History YMMV / Speed

* {{Narm}}: When Howard Payne sets off his explosive vest in the first act, the situation is ruled a suicide, yet Howard is shown watching the award ceremony for the team on TV none the worse for wear. So Howard escapes completely unharmed by a very powerful bomb blast that blows a door off its hinges, yet the crime scene investigation just concludes it was a suicide even though there would obviously be no body to justify that.

** Then there's Helen's death; the reporter is rightfully horrified as he described the grisly aftermath of the explosion that sends her falling off the bus.

* CrosseTheLineTwice: Annie accidentally slamming the bus into a baby carriage, sending it flying through the air complete with a shot of the battered pram sailing through the sky, and Annie understandably freaking the Hell out? Absolutely horrible. The carriage slamming into the ground and revealing it was actually full of cans? Hilarious!

** Likewise, the lack of readily available communication tools means Jack can't immediately phone the transit agency of the bus to radio the driver about the bomb on the bus and explain that he must stay above 50 [=MPH=] nor have the [=LAPD=] call up the bus via radio. If the bus was stopped before reaching [=50=], Payne's plot would have fallen apart.

* NightmareFuel: Howard Payne is made of this, given how far he's willing to go to achieve what he feels is owed to him. He manages a decent-sized body count before all is said and done.

** By the time Payne battles Jack on top of the train he's gone completely insane making for a very intense final fight

** [[OffWithHisHead Payne's death]], [[KarmicDeath although he completely had it coming.]]

* SugarWiki/DevelopmentHeaven: Creator/SandraBullock actually learned how to drive a bus for the film and passed her test on the first try.

** Jack and Annie. After knowing each other for all of a few hours, they're making out and about to have sex in a wrecked subway car in the middle of a street with a [[ConcertKiss crowd of people watching]]. TruthInTelevision, people bond over traumatic experiences quickly regardless of compatibility. They both [[LampshadeHanging lampshade]] this.

** Likewise, the lack of readily available communication tools means Jack can't immediately phone the transit agency of the bus to radio the driver about the bomb on the bus and explain that he must stay above 50 [=MPH=] nor have the [=LAPD=] call up the bus via radio. If the bus was stopped before reaching [=50=], Paynes plot would have fallen apart.

** The general idea of a vehicle that can't slow down without a bomb going off has been parodied endlessly. ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' did it with a deadly wheelchair. ''Series/FatherTed'' had an episode titled "Speed 3", where the vehicle was a milk float, which runs little faster than five miles an hour. Sandra Bullock appeared in an episode of ''The Muppet Show'' where a bomb would blow up the theater if the audience ratings fell too low.

** Creator/RichardSchiff, very early in his career, plays the subway conductor in the final sequence.

** His first scene sees him stab an unsuspecting security guard to death.....''In the head''. And all Payne can muster is a [[LackOfEmpathy remorseless]] NothingPersonal.

** There's also the "[[OffTheShelfFX Obviously a model]]" subway car during the climax.

** Likewise, the lack of readily available communication tools means Jack can't immediately phone the transit agency of the bus to radio the driver about the bomb on the bus and explain that he must stay above 50 [=MPH=] nor have the [=LAPD=] call up the bus via radio.

* HarsherInHindsight: The scene where Jack breaks down over Harry's death can be seen as this as Keanu's close friend Creator/RiverPhoenix had died during filming. As well, according to Sandra Bullock, Keanu tried to put on a brave face but was deeply affected by it.

** The scarcity of mobile phones stand out, as Jack has to commandeer one before he boards the bus. Jack is also called on payphone by the antagonist who explains the plot about the bus bomb.
** Likewise, the lack of readily available communication tools means Jack can't immediately phone the transit agency of the bus to radio the driver about the bomb on the bus and explain that he must stay above 50 [=MPH=].

** [[Series/TheWestWing Richard Schiff]], very early in his career, plays the subway conductor in the final sequence.

** His first scene sees him stab an unsuspecting security guard to death.....''In the head''.

* EndingFatigue: The subway chase at the end is almost completely divorced from the main body of the film and seems to be there just to engineer a showdown between Payne and Traven - after all, they couldn't exactly get the bad guy onto the bus in any plausible way. Some people who haven't seen the film in a few years even find they had completely forgotten about the whole subway part.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Harry, Jack's ever lovable snarky sidekick. [[spoiler:His death is widely agreed to be a massive {{Tearjerker}}.]]

** The general idea of a vehicle that can't slow down without a bomb going off has been parodied endlessly. One example being the deadly wheelchair in ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark''. ''Series/FatherTed'' had an episode titled "Speed 3", where the vehicle was a milk float, which runs little faster than five miles an hour.
* MoralEventEventHorizon: If Payne doesn't cross it by murdering Helen when she tries to escape, he certainly does when he sets up a bomb at his (supposed) hideout which kills Harry and his entire team.