Rent Point Break (1991)

Preposterous story, wooden acting, but fun in a cheesy kind of way - Point Break review by RP

Keanu Reeves has always been a little wooden in the acting department, as confirmed by the wooden persona he played later in 'The Matrix'. 'Point Break' is no exception as he plays a preposterous role in a preposterous story, managing it all with a straight face. He plays a naive FBI agent paid to learn to surf to infiltrate a gang of bank robbing surfer dudes. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow who went on to greater things with 'The Hurt Locker', it is perhaps the quality of the directing which keeps the silly plot together. It also stars Patrick Swayze who a couple of years earlier starred in another classic cheesy movie 'Roadhouse' – so bad it's good. 'Point Break' doesn't deserve the 'so bad it's good' tag, but comes pretty close. 3/5 stars – you may well enjoy it.

Amazing stunts & incredible adrenaline disguise a relatively empty & far-fetched story - Point Break review by TB

Point Break is in many ways one of the ultimate 90's cult films. Its poster, with the iconic headshots of Reeves & Swayze against a wave breaking, is recognisable all over the world. It's sheer balls-out machismo & testosterone screams out of every frame on the screen. And for many people, the melding together of 2 high octane pursuits (surfing & bank robbing,) fit perfectly together. Throw into the mix the script which was partly written by the genius James Cameron (then Bigelow's husband,) and you should have a certified classic.

However, despite all the amazing action & surfing scenes, for me Point Break actually wasn't that good a film in terms of it's story. And it shocked me when I watched it, as this is the same woman who directed the incredible Zero Dark Thirty & Hurt Locker. The story is not only far-fetched, but doesn't really work at all. There are the standard clichéd scenes of learning to surf, the protagonist finding his feet (literally) within the surfing community & falling in love with the hot girl who has previously dated the main antagonist (an exceptional Lori Petty.) There are also discussions in the moonlight on the beach about philosophy & beliefs.

But there were precious few times when the film actually gelled & flowed. The narrative felt chopped up, stopping & starting, often just as the story was starting to get going again. And as much as there was some great chemistry, with some more polishing, the script could have been so much better.

When it comes to performances, my favourite was Lori Petty as Tyler. Not only does she play an extremely strong & fiercely intelligent woman who easily goes toe-to-toe with the macho men surrounding her, but you genuinely buy into the love she has for Reeve's Johnny Utah. Reeves himself also does good work, totally believable in the actions scenes (amusingly this film was probably one of the reasons he got the part of Neo,) as well as a vulnerability when he finds himself entangled within the group. And Swayze completes this triumvirate as the off-the-chain Bodhi, a man for whom no crazy adrenaline rush activity is enough, whether it's catching waves or robbing banks.

But despite my criticism, I give full credit to & revere the stunt work on this film. From the frenetic foot chase through to the parachute jumps (Swayze refusing to use stunt-doubles for the vast majority of his action,) this is world-class. I do also appreciate that for many people, the failings of the story/script are in many ways irrelevant, because you are there for the ride. But for me, it always has to be anchored by a strong story to make you care about what is on screen.

A good film, but with the pedigree in front & behind the camera, it should have been so much better.