Point Break - movie review

Point Break

Plot: A young FBI agent infiltrates an extraordinary team of extreme sports athletes he suspects of masterminding a string of unprecedented, sophisticated corporate heists.
Cast: Edgar Ramirez, Luke Bracey, Ray Winstone
Director: Ericson Core
Rating: 12A
Runtime: 1hr 54 mins
Release Date: Friday 5th February 2016

There are often times when I love Hollywood. They can create the most amazing of stories. They can make you fall in love with the strangest of characters. This is not one of those times. The remake that no one asked for is here and unfortunately, I had to sit through it. Having not seen the original that is regarded as a classic 90's action flick, I went into this new Point Break completely fresh. I spent the entire runtime confused as to what I was watching and if anyone had really bothered. A cop who used to be a daredevil. A group of adrenaline junkie renegades on a mission from God. That premise could make for either a stupid yet fun film or a dumb and pointless waste of time. Guess which one is actually was?


Luke Bracey replaces Keanu Reeves as Johnny Utah but through this modern adaptation, he is now a robotic cop. Wait. Sorry, he's still a regular cop but Bracey's portrayal of Utah lacks any emotion or personality, he could have been mistaken for a robot. His line delivery is shockingly awful and spends more time posing for the camera rather than acting. It made me wish for Keanu Reeves and considering that Reeves is by no means the greatest actor that's walked the Earth, that should emphasise how tragic Bracey was. We also have Edgar Ramirez taking over from the late Patrick Swayze as adrenaline junkie/bank robber/environmental enthusiast Bodhi. In this updated version, Ramirez continues with these traits but this time is also an invincible superhero. He doesn't actually possess any superhuman powers but what he seems to be able to do and accomplish defies all logic. Somehow, this representation of Bodhi can survive base jumping from the summit of Mount Everest. Now, I may be no expert on all things base jumping but I am pretty certain that it is a logistical impossibility to survive that. As far as Ramirez's performance is concerned, it's just lifeless. There is no excitement in his voice and everything he says just feels bland and dull. The same can also be said for Teresa Palmer's character of Samsara, the supposed love interest for Utah. I say 'the supposed interest' simply because Bracey and Palmer lack any romantic chemistry. Watching the two interact felt like you were intruding upon two people on a blind date gone wrong. Palmer hardly features in the film and when she does, nothing is added. She does the best that she can, but the material provided doesn't help her at all. The director also litters her body with the silliest of tattoos. Instead of looking realistic, the tattoos on Palmer and the majority of the actors seem as if they were drawn on with a Sharpie. The one acting highlight of this film is Ray Winstone as Pappas. Taking over from Gary Busey, Winstone delivers the most unintentionally hilarious performance of the entire film. The reason as to why he was the highlight is because of the accent Winstone seems to attempt and then gives up on occasionally. In one scene, he would chop and change between a horrendous American accent and gradually slip back into his casual South London voice. Whilst it may have been entertaining to watch, it also reinforces my point about how many of the cast and crew bothered to do anything remotely correct.

But it's the story and writing that makes the movie fall apart even further. From researching the original, the group led by Bodhi were only robbing banks to fund their adrenaline experiences. That premise is thrown out the window in this remake as the group now, are aiming to complete a special sequence of eight death-defying stunts to prove themselves in the eyes of God. I found this to remove any humanity of the characters abstaining them from any compassion or sympathy. One of the major turning points from the original movie that I've heard about, is not knowing which side you support and want to prevail. In this instance my choice was clear. The writing of this disaster leaves much to be desired. Saying that some of the characters' actions and dialogue is cheesy and clichéd is a monumental understatement. The problem is that it all probably worked in the context of the original because in that era, we embraced the cheesiness and we had fun with it. Now, they try to emulate that excitement but because there doesn't seem to be any life behind it, the film ends up as a failed copy.

The biggest positive from this film were the stunts and how they were filmed. If I were simply basing my thoughts upon this movie from my reaction to these feats, I would be singing this film's praises. The fact that practical locations and real stuntmen were used added some thrill and tension to this film. Whether it be surfing a tidal wave, snowing down the face of a mountain or flying in a wingsuit through a valley, those scenes are phenomenal to watch and make the movie, in some respects, bearable. I found those moments to be the only worthwhile component to this film due to the way that they were filmed. The director (Core) also served as the director of photography and those jaw dropping scenes were filmed immaculately. However, I wouldn't say that they are worth the price of admission and to still avoid this movie if possible. If you want to watch amazing stunts filmed with precision and care, I'm sure you could find many videos on YouTube that demonstrate this.

If this doesn't serve as a reasonable enough message to Hollywood that not every successful film from the past needs to be remade, then I don't know what will. The action is thrilling enough but nothing can save the lousy performances and uninspired story that detracts from the original. We need more original action films rather than bland processed disappointments like this.

My Verdict: 3.5/10

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