Hot Take: Point Break

Hot Take: Woah! This unnecessary reboot was bad… worse than you can imagine, actually.

When I read there was a remake of Point Break coming out, I scratched my head. Is this something the world was clamoring for? It was 1991 when the original Point Break came out and while it was unintentionally campy and time hasn’t done it any favors, it’s still fun to watch. There’s nothing about viewing it, though, that suggests it’s a film in need of being retooled.

So, maybe it was a joke? Then I saw the budget ($105 million, roughly 5 times the original’s budget) and the release date (December 25th which is prime movie real estate) and thought maybe the joke is on me. About 5 minutes into the “new” and “extreme” Point Break, I released the reason I was scratching my head wasn’t an itch as I was about to spend 2 hours in a theater asking, “Why?”

The new Point Break takes itself unbelievably serious. Shot in 11 countries and looking to capitalize on an “extreme” sports fad that was hot 15 years ago and now more lukewarm,  Agent Johnny Utah is no longer a star college football athlete whose career was cut short by injury. The alternate universe Johnny Utah (Luke Bracey) is an extreme poly athlete who seeks a career with the FBI after the film briefly morphs into the opening of Cliffhanger when Utah’s boyhood friend dies during a tandem extreme stunt.

The movie then weaves it’s way in and out of Point Break, streaming extreme videos from YouTube and a few other movie cameos along the way (was that Fight Club?). The action scenes are well shot but void of any energy or excitement. The dialogue is as bad as the original but no one can pull off dopey dialogue like Keanu Reeves and without Patrick Swayze’s smirk, it just doesn’t work. In the end, Point Break is a disaster (especially the end!) and misses on almost every level.

“Spoiler Free” Pros

• The “Extreme” Action Sequences
  They’re what you’ve always hoped for if, by hoped, you mean seeing the best extreme videos from YouTube on the big screen.

“Spoiler Free” Cons

• What’s With the Keanu Reeves Impression?
  Bracey’s character slips in and out of an impression of Reeves more fitting of an SNL skit poking fun at the early 90s classic rather than an ultra-serious remake.
• What’s With the Bad President’s Masks?
  You remember the crew in the original Point Break wore rubber masks of the U.S. Presidents? Well, I guess the $105 million budget couldn’t splurge on the masks. Instead, you get pictures that look almost taped on in an early scene in the film. Nice downgrade!
• What’s With the Lack of Charisma?
  The original Point Break had personality and personality goes a long way. This one? Swipe left.