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Speed 2: Cruise Control
A novel based on the sequel, starring Sandra Bullock and Jason Patric, to the 1994 blockbuster action movie, Speed, pits two passengers on a cruise against a mad genius who hijacks the ship. Original. Movie tie-in.
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published January 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 28, 2018
I have three issues with this book. The first thing is that I've just realised (after looking at my order history on Amazon, and also my bookshelf at home), that there are two different editions of this book. There's also one written by Cathy East Dubowski, who has done Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Never Been Kissed, and a couple of others, as well as some Sabrina novelizations. I last read the CED book is 2011, according to my Goodreads account, so now I need to revisit it, and also see if there are any differences between the two accounts.
I know and have read two different novelizations of the first Terminator movie, one by Bill Wisher, and one by Shaun Hutson. But now it's bothering me, that I have picked this up unknowingly, when I technically already have it.
The other issue that I have with these style "action" novelizations, is I don't find the action segments translate very well to text. I find that whole section works much better on film, and then the background of the characters comes across much better in the book.
Take the character Drew for example (the little deaf girl, who had a major crush on Alex) - she was mightily underused in the film, but comes to life so much more in the book, with a great deal more of her thoughts and what she thinks about her parents and the "inappropriate" dress that she wore to the dinner that night - the dress is changed from the novelization to the film. The sweet scene where she tells Alex she loves him, is also not in the book, which is a shame, as it was one of my favourite scenes. However, this did feature in the "junior" novelization of the book. Strange.
There are quite a few scenes changed, cut from the film, or extended from what was in the original screenplay/film. These include:
- There are much more said about Constance and her "smoking" - fun fact, you should recognise Constance from the first film, but not so much in the book
- An additional scene between Annie finding out Alex is on the Suicide Squad and arriving on the boat - and a little nod to the first Speed, with Annie saying she doesn’t like public transportation!
- Much more background given to characters such as Constance and Frank, and Celeste and Rupert.
- A "Lost & Found" scene, when Alex can't find Annie, so he sits with the kids who have also lost their parents.
- Annie & Drew's clothing is completely changed from the "last dinner" (as it were), to how they appeared in the film.
- Drew's elevator section is much expanded on, giving more indepth into her thoughts, and also seeing other people get into the lift, before getting out (why this was cut, I don't know, as it sounded quite funny on paper!)
- There's more insight into Geiger's illness, which was something that I think was skimmed over in the film. (Or not something that I could put two and two together.)
- There's an extended "opening" to the bow thrusters scene with Dante and Alex, which includes Alex riding a motorcycle, before diving down to turn the bow thrusters, in order to turn the boat.
An unfortunate mistake is that Sheri tells Harvey that she's wearing no underwear twice - almost like two different authors had written this bit, and it annoyed me, as the two mentions were only a couple of pages apart. It was an unnecessary re-mention, and should have been picked up by a proof reader, as it's glaringly obvious.
Overall, I did enjoy this novelization and the two novelizations are very similar - different beginnings, but very much similar content, with just more description/detail in this, compared to the other.
I am missing one quibble though - where's the novelization to the first film?!?!?!?! If you can release not one but TWO different novelizations, then I reckon there should be a novelization of the first.
I know and have read two different novelizations of the first Terminator movie, one by Bill Wisher, and one by Shaun Hutson. But now it's bothering me, that I have picked this up unknowingly, when I technically already have it.
The other issue that I have with these style "action" novelizations, is I don't find the action segments translate very well to text. I find that whole section works much better on film, and then the background of the characters comes across much better in the book.
Take the character Drew for example (the little deaf girl, who had a major crush on Alex) - she was mightily underused in the film, but comes to life so much more in the book, with a great deal more of her thoughts and what she thinks about her parents and the "inappropriate" dress that she wore to the dinner that night - the dress is changed from the novelization to the film. The sweet scene where she tells Alex she loves him, is also not in the book, which is a shame, as it was one of my favourite scenes. However, this did feature in the "junior" novelization of the book. Strange.
There are quite a few scenes changed, cut from the film, or extended from what was in the original screenplay/film. These include:
- There are much more said about Constance and her "smoking" - fun fact, you should recognise Constance from the first film, but not so much in the book
- An additional scene between Annie finding out Alex is on the Suicide Squad and arriving on the boat - and a little nod to the first Speed, with Annie saying she doesn’t like public transportation!
- Much more background given to characters such as Constance and Frank, and Celeste and Rupert.
- A "Lost & Found" scene, when Alex can't find Annie, so he sits with the kids who have also lost their parents.
- Annie & Drew's clothing is completely changed from the "last dinner" (as it were), to how they appeared in the film.
- Drew's elevator section is much expanded on, giving more indepth into her thoughts, and also seeing other people get into the lift, before getting out (why this was cut, I don't know, as it sounded quite funny on paper!)
- There's more insight into Geiger's illness, which was something that I think was skimmed over in the film. (Or not something that I could put two and two together.)
- There's an extended "opening" to the bow thrusters scene with Dante and Alex, which includes Alex riding a motorcycle, before diving down to turn the bow thrusters, in order to turn the boat.
An unfortunate mistake is that Sheri tells Harvey that she's wearing no underwear twice - almost like two different authors had written this bit, and it annoyed me, as the two mentions were only a couple of pages apart. It was an unnecessary re-mention, and should have been picked up by a proof reader, as it's glaringly obvious.
Overall, I did enjoy this novelization and the two novelizations are very similar - different beginnings, but very much similar content, with just more description/detail in this, compared to the other.
I am missing one quibble though - where's the novelization to the first film?!?!?!?! If you can release not one but TWO different novelizations, then I reckon there should be a novelization of the first.
March 9, 2021
A disgruntled sociopath will try to seek revenge on his cruise liner employer and LAPD Alex and his crappy driver girlfriend Annie are going to be caught up in a paradise vacation which will see them stop an out of control speeding cruise ship heading towards an oil tanker and tropical island. Pretty bad movie but some how reading this story is quite entertaining.
February 11, 2009
Wow! Can't say the writing is so great...but this was a page turner! My hands were sweating after page 50, I'm sure! Certainly kept my attention!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews