THE EXTREME What is Christmas meant for? Extreme sports and finding your zen, of course. Well, maybe not, but according to Point Break and its Christmas Day release youd think thats exactly what its meant for.
Point Break is a remake of the 1991 film by the same name that managed to enter cult status. While we all like to look longingly at the original starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze, truth be told its not a great movie but it was fun. The original was far from a great film, but it didnt take itself too seriously and you couldnt help but have a good time. Not to mention you actually connected in some strange way with the lead characters, Johnny Utah and Bodhi.
With all that said, I was hoping the new Point Break was going to capture at least some of that nostalgia of the original. Unfortunately, it did not. Not even close.
Heres why Point Break is not worth your time.
Dont care about characters
Both Johnny Utah and Bodhi have the depth of a kiddy pool in this remake. While Johnny wasnt exactly a complex web of emotions in the original, you at least cared about him. I cant say the same about this Johnny. His motivations are laid out, but not believable. Its not that Luke Bracey turned in an absolutely terrible performance as Johnny, but the character himself just wasnt all that interesting.
Now on to Bodhi. I dont think anyone thought wed get a Patrick Swayze-level Bodhi, but when it was originally announced that Gerard Butler would take on the role I actually had some hope they found the right guy. Eventually, Butler dropped out and Edgar Ramirez took over. I just cant get on board with him as the beloved character Bodhi.
Ramirez does his best to be Johnnys guide and friend, but the material he has to work with is flimsy at best and its incredibly obvious as you watch the plot unfold.
It had potential
Walking into the film I wasnt expecting to really fall in love with it, but I was hoping to just have a fun two hours. What I got instead was a wasted opportunity to have a half way decent film that would be perfect for a guys night out, or even a girls night.
The reasoning for the heists is actually kind of interesting and the setup isnt too bad. For the first 15 minutes or so I actually thought that Point Break was going to exceed expectations. Then it all fell apart.
Its almost as if the filmmakers decided that a pretty solid setup was enough and then just moved on to showing off some extreme stunts. The story is almost abandoned and were left with a shell of a plot in exchange for snowboarding down dangerous mountains and rock climbing. Dont get me wrong, that stuff can be a lot of fun to watch, but it just didnt work and it constantly reminded me of the wasted potential.
Rushed
Its hard to explain, but Point Break felt incredibly rushed. The film tends to gloss over important points and just as youre starting to understand motivations, its moved onto the final act and the big reveal has already come and gone.
It was actually fairly frustrating to see how the filmmakers rushed the important parts and then took their time on the less interesting stuff.
Stuff I liked: The stunts
While Point Break isnt really even an OK film, it did have some phenomenal stunt work. Between some of the BASE jumping scenes and snowboarding scenes its pretty incredible what some of the stunt performers did for this film.
Its obvious that some of the stunts are computer generated especially moments during a rock-climbing chase but audiences will be impressed with some of the breath-taking scenes and stunts.
Overall
I wish the impressive stunt work made Point Break worth watching, but it does not. The stunts actually make the film more aggravating because it will remind you of the wasted potential of the film.
Point Break is rated PG-13 for violence thematic material involving perilous activity, some sexuality, language and drug material.
The film is on the higher end of the PG-13 spectrum and likely not for younger audiences.
Point Break is a remake of the 1991 film by the same name that managed to enter cult status. While we all like to look longingly at the original starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze, truth be told its not a great movie but it was fun. The original was far from a great film, but it didnt take itself too seriously and you couldnt help but have a good time. Not to mention you actually connected in some strange way with the lead characters, Johnny Utah and Bodhi.
With all that said, I was hoping the new Point Break was going to capture at least some of that nostalgia of the original. Unfortunately, it did not. Not even close.
Heres why Point Break is not worth your time.
Dont care about characters
Both Johnny Utah and Bodhi have the depth of a kiddy pool in this remake. While Johnny wasnt exactly a complex web of emotions in the original, you at least cared about him. I cant say the same about this Johnny. His motivations are laid out, but not believable. Its not that Luke Bracey turned in an absolutely terrible performance as Johnny, but the character himself just wasnt all that interesting.
Now on to Bodhi. I dont think anyone thought wed get a Patrick Swayze-level Bodhi, but when it was originally announced that Gerard Butler would take on the role I actually had some hope they found the right guy. Eventually, Butler dropped out and Edgar Ramirez took over. I just cant get on board with him as the beloved character Bodhi.
Ramirez does his best to be Johnnys guide and friend, but the material he has to work with is flimsy at best and its incredibly obvious as you watch the plot unfold.
It had potential
Walking into the film I wasnt expecting to really fall in love with it, but I was hoping to just have a fun two hours. What I got instead was a wasted opportunity to have a half way decent film that would be perfect for a guys night out, or even a girls night.
The reasoning for the heists is actually kind of interesting and the setup isnt too bad. For the first 15 minutes or so I actually thought that Point Break was going to exceed expectations. Then it all fell apart.
Its almost as if the filmmakers decided that a pretty solid setup was enough and then just moved on to showing off some extreme stunts. The story is almost abandoned and were left with a shell of a plot in exchange for snowboarding down dangerous mountains and rock climbing. Dont get me wrong, that stuff can be a lot of fun to watch, but it just didnt work and it constantly reminded me of the wasted potential.
Rushed
Its hard to explain, but Point Break felt incredibly rushed. The film tends to gloss over important points and just as youre starting to understand motivations, its moved onto the final act and the big reveal has already come and gone.
It was actually fairly frustrating to see how the filmmakers rushed the important parts and then took their time on the less interesting stuff.
Stuff I liked: The stunts
While Point Break isnt really even an OK film, it did have some phenomenal stunt work. Between some of the BASE jumping scenes and snowboarding scenes its pretty incredible what some of the stunt performers did for this film.
Its obvious that some of the stunts are computer generated especially moments during a rock-climbing chase but audiences will be impressed with some of the breath-taking scenes and stunts.
Overall
I wish the impressive stunt work made Point Break worth watching, but it does not. The stunts actually make the film more aggravating because it will remind you of the wasted potential of the film.
Point Break is rated PG-13 for violence thematic material involving perilous activity, some sexuality, language and drug material.
The film is on the higher end of the PG-13 spectrum and likely not for younger audiences.
