Point Break Comparison Movie Review

One of my favourite sayings goes like this: “If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it”. So why did we need to get a Point Break remake when it wasn’t necessary? 

Genre: Action

Director: Ericson Core

Cast: Luke Bracey, Edgar Ramirez, Ray Winstone, Delroy Lindo, Teresa Palmer, Matias Varela, Tobias Santelmann, Max Thieriot, Clemens Schick & Steve Toussaint.

Run Time: 114 min.

US Release: 25 December 2015

UK Release:  21 January 2016

German Release: 05 February 2016

For this review of the new Point Break flick, which was released yesterday in theatres all around Germany, I will try something different. Instead of simply reviewing this movie and giving it a final score, I will compare it to the original 1991 action flick directed by Kathryn Bigelow, which starred Keanu Reeves as Johnny Utah and Patrick Swayze as Bodhi.

Despite being a little cheesy, the 90s original was undoubtedly one of the more entertaining action blockbusters from its era and a defining moment for 90s action films. Although I haven’t rewatched it in some time, I am still very fond of it. Point Break was one of the first action films I was allowed to watch on TV, and it did earn a special place in my heart. So when I heard they were going to reshoot the movie, I crossed my fingers for it to be worthy of carrying the 90s blockbuster’s name. Sadly, it isn’t quite the case.

--- This Review Will Contain Spoiler to the 1991 Original ---

I was actually surprised at how much more it entertained than I originally thought it would. Does it come anywhere near the original? In no way, but I did not dislike this film as much as I believed I would. That said, it is also not a good action movie! The main problem with this remake is the story, which is simply boring and right-out tedious at times, since nothing of interest happens over large segments.

The original 1991 Point Break is like a modern retelling of the Robin Hood story in spirit, with a few tweaks here and there. It is about a group of surfers going against the government by systematically robbing banks, but instead of giving the money to the poor, they use it to fund their summer surfing vacation. When young FBI agent Johnny Utah infiltrates the crew to stop the robberies, his sympathy for the surfers turns into an emotional struggle between friendship and job.

The remake has pretty much the same plot, only that instead of surfers, the villains are extreme athletes, and instead of playing Robin Hood, they are on a radical hippie-like spiritual ride, trying to give the earth back what was taken from them. Ex-poly athlete and FBI freshman Johnny “Utah” (Bracey) goes undercover to infiltrate the group and becomes friends with their leader, Bodhi (Ramirez).

What makes the original so special is the camaraderie between the two lead characters, which also makes the villains likeable to a certain extent. It is essentially about a group of slackers whose only real talent and interest in life is surfing while blaming the corrupt system for their cash issues. This makes the villains relatable to the viewer, even if you condemn their actions. I like how Utah is influenced by Bodhi when it comes to the aspects of living and surfing, because his philosophy reflectes his beliefs and that, in turn, makes the viewer understand the character better.

The dialogue, on the other hand, is the weakest aspect of the original Point Break as it can become cheesy and over the top. Especially the monologues by Reeves during dramatic scenes.

Sadly, the 2015 counterpart has none of that, nor did it feel like a Point Break movie! The producers went a completely different route, and even though that ain’t a bad thing (in fact, it is positive, as they tried making it feel fresh), they should at least have included the original's base and soul. At this point, it looks more like a mesh between The Fast and the Furious and a GoPro documentary on extreme sports. My biggest issue with this film, though, is that between the base jumping, surfing and snowboarding scenes, the story is incredibly slow-paced and boring.

Swayze’s Bodhi is a charismatic and spiritual dude who just wants to ride the waves and be one with the ocean. He does not want to kill people, nor is he greedy; he just robs the necessary amount of money to fund his summer vacation. In the remake, Bodhi (portrayed by Ramirez) is simplified to an extremist terrorist who doesn’t care if his friends die while performing death-defying stunts.

In the ‘91 version, Johnny Utah is a young and somewhat lost FBI agent who starts living once he meets Tyler (Lori Petty) and Bodhi, who teach him how to surf. Even though he always knows that Bodhi and his gang are the bank robbers, he isn’t able to arrest them at first due to their friendship. Bracey’s Utah (who isn’t even called Utah) is already an expert in extreme sports and has no real connection to Bodhi. On a side note, Tyler is a much better love interest than Samsara, whose character is never really explored.

The original is a typical 90s action flick that uses close-ups during romantic or emotional moments, slow motion during dramatic action shootouts and a lot of panning during chase scenes. But it always stays in frame. The last scene in Australia makes use of darker, gloomier lighting, but it does suit the ending segment of the film.

The cinematography is the remake's strongest suit. The director clearly has a cinematographic background, proven by how he managed to capture the action-packed shots and my biggest compliments go to the extreme lengths the athletes took to film the beautiful-looking stunts. My only complaint is the source of lighting used, which gives the whole picture a greenish-pale look.

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Verdict: The Point Break remake does have nearly nothing in common with the original, except the character names and robberies. While the cinematography and the stunts look amazing on the big screen, the plot lacks a story and is incredibly dull, but what I really hate about Point Break is that none of the characters are likeable. This is a movie I do not recommend you go see. There are better things to do with your time than waste it on this. I will give it a 4.5 out of 10. If you want a good action movie about surfers, go see the original 1991 version!

Thank you very much for reading & if you found this review helpful, click like and share it with others. I will finally be reviewing Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight next Thursday.