Just to recap, the original film found a smokin’ hot Keanu Reeves starring as Johnny Utah, a former football player whose injured knee drove him to become an FBI agent instead of an athlete. He and his partner (crazy Gary Busey) work to track down a group of bank robbers, led by the smokin’ hot Bodhi (Patrick Swayze). The robbers also happen to be adrenaline junkies, so there’s plenty of extreme surfing and skydiving between police chases and robberies. As Johnny infiltrates Bodhi’s social circle and falls for his on again/off again girlfriend (Lori Petty), he struggles between revealing his identity and participating in some intense crimes. Every once in awhile a member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers walks by, cause why not, man?! It’s California! Surf’s up!
Contrast that hot mess with 2015’s regular mess. Johnny Utah is played by Luke Bracey, a bland, forgettable individual who occasionally sports a man bun. This Agent Utah has joined the FBI after an obsession with extreme sports led to a friend sliding off the side of a cliff, which is, like, deep, even though he never cries about it or anything. Bodhi (Edgar Ramirez) is equally obsessed with extreme sports, but remains unfazed when his friends fall off cliffs and he occasionally robs banks or steals diamonds on the side. He then gives the money to poor people, which is also, like, deep, even though he never cries about it or anything.
Removing bank robbery as the a focal point of Point Break opens the door for an extravaganza of extreme sports. Johnny Utah figures out that Bodhi and the gang are attempting “Eight Ordeals”, a series of impossible athletic feats said to lead to nirvana. No one has survived more than a few ordeals, but Bodhi is going for the impossible. It’s up to Johnny to follow him around the world, masquerading as a friend but also sort of going, “hey, hey, I know it was you!” and “it’s OVER, man!” This takes place on surfboards against eighty foot waves…on motorbikes…on the sides of mountains…on top of waterfalls. You wanna see an ordeal? I’ll show you an ordeal! It’s called Point Break.
Apart from being a lost cause to begin with, 2015’s Point Break is guilty of several fatal movie-making flaws. It’s deadly boring. The characters are flat, unlikable, and hard to identify due to a total lack of star power (the biggest name in the movie is Delroy Lindo, in a supporting role). There is no real plot. It’s basically one long Warren Miller movie showcasing all the sports. Though some of the special effects and naturescapes are impressive, nothing can save this total stinker.
SPECIAL FEATURES
The 3D Blu-ray and Blu-ray Combo Pack include featurettes on Rock Climbing, Wingsuit Flying, Snowboarding, Motocross, as well as Deleted Scenes and Trailers. The standard DVD includes only Deleted Scenes.
