Point Break

By: Jack Hunt 1.7.2009

The Movie Itself:
I remember when I used to surf all the time and she’d wait for me. I was always searching for that perfect wave and I’d think about her when the next set was blowing in. When I finally caught up to it, I thought it was too easy. That I was too late. We are 17 years old. Can you taste the fear? Her hair pulled up, not wanting to get it wet. Sun kissed skin, softly reveling that she is touching her face. Her eyes never looked more mysterious. She has this bikini on, with some scenes of a tropical paradise painted onto it. What a fool I was, having ever made her wait. I’ve never been happier than I was then. I never felt more alive. Our love was young.

Some people get caught up in the culture, that easygoing way of life. For some it’s about nature; the sun drenched beaches, the crystal-clear warm waters or the violent seas. And even more, the rush. I got caught up in an obsession, one that nearly cost me my life. My intro probably doesn’t make a lot of sense, but it’s about the great ride that we all get one shot at. All you have and what you are willing to lose; on that search for the perfect wave that is life. All the passion is exposed through your triumphs or mistakes. Late one summer, I went out in a hurricane. I remember the strength of the wave, as it ripped the board from underneath me and I was taken under. I started counting; I knew I could easily hold my breath for at least a minute. When I hit 65, I knew I was in trouble. Just then, I came up for air. To my delight, I was all the way back on beach. I paddled back out and took one more in. “If you want the ultimate, you've got to be willing to pay the ultimate price.”

A gang of surfer thugs, going by the name of the Ex-Presidents and thriving on the coastal tranquility of the Los Angeles underground, is wanted in a number of bank robberies. Special Agent, Johnny Utah, goes undercover to infiltrate the gang. There he finds all that he is looking for and more. The easygoing and carefree lifestyle plays on all Johnny’s senses and he is enticed by the devil-may-care way of life. Whatever the cause; Bohdi’s preaching, the adrenaline rush or Tyler’s body, it all takes over the young Agent. In the end, everything is laid out and Johnny must decide which is the greater evil. His new found friends or the law.

“You're saying the FBI's gonna pay me to learn to surf?” After being sidelined with a blown-out knee, USC quarterback hero, Johnny Utah, decided to become an FBI agent. Being assigned a new partner, Pappas (Busey) doesn’t make his transition any easier, as he is underrated by the more experienced agent. But the two quickly form a bond and move onto their first case, that of the bank robbing surf gods. After he meets surfer chick, Tyler (Petty) his emotions come into play. Johnny begins to carefully play both sides. And by doing so, he is drawn closer into one of the suspected crews. Utah’s undeniable character allows him to easily infiltrate the gang, as Bodhi takes him under his wing and begins to preach life lessons and the code of the beach. As usual, work gets in the way of playtime and Johnny is forced to try and out the thieves. This is all nothing but bad news for Bodhi and his crew.

“You got the kamikaze look, Johnny.. I’ve seen it.” Keanu Reeves really came out of nowhere. From an uncanny performance in My Own Private Idaho and a Bill & Ted franchise, Reeves looked as though he was on the fast take to Palukaville. But something happened for Reeves, it was a little film called ‘Point Break’. He followed it up with a run of solid roles and some extremely successful films. Somewhere along the way; I thought well hey, this guy can act. “They call him the Bodhisattva.” Patrick Swayze is one of those guys who are badass enough to be a really good; actor, performer and dancer, all while pulling off his tough guy persona. The guy is just cool. And his performance in ‘Point Break’ solidifies that claim for me. Lori Petty does a decent job as the desirable woman, but I never quite figured her for the role. Other notables include one Gary Busey, back when he could still get decent work. Don’t get me wrong I like the guy, but his recent appearance in a ‘Procede’ hair loss treatment commercial makes me wonder where it all went so terribly wrong.

Director, Kathryn Bigelow, delivered a memorable and fun picture, with a unique storyline by screenplay writer W. Peter Iliff. Who is actually working on the next installment of the film, currently titled ‘Point Break Indo’. Honestly, I’m not really excited by the idea of a sequel to the film and don’t really see the point, as I doubt any of the original cast members will sign up for the project. Where could the story go at this point? Seems like it would be a quick paycheck release. In any event, Point Break will live on, “Surfing’s the source; it will change your life. Swear to God.”
Rating: 8/10

The Presentation:
To kick off this review, I watched my old Point Break DVD first and then directly followed it up with Fox’s Blu-ray release on a 1080p~AVC MPEG 4 transfer. And I have to say the difference is wonderful. I grew up on ‘Point Break’, so it’s only suitable to review with multiple viewings. The DVD is like my brilliant childhood, actually we watched VHS tapes back then but hey, and the Blu-ray is like my celebrated future.

Fox obviously took some time out to produce a very nice BD, with the source coming from the latest release. The Blu-ray is solid, with a very clean transfer. The beach scenes look great; the water is very clear and fresh. Daylight scenes shine and the beach element looks great; water is very clear and fresh. Clarity is improved and colors are natural; as are fleshtones. Detail is strong, but lack in some scenes. Interior and night scenes seem to suffer the most, although the night surf mission/ first kiss is clearly improved. The sky diving scenes are also particularly enjoyable. Over-all the disc has a very new film feel to it, which is sometimes hard to duplicate given other recent transfer from the time period suffer.

The remastered DTS lossless 5.1 surround track is strong. The action kicks on all speakers with a nice range added. Dialogue sounds pretty good and is clear throughout. I mean, what if we missed any of the classic lines. Every quote is one for the modern film history books. The ‘Point Break’ BD may not be perfect, but it’s pretty close. If you’re a fan of the film, it’s a no brainer. If you’re a first time viewer check it out first or pick it up if you can find a relatively cheap copy. It’s basically a cult classic at this point. Even after all these years, it’s still “100% pure adrenaline.”
Rating: 7/10

The Extras:
Back in the day, a drinking game that we always used to play was who could name the best quotes from Point Break. Sounds strange right? But it’s true. No matter how big of a fan of the movie I was or am, I would always lose. One of my friends could probably recite every line to this day, which is probably why my review is loaded with classic quotes. This leads me to the interviews and features. : Note all extras appear in SD.

‘It’s Make or Break’ (23 mins) Seems to be the best of the lot, along with the deleted scenes (5 mins). With: Director Kathryn Bigelow, producer Rick King and cast members Keanu Reeves, Patrick Swayze, Lori Petty and Gary Busey. They are somewhat brief, but all share their take on and memories of making the film. ‘Ride the Wave’ (6 mins) Surfing is a healthy sport. A brief look on the life and mentality of a surfer, with cast and crew. 'Adrenaline Junkies' (6 mins) The basics behind the stunts and action of the film. ‘On Location: Malibu’ (8 mins) a tour of Malibu and several location shots. The ‘Still Gallery’ is hardly worth mentioning, but includes various shots. The features on ‘Point Break’ are pretty standard and although some offer enjoyable, albeit brief moments, all are pretty standard and forgettable.

Also included: Point Break’s theatrical trailers.
Rating: 3/10

Overall:
I might be a bit biased towards the film, having grown up on the film and being a fan of both Reeves and Swayze. Love or hate the film, it all looks good on Blu-ray. ‘Point Break’ is a solid transfer and actually looks and sounds fantastic. The BD is not faultless, but it is a winner for sure brah. Few might share my passion, but I can easily recommend this film. “Vaya con dios.”
Rating: 6/10