I must confess this dark secret; I’m a Point Break addict. Few films can approach the term “guilty pleasure” the way this can. With the exception of The Last Boy Scout, this has to top the list when it comes to guilty pleasure action thrillers. No matter how many hundreds of times I’ve seen it, once it’s in the DVD player, it has to be watched to the end. Thankfully, Fox has released a special edition of this cult classic that (while disappointing on the deleted scenes level) makes up for it on the featurettes level.
Released in the summer of 1991, Point Break came and went without much fanfare or box office. In the years since, it has become a beloved cult film and now stands as one of the best action films of the 1990s. There are moments of stunning stupidity and ineptitude in terms of dialogue and plot, but the sheer enthusiasm of the cast and the adrenaline that Kathryn Bigelow provides behind the camera more than makes up for the suspension of disbelief.
Keanu Reeves plays the infamously named Johnny Utah. Johnny was once a star quarterback for Ohio State, leading them to a Rose Bowl victory over USC. But, in the process, he blew out his knee and subsequently joined the FBI. As the film opens, he has just graduated from Quantico and has been sent to Los Angeles. He is partnered with a grizzly FBI veteran, Angelo Pappas (played to a hilt by Gary Busey.) In many ways Pappas in similar to Jimmy Malone in The Untouchables. They have both had their time in the line of fire and are somewhat content, in their later years, to play it safe. A series of bank robberies, 27 banks in 3 years to be exact, have the L.A. bureau chasing ghosts.
Pappas does indeed have a theory as to who the ex-presidents might be but it’s not a popular one amongst the bureau. By examining what one would think is minor evidence, Pappas has concluded that the ex-presidents are surfers and are sticking to a summer schedule when it comes to robberies. Utah is young, dumb and full of cum. He wants to nail the bank robbers and be a hero. After reviewing some evidence with Pappas along with some Corona and Jack Daniels, Utah is convinced.
Utah then goes undercover as a surfer to ferret out the robbers. This sets off a chain of events that leads him to Tyler (Lori Petty) and Tyler’s former lover, the Zen-like surfer and appropriately named Bodhi (Patrick Swayze). Utah becomes seduced by Tyler and then by Bodhi. Tyler is a spunky, headstrong, no BS type woman that Utah hasn’t encountered before so that can be explained. However, Bodhi is a free-spirited, highly enlightened soul. After a beach football game (where the two men feel each other out almost like dogs sniffing each other) Bodhi befriends Utah and teaches him what the real meaning of surfing is both physically and psychologically.
Utah is willing to do anything to break the case, but Bodhi opens him up to a side that he has never fully acknowledged but has always been simmering - that being the most masculine of all sides that exists in men – pushing life to the limit and past it no matter the consequences. This realization along with his eventual discovery of the Ex-presidents true identity leads Utah to have to come to terms with who and what he is willing to sacrifice in order to win and nail the bad guys.
Point Break is not the type of film where one spends time trying to figure out why the characters do what they do. It’s a film that is based on and is driven by adrenaline. There are several instances where one could question the logistics and believability of what is happening. You can go grow brain dead rather quickly if you ask such questions here. The plot strains credibility (a character jumps out of a plane without a parachute, air tackles another with a parachute and puts a gun to his head) as it progresses and the acting won’t be honored in any acting studios. Neither of those factors matter in the end. Much like another Swayze guilty pleasure Road House, Point Break succeeds in spite of itself.
The actors are fully committed and believable in their roles, and (despite the inadequacies of the plot) you are willing to dismiss it because of the energy of the story and the performers. You believe the actors and take an interest in what happens to their characters. Movies don’t always have to be landmark works of art. Sometimes they can just be sheer energized entertainment for us to lose ourselves in. Point Break is the definition of the latter. It is an exhilarating action thriller that constantly keeps you occupied and energized. James Cameron must be given kudos for exec-producing the film and helping to rescue it when it seemed as if the film might not be made.
The lion’s share of the credit must be given to director Kathryn Bigelow - who directed the cult vampire film Near Dark, the underrated Blue Steel and another Cameron infused film that was unfairly ignored Strange Days. It is ironic that in a film that deals with the many levels of masculinity and how men bond together that a woman is the ultimate power behind the camera. Bigelow infuses the film with an energy that never dissipates.
Her action sequences (including a standout foot chase through the streets, homes, back alleys, back yards and reservoirs of Santa Monica as well as the most breathtaking skydiving scenes ever put on film) are exhilarating and keep the viewer firmly entrenched. The energy in the film is constant and you never lose interest for a second. It’s a shame that she has not been given more opportunities as the years have progressed, although helming K-19: The Widowmaker probably didn’t help her.
Michael Bay wishes he could be half the director Kathryn Bigelow is. She makes her action believable and punishing, and she never overdoes it with camera angles and you never suspect that she is trying to insult the viewer. Her nod to Dirty Harry’s finale in Point Break’s final moments is a wonderful acknowledgement to the great cop thrillers of the past.
Mark Isham’s beautiful, soulful and haunting score provides another element to the film that provides the viewer with a strong emotional anchor. The rock/surf infused soundtrack perfectly complements what is happening on-screen. The haunting use of Ratt’s Nobody Rides For Free over the end credits essentially summarizes one of the film’s many lessons - that being that everything in life costs a price. No one gets a free ride in life. Yes, you can get some of life’s lessons out of Point Break, as pathetic as it sounds.
Patrick Swayze, much like his Dalton in Road House, was born to play the enigmatic and seductive Bodhi. His enigmatic charisma contrasts well with his hidden dark side. Swayze, who was at the apex of his career coming off of Ghost in 1990, was seldom better suited for a role than he was here. Swayze makes Bodhi a real entity that a weaker person can be easily seduced by. Keanu Reeves, in his own way, was also born to play Johnny Utah. Reeves has never been nor will he ever be considered a great actor. He does however have a natural presence and likeability that has maintained and furthered his career.
This was his first leading man role post-Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure that made people take notice of his peculiar, yet unique talents. Despite the fact that Point Break didn’t make much of an initial splash (no pun intended) Reeves built his career on Johnny Utah and it is still considered to be his best character. His dialogue delivery, especially the immortal “I am an FBI agent” will make you cringe and laugh hysterically on a frequent basis but, despite that, you still find yourself rooting for him.
Gary Busey (Get me two Utah) steals nearly every scene as Pappas. His manic energy and conviction dominates the screen. Practically every word out of his mouth is quotable and hilarious. His inevitable fate, although it can be telegraphed by anyone who is familiar with the cop-buddy genre, is truly a heartbreaking moment that stays with you despite the fact that Keanu has an awful line reading during it ( Noooooooooo!). Lori Petty is a unique choice as Tyler and she provides a strong, confident female lead that is so opposite from the blonde beach bunny look that one would have expected in a film like this.
Tyler is not just some dumb bimbo but rather could be seen as a role model for women. John C. McGinley (from Scrubs) is brilliant as the instantly obnoxious Agent (Yes, you bother me) Harp who runs the Los Angeles F.B.I. office and doesn’t care much for Utah or Pappas. His eventual comeuppance at the hands of Pappas, while predictable, is thoroughly enjoyable. Look for Tom Sizemore in a small role as a DEA agent and Anthony (That would be a waste of time) Kiedis from The Red Hot Chilli Peppers as a punk surfer who has some of the most hilarious facial expressions you’ll ever see.
The deleted scenes are an unfortunate power down. There are 8 scenes total but some of them last literally 7 seconds. They have been obviously lifted from a workprint as the timer can be seen at the bottom right of the screen. Fans of the film will recall that in the theatrical trailer there are two scenes included that didn’t make the final cut.
Only one of them is included here; that being the scene where Utah corrects Harp on his beach terminology “The correct term is babes sir.” The other lost scene, and really the one enthusiasts of the film would have wanted to see is not included.
That would be the scene with Utah and Bodhi in Bodhi’s truck where Utah fires a gun from his shotgun seat. Bodhi then remarks “This is gonna be a great day, Johnny.” While there is a sequence from that scene shown in the deleted scenes where Bodhi is talking to Utah about the Ex-presidents in his truck, the scene is cut off abruptly and you are never shown the continuation.
The four featurettes make up for the disappointment, however. The highlight is the It’s Make or Break Retrospective, which has interviews with cast and crew, including Swayze, Petty, McGinley and a rocked out and insane Gary Busey. There are literally moments when he spaces out while talking. Just having him be a part of this is greatness. Is there any other way we’d have Gary Busey?
Curiously, the only cast member that doesn’t have a present day voice is Reeves; all of his interviews are archived interviews taken at the time of the film’s release in the summer of 1991. Fans of the film will soak up the many inside tidbits and history regarding the film. Probably the most fascinating revelation is that Johnny Depp was at one point considered for Johnny Utah. No knock on Keanu, but this film could have gone to an even greater level had Depp played the part. You also learn that Swayze nearly died while doing many of his own surfing and skydiving stunts including the infamous “Adios Amigo” jump sequence. There is also mention of the ending, which was reshot after test audiences reacted negatively to the original.
The other featurettes include the Ride the Wave featurette which goes into the surfing aspects, both physical and spiritual, of the film, the Adrenaline Junkies featurette which details the amazing action sequences in the film as well as how Swayze and the crew really got into the physical aspects of the film and the On Location Malibu featurette which has Bojesse Christopher (Grommet) and John Philbin (Nathaniel) who are part of Bodhi’s crew, reminiscing and walking around some of the beach locations where the film was shot. There are also three trailers for the film and a still gallery as well.
While a commentary by Bigelow and Swayze would’ve been nice and the deleted scenes are a power down; the featurettes make up for it. Point Break has aged remarkably well and is just as potent and exciting as it was back in 1991. It’s not in the level of a Raiders of the Lost Ark, Terminator or Die Hard but Point Break more than holds its own with those action classics and is a classic in its own right.
Point Break: Pure Adrenaline Edition is now available at Amazon . As of yet, this version of the DVD is now available in the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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