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I hadn't seen this film since the 1990's, but for some reason, I thought today might be a nice day to revisit it. The only things that were in my memory were bank-robbers with Presidents masks, Gary Busey joke-surfing on top a desk, Angry Keanu shooting to the sky, and the ending.
Point Break indeed follows a group of bank-robbers that use the money to fund their extreme surfing and parachuting escapades. So when the FBI decides to track them, they put a rookie agent with no knowledge of surfing on the job. So he goes out to learn how to surf, and the first beach he goes, he almost drowns; and the first person that rescues him? the ex-girlfriend of the leader of the bank-robbers (Patrick Swayze), who goes on to teach him how to surf while he befriends Swayze and Co.
I could go on and on with all the plot contrivances and ludicrousness of the story, not to mention Keanu Reeves' awful performance... but somehow, it kinda works. Sometimes the dialogue is cringe-worthy, but, Keanu aside, most of the cast goes from serviceable and competent to pretty good (most notably Swayze). IMO, what holds it together is Kathryn Bigelow's direction, who manages to keep the pace brisk.
At the end of the day, Point Break is as uneven and as choppy as the waves these dudes surf in, but it's still a pretty cool ride.
Grade:
POINT BREAK
(1991, Bigelow)
(1991, Bigelow)
"If you want the ultimate rush, you've got to be willing to pay the ultimate price. It's not tragic to die doing what you love."
I hadn't seen this film since the 1990's, but for some reason, I thought today might be a nice day to revisit it. The only things that were in my memory were bank-robbers with Presidents masks, Gary Busey joke-surfing on top a desk, Angry Keanu shooting to the sky, and the ending.
Point Break indeed follows a group of bank-robbers that use the money to fund their extreme surfing and parachuting escapades. So when the FBI decides to track them, they put a rookie agent with no knowledge of surfing on the job. So he goes out to learn how to surf, and the first beach he goes, he almost drowns; and the first person that rescues him? the ex-girlfriend of the leader of the bank-robbers (Patrick Swayze), who goes on to teach him how to surf while he befriends Swayze and Co.
I could go on and on with all the plot contrivances and ludicrousness of the story, not to mention Keanu Reeves' awful performance... but somehow, it kinda works. Sometimes the dialogue is cringe-worthy, but, Keanu aside, most of the cast goes from serviceable and competent to pretty good (most notably Swayze). IMO, what holds it together is Kathryn Bigelow's direction, who manages to keep the pace brisk.
At the end of the day, Point Break is as uneven and as choppy as the waves these dudes surf in, but it's still a pretty cool ride.
Grade: