Jake Speed

Name: Jake Speed
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime
Released: May 30, 1986
Duration: 105 min
Rating: 42
Cast: Barry Primus, Dennis Christopher, Donna Pescow, John Hurt, Karen Kopins

1986

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Mixed or average reviews based on 8 Critic Reviews

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Movie Details & Credits

Entertainment Film Distributors | Release Date: May 30, 1986 | PG

Starring: Barry Primus, Dennis Christopher, Donna Pescow, John Hurt, Karen Kopins, Leon Ames, Millie Perkins, Monte Markham, Roy London, Wayne Crawford

Summary: In a world where, unbeknownst to the public, all famous pulp fiction heroes are real, one of them, Jake Speed, agrees to help desperate Margaret Winston save her sister from sadistic white slaver Sid, who's operating in Africa.

Director: Andrew Lane

Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime

Rating: PG

Runtime: 105 min

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Critic Reviews

Staff (Not Credited)

Jake Speed is fun - a deliberately mindless adventure that keeps tongue firmly in cheek. Read full review

Kevin Thomas

It has a lively start and finish, but the middle could use less talk and more action--which is not to say it couldn't do with a much lower body count as well. Indeed, were it not for a big dollop of gratuitous violence, it would be more diverting and better crafted than most of the stuff filling up the screen in anticipation of the rest of the summer blockbusters. Read full review

Bill Cosford

By the time John Hurt shows up, in the role of the villain, the fun's over. Crawford tries for sardonic and falls short, into lazy. Lane's pace is way off; his adventure seems to take forever to get under way, and the jokes aren't enough. Good pulp is better than this. [04 June 1986, p.D1]

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

Although the film fails at a number of levels, most acutely in never making us care much about any of the characters or their problems, it possesses a loopy charm that makes it a pleasure to watch. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

Crawford plays Speed with his foot in his mouth rather than tongue-in-cheek, and instead of glorying in the experiences of the pulp novel dialogue, dissipates all the comic potential by his evident bewilderment. Read full review

Nina Darnton

Most of the possibilities for humor or tension, either sexual or dramatic, are badly botched by the flat performances of the other lead actors and the consistent bad timing of the director - everything misfires or misconnects, leaving too many long, dead moments that prove that even an adventure film with lots of running and shooting can be boring. Read full review

Gene Siskel

Jake Speed isn't a movie. It's just a financial deal. Read full review

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slider1983

Feb 20, 2019

Ultimately but not surprisingly Jake Speed was not a success at the Box Office. The film attempts to tap into the spirit of the adventure serial but poor narrative choices as well as poor pacing sabotage what could have been a fun movie. This is especially frustrating as the film has a lotUltimately but not surprisingly Jake Speed was not a success at the Box Office. The film attempts to tap into the spirit of the adventure serial but poor narrative choices as well as poor pacing sabotage what could have been a fun movie. This is especially frustrating as the film has a lot of charm and quirkiness trying to come through and some of the casting, especially Hurt and Christopher does wonders which is why it’s such a shame the movie fails as a whole. Jake Speed is an often forgotten movie but while it has imperfections it does prove to be a treasure worth digging up. While a viewer shouldn’t expect gold it does offer charm among its rusted edges.… Expand

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