly in the emergency exit tunnel. We get our fourth and final pop quiz of the movie, but he discovers to his and our horror that the person he has apprehended is Annie, and that she has a bomb vest strapped to her chest. Man this day is going to require some therapy for her.

Now we see Payne's backup plan, which seems to involve impersonating a police officer and taking Annie hostage. Mac and Jack express confusion and disbelief that Payne has not showed up yet to collect the money. Norwood is nonplussed, but Jack realizes that something is up. The homing beacon reveals that the money is somehow on the move.

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With the money in place, Payne looks around and sees that the police have set a trap for him -- not a very subtle one at that. He strolls around his apartment jauntily, until he notices that the bus camera has been doctored with, sending him into a rage. Looks like it's time for him to execute his backup plan, which seems to involve Annie.

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Mac holds an impromptu briefing in, of all places, a barbershop. Annie's tragic flaw, her impatience, ultimately forces her out of the ambulance as well. Nothing bad could happen, right? This place is crawling with cops. Some undercover policemen posing as garbage men drop the money in the trashcan to set the trap. Payne looks on from a window up high.

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The movie seems to be entering the coda, but Norwood arrives unexpectedly with a call from Payne about the money. Mac is about to tell him where he can stick his money, but Jack realizes that they have the element of surprise on Payne, who does not know of the rescue. The police immediately put together a plan to catch Payne at the scene, and we switch to Pershing Square. Police arrive in droves on the scene. So do Jack and Annie for some reason, and Jack decides not to take the day off and instead exit the ambulance to join the response team. Let this be a lesson to us all -- if you have a chance for romance, take it!

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Jack seems to interpret Annie's comment as an invitation to actually get mushy, and Annie gives him some much-needed relationship advice. There's still 30 minutes of movie left, though, so fortunately Mac arrives to break up these two crazy lovebirds. Actually, he sort of seems to want to play mensch. What a guy.

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The fallout -- literally -- from the bus and plane collision continues as debris rains down and a mushroom cloud slowly drifts up into the sky. The evacuated passengers from Bus 2525 look on in a mixture of wonder, amazement, and horror at the destruction. Jack and Annie share a tender moment, although it is also shared with a bunch of dirt and the little gray tray. Now that the ordeal is over, Annie finally has the impact of the trauma wash over her like the waves at Bells Beach. Annie makes a little joke and then tries to defuse the sexual tension.

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The first big hero moment of the movie happens as Annie, Jack, and the little gray tray slide away from the bus. Wow that plan worked out pretty great! Also convenient that our two romantic leads have to assume a full-body cuddle position to make it happen. Nothing says romance like sliding through a dirty field and crashing through several dozen caution markers. Meanwhile the bus appears to be possessed by a ghost, driving expertly through an empty hanger in search of the biggest target that it can find. Mission accomplished. Good thing the bomb goes off right when the bus hits the plane.

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Annie's strength gives out, but Jack arrives just in time to help pull the bus back to safety. He and Annie begin rigging the gas pedal and the steering wheel to hold the bus steady without them. Jack then rigs up the access hatch to use as a makeshift sled, attaching it to the other end of the rope. Annie is understandably afraid to trust her life to a eight-foot-square piece of metal, but Jack urges her to get on before the bus fails.

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The evacuation continues successfully, with Terry and Ortiz leaving next. Stephens hesitates to make the crossing, and is rewarded by having the platform collapse. He is hauled on board the rescue bus, leaving only Annie and Jack behind. Annie is running out of strength, and Jack hurries back to help her.

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Finally Mac gets his wish, and a rescue bus drives up alongside Bus 2525 to extract the passengers. Mac gives Jack some equipment to rig the bus for autopilot, and then passengers begin crossing over onto the rescue bus.

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We get a blast from the past as the local TV news crew tapes the hidden camera onto VHS tape. Mac is impatient, knowing that the bus is almost out of fuel. The gas gauge on the bus dips perilously low, with the warning light coming on. Jack demands that Mac start running the tape, even though they have only recorded a minute. Now we can see a classic action movie ploy, replacing a camera feed with a dummy tape. Will his plan work?

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Now that Jack knows about the camera, he begins hatching a plan to turn it to his own advantage. He starts to set up a little scene inside the bus with some method acting by the passengers. Mac and Norwood rush over to the news crews and dragoon one into recording the feed from the hidden camera. What is Jack up to?

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Jack has decoded Payne's "wildcat" reference and finds the source of the problem -- a hidden camera behind the driver's rear view mirror. We cut back to Payne's lair and see the closed-circuit TV feed from the mirror camera. Payne enjoys a tasty beverage and also the sobriquet of the local TV news anchor.

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Annie slowly but surely helps Jack regain his cool. But he moves quickly from denial and anger to depression and acceptance, declaring that everyone on the bus is going to die. Annie continues consoling him as he turns to face the passengers grimly. In his grief, Jack drops his eyes and finds a major clue on Annie's sweatshirt -- the University of Arizona. Turns out that Payne's pet name for Annie has some hidden meaning!

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Now in a position of power (The Power of Love) Payne tells Jack where the police should drop the money. He cackles with maniacal glee, pushing Jack over the edge. Now it is his time to have a meltdown, losing it in front of Annie and the other passengers. And now it is Annie's turn to bring him back from the brink. Man this relationship has an intense beginning.

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Jack eagerly asks Harry to give him some good news, but finds out instead from Payne that Harry has been incinerated. Payne continues to relish twisting the knife a little bit more. Jack reacts with rage but Payne puts him in his place, reiterating his demands for the money.

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Harry leads the strike team into Payne's house, but finds it deserted. Tragically, Payne has left them a little going-away present, though. It seems like perhaps an experienced demolitions expert like Harry might have expected the booby trap that gets him dead. RIP Harry and Robin. Payne calls Jack to tell him the bad news.

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Annie is upset with Jack that the bus is losing gasoline. Jack asks Mac to get a fuel truck for the bus. Harry and his team arrive at Howard Payne's house, and things seem very quiet -- almost too quiet.

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Jack summons all his strength to pull himself up through the hole, with the help of Ortiz and the other passengers. Mac expresses disbelief that his best SWAT officer didn't get dead. Good thing, too -- Annie and Jack can have their first relationship fight now over his risky behavior. Wonder what happens if they have kids? Jack shares a quip with Stephens and then gets some very anatomical kudos from Ortiz. Jack breaks the bad news to Annie that the bus is leaking gas.

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Jack fights for his life underneath the bus while the passengers try to figure out some way to rescue him. Ortiz goes to work on an access panel in the middle of the bus, while other passengers try to locate Jack. Ortiz gets the hatch open and locates him. Annie appears to be content with just screaming every sentence that she overhears in this minute. Ortiz reaches through the hatch and tries to grab Jack.

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Jack is in dire straits, as one might imagine could happen to someone who volunteered to ride underneath a speeding bus. Terry informs us that Jack did not come out the back of the bus. Stephens tries leaning over the hole in the front of the bus, but he can't see Jack either. Just out of curiosity, why hasn't the police truck started hauling him back with the winch? Oh well, the winch breaks and that isn't an option. Now Jack is REALLY in trouble. He attempts to cling to the bus, Indiana Jones style, by jamming a screwdriver into the gas tank. Bad plan, Jack. RIP, little red sled.

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Jack tries to find the right place to finish attaching the battery, before discovering the bad news -- it is a collapsible circuit that will cause the bomb to detonate anyway. Fortunately, just at that moment Robin comes in with a news clipping unmasking our mysterious bomber -- Howard Payne! He lives close by, so they decide to abort the disarmament plan. All is well, right? Well, not quite -- more tire rubber causes mayhem with the little red sled. Annie sends Terry and Ray to the back to look for Jack.

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Harry attempts to deduce the wiring of the bomb, and asks Jack to look at the wiring by cutting off the rubber sheath -- without cutting the wire. Hey Harry, you know that Jack is riding under a bus moving at least 50 miles per hour, right? Chekov's tire rubber comes back and gives Jack some nervous moments, but he finds the right wire. Harry gives Jack instructions for how to defuse the bomb, and Jack clips on a battery.

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Mac gives Jack a little pep talk and then they release the winch and guide the little red sled under the bus. Annie expresses some very sensible doubts about the wisdom of riding underneath a speeding bus containing a bomb, and this time it is Stephens who is the optimist. Ortiz gives Annie some unnecessary driving tips. Harry begins talking Jack through the disarmament plan.

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As the bus continues driving in circles, Ortiz expresses skepticism that Jack will return, but Annie forcefully defends him before enforcing the standee rule. Stephens joins the duo as they look on in confusion at the little red sled that will take Jack under the bus. Mac gives Jack some cautionary advice, but Jack remains confident. Annie expresses great concern about this new plan.

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Jack informs the passengers that he is getting off the bus, creating some reasonable concern on their part. He and Annie make googly-eyes again before Jack steps off onto an SUV with side platforms -- was that a thing? Again Mac tries to unload the passengers, but Jack steadfastly refuses, much to Mac's consternation. Jack explains his plan -- defuse the bomb. Thank goodness we also get the return of local TV news, this time from several hundred feet and a fence away.

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Jack and Payne continue to argue over whether he deserves the money, and Payne gives us a little more insight about his back story and his possible motive. Jack tries to convince Payne to let him get off the bus to confer with the response team, but Payne is reluctant to lose his favorite hostage. He finally relents, but not with some serious admonitions.

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As the bus goes into a holding pattern, Jack gets a call from Payne, who gives him some praise and then reiterates his demand for the money, this time with specific instructions. Payne rants about hostage negotiators and then reminds Jack that his identity is at this point still a mystery.

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The bus crashes through the gates of LAX and over those tire-popping spikes, seeming to no effect. All the police seem confused except for Mac, who understands Jack's plan -- circle the runways until we can figure out a REAL plan. Buses and planes living together, mass hysteria! Stephens gets off a good one-liner.

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The police cheer excitedly and give each other high-fives for doing absolutely nothing. On board the bus, the celebration continues for everyone... except Stephens. Annie gets some kudos from Ortiz as her very bad day continues. Jack gives her some impromptu first aid with his double-knit shirt -- ouch! Jack then makes a good decision to exit the freeway into a more sensible location -- Los Angeles International Airport.

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The bus speeds towards the gap, not quite reaching 88 miles per hour but getting almost up to 70. Everyone is terrified, as well they should be for this piece of impossible physics. Jack hurtles himself onto Annie to protect her as the bus takes what can only be described as an ET-aided leap over the gap in the freeway. Not only does it make it across the gap, it somehow manages to land on all four wheels. Terry exalts in jubilation and shares what we all must be thinking at this point.

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The police escort pulls away ominously -- looks like the bus is on its own now. We get our first look at the gap and MAN, is that big. Looks like there wasn't an incline after all. How is this going to work? Annie and Jack root the bus on as it slowly speeds up. Norwood and Mac look on with concern. Road signs try to warn us again that this is a really, really bad idea.

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As the passengers continue to stew in consternation about their seeming impending disaster, Annie suggests that they put the bus in neutral, but that idea is nixed by Jack. He then comes up with a much crazier idea -- jump the gap. He then begins prepping the bus for impact as they head for an improbable jump. Terry continues to be the voice of pessimism. Ray gets released from his makeshift imprisonment, offering a weak apology in return. Stephens asks the question that we all should be asking at this point.

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