Point Break (1991) User Reviews

So Good I refuse To Acknowledge The Existence Of A Remake

[damianphelps · 8/10 · 22 February 2021]

Just a ripping movie that came out of nowhere. Keanu Reeves, action star? Who Knew. Swayze is mega convincing as the rogue surfer dude looking to live the dream.

The 3 leads are right on the money.

Fun story crazy action :)

The film for an adrenaline generation

[rhino-25 · 8/10 · 14 October 2004]

Thirteen years on it sounds a little trite - an FBI agent examines his inner self whilst trying to bring down a gang of surfer bank robbers by infiltrating their scene. But dude, how Point Break pulled this off!

In what can now safely be regarded as one of the more generation-defining cinematic moments of the nineties, Point Break serves as not just a credible well-paced action thriller spectacle, but also as a voice for advocates of the adrenalin rush. The movie's sleeper popularity at the time would no doubt have helped issue in a new generation of 'X' sports for a new generation, as hungry sponsors leapt at a new market.

Kathryn Bigelow takes some key pointers from then hubby James Cameron and paces the movie brilliantly. There are many key moments of unique action - that chute-less jump from 4,000 feet being the highlight - that filled the trailer, but it is the cumulative effect of bringing these moments together that adds to the picture. For so many films the denouement is a gross failure but Bigelow controls the films peaks and troughs expertly and the ending is genuinely well handled, something that appears to be a real struggle for Hollywood today.

In what will go down as Patrick Swayze's finest moment on film, he plays the adrenalin guru Bodhi with glaze-eyed and silver tongued expertise, and manages to pull off the very difficult assignment of being both sane and insane simultaneously with accomplishment.

You can almost feel pulled by Bodhi's enthusiasm for a sensation 'as close as you get to God', and as a result can excuse the decade for being labeled that of the 'slacker' generation. The nineties weren't about slacking, just looking for a different kind of high.

What a stylish and dynamic ride!

[IMDbKeepsDeletingMyReviews · 8/10 · 14 June 2019]

I really like Keanu Reeves. But boy, does Patrick Swayze steal the show. In what is maybe the most charismatic role of his career, he makes Keanu develop a serious man-crush on him, and we can all understand why Keanu couldn't do what he was about to do in one of the most iconic scenes of the film.

If only we had more directors like Kathryn Bigelow. This woman showed more balls in this one movie than most male directors will ever have in a lifetime. The shots are bold, dynamic; the directing is intense and energetic - I fell in love with this film and Kathryn Bigelow the moment I saw the first shots.

If you haven't already - please go watch this movie. It has aged very well - in fact, I feel like it hasn't lost any of its power, which in my book is a sign for an outstanding achievement. It feels as fresh as those waves it managed to capture in incredible style.

An under-rated classic

[Keegen · 6 January 1999]

Point Break is one of those films that everybody loves, but that nobody actually talks about all that often. It is a film that if you mention it in conversation, everyone else around is bound to say how much they enjoyed it.

The film's two main assets are unexpected ones, in the form of the direction and the script. The direction by Kathryn Bigelow is nothing short of excellent. Her handling of the action and suspense scenes is exciting and riveting. The two sky-diving scenes are brilliant as is the foot chase through the streets (and houses) of the city. The script, by W. Peter Illif, is also very good and the best thing about the film. The plot is multi-layered and has an original relationship between the hero and the villain. The way the story resolves itself and the ultimate resolutions is excellent, by the standards of most Hollywood action films.

This film deserves to be remembered as one of the better actioners of the nineties, not up there with Die Hard 2/3 or Speed, but better than 90% of the action junk made nowadays. At least this film has a plot.

Swayze's never been better

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 8 February 2011]

The ultimate buddy movie? POINT BREAK comes close. Few films can offer the same kind of male bonding found here, as two men on opposite sides of the law find themselves growing close thanks to a shared world view.

On the one side is greenhorn Keanu Reeves, playing FBI agent/slacker Johnny Utah, in possibly his blandest performance ever (it doesn't help that his character is extremely dim-witted to the extent that a bank robbery takes place behind him while he's ordering takeaway). On the other is Patrick Swayze as Bodhi, giving nothing less than an iconic performance as the surfer/extreme sports fan/bank robber extraordinaire. Swayze doesn't say much here, but his performance is all in his eyes, which seem full of an intense sadness at times. It's the kind of turn that makes you sit up and take note.

Elsewhere, the film has highs and lows. The story isn't the most gripping and there's a little too much of the surfing for my liking. It does pick up later on, though, and boasts an absolutely amazing foot chase that I later had to watch a second time just to remind myself how great it was. The supporting cast is so-so, but the film wins merit for the casting of Gary Busey as Reeves' partner; it's great to see Busey on the side of good for once, and he gives a typically intense, scene-chewing turn that I loved to bits. The action stuff, when it comes, is well handled too, with director Bigelow injecting some of her trademark tension into the proceedings.

They don't make movies like this today

[lyndean-4 · 10/10 · 24 December 2019]

Who misses Patrick Swayze - I know I do. He was always good in whatever movie but particularly in this one - such a wide range of acting. I hadn't seen it for years and it came up on tv so I recorded it so I can watch it over.

"If you want the ultimate, you gotta be willing to pay the ultimate price."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 6 June 2021]

Surfing fans and adrenaline junkies will get a huge charge out of this film, with Patrick Swayze's character challenging his band of 'Ex-Presidents' and FBI agent Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) into performing more and more dangerous stunts, for that rush one gets by living in the moment. Highlights of the picture include the memorable foot chase by Johnny attempting to run down Bodhi (Swayze) in the Reagan mask, and that pair of insane free fall jumps, one of them sans parachute by the intrepid agent Utah. Outside of a James Bond film, you probably won't find anything quite that crazy. Gary Busey had the distinct pleasure of appearing not only in this surfer flick, but 1978's "Big Wednesday" as well, though he limits his venture in this one to strictly land based activities. My ears perked up when I heard Johnny mention his surveillance of Bodhi by stating that he saw him go into Patrick's Roadhouse, a neat reference to Swayze's 1978 picture of the same name. I thought it noble for Johnny to let Bodhi go out on his own terms at the finale during the much anticipated 'fifty year storm', an ending that would appeal to the most hard core action fans, even if you had to picture it in your own imagination.

Surfing, Action, Bank Robbing, and Patrick Swayze's Mullet

[monkeysgalore · 10/10 · 11 April 2020]

You know those movies where there's not one realistic thing about them, but it only adds to the charm and fun of it? Where the insanity and occasional inane script choices make it that much more entertaining? Point Break is such a film. It doesn't operate on any levels of reality, unashamedly, and wears its "movie" status proudly, deciding instead to tell a intricate tale, which is loads of fun. Kathryn Bigelow should be proud.

Point Break is pure fantasy. It jams surfing, action, love, and crime into one awesome-looking package, and presents it excitedly. Everything about it is crazy. It's about an FBI agent named Johnny Utah trying to catch surfer bank robbers. You throw realism out the window upon seeing the plot summary. I mean, Utah uses his real name undercover (because why not?), falls in love with a girl (predictably), barely hides his profession as an FBI agent, and at one point, he and the main villain know the other's true identity but still act like best buds for no reason.

Keanu Reeves is at the top of his stoic, emotionless game. The only actor to ever give poor performances well, Reeves has made a living off of his visible lack of enthusiasm in his roles for years, and it's somehow charming and endearing. He's weirdly perfect as Johnny Utah (the coolest character name ever next to John McClane and Axel Foley), and gives his all in the role. Patrick Swayze is excellent as the villain, and it may be his finest performance. He plays a serious turd in this movie. He's cool in the beginning, but you just totally hate him by the end, which is the hallmark of a good villain. Gary Busey is here too, lending some class and craziness as usual.

Point Break is also chock-full of great action sequences. The beach fight was cool, with Reeves and Swayze showing off their moves, and the house raid was also well-done. The car and foot chase scene that everyone talks about is stupidly entertaining and well-shot. The bank shootout and runway shootout were cool, and the plane scene was legit. The final fight was intense and brutal, and very memorable. You know those movie moments where it's totally unrealistic, but it's just awesome and you just smile while watching, regardless of how unbelievable it is? I experienced such a moment during the second skydiving scene. Awesome.

Definitely watch this 90s action classic. It has all the slow-mo, intense gunpoint scenes, bloody squibs, and fist fights you could ask for.

Also, this movie is not gay. I hate it when people always try to over analyze every male relationship looking for gay subtext. Every decision Keanu made with Bodhi's life was out of friendship and respect. It's not gay. Stop it. Go watch Brokeback Mountain (2005) and shut up.

Exciting watch

[lakishaferguson21 · 7/10 · 22 August 2019]

As a 90s kid I've always been aware of this flick but never watched, until it showed up on Hulu. Glad I finally watched because it was definitely entertaining. Loved seeing Patrick amd Keanu in one of their most famous roles. I enjoyed the play on undercover agent infiltrating a subculture not to often heard from. It's not Broadway nor is it MARVEL superheroes, but it's quality entertainment worth watching more than once. On another note, it was AWESOME seeing the lead singer of one of my all time favorite bands in this; even though he does something quite hilarious!

Still one of the '90s' most substantial action films

[nat-dalby · 9/10 · 23 April 2018]

Point Break is one of those films that's massively entertaining no matter how many times you watch it. Whilst this is common in the action genre, Point Break stands out in its era by being more of a morally complex story.

The villain here is not your usual action villain. Keanu Reeves' character forms a complex bond with him and surfing culture to the point where it breaks his heart to have to bring him down. Swayze plays him like a charismatic cult leader and its believable that he'd sway enough people to get them onside for bank heists, all in the name of adrenaline.

This makes Point Break not a film of "bad guys vs good guys" but a real exploration of a subculture and how it gets inside people's heads.

It help that this is also a kick ass, brilliantly shot action film, with incredible sequences like the foot chase through LA and the skydiving making it as exciting as it is thoughtful. Unfortunately it came out in the same year as Terminator 2 so was (and is) criminally overlooked.

Beach Blanket Bank Robbery

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 14 January 2006]

A rash of quick, organized bank jobs in California leads a rookie Fed (named Johnny Utah!) to the beaches as an undercover surfer to ferret out the curl-shooting criminals. W. Peter Iliff's asinine script, adapted from an original treatment by Iliff and Rick King, is at least partnered with an intrinsically exciting direction from Kathryn Bigelow; she gets the action pumping even when the material is bogus. Keanu Reeves is alternately placid and overeager as the agent who befriends surfing guru Patrick Swayze; both actors manage not to embarrass themselves, though they're stuck playing cartoonish cut-outs, products of a screenwriter's workshop clichés. Bigelow must be attracted to movies with blow hard desk sergeants who do nothing but bellow at their underlings (the Feds in this flick are just as ridiculous as the cops in "Blue Steel"), and she isn't kind to the one central woman in the cast (Lori Petty, whose sass initially substitutes for a character--until she's turned into a victim). Gary Busey does wonders in another clichéd role, that of the crusty veteran saddled with the young upstart, and the surfing footage is very good. Still, "Point Blank" is merely watchable, and about as plausible as an episode of "Scooby Doo". **1/2 from ****

The Sum is larger than the Parts.

[mikew-8 · 10/10 · 23 June 1999]

Movies are like Bands. People come together--maybe they're not even the greatest musicians individually--but together, something meshes and they make great music. It takes more than great musicians to make a great band. Just so, some movies, no matter how much money, talent, and horsepower is brought to bear, just don't coalesce. Others, like Point Break, come together with an ineffable "rightness" that defies any of the parts, logic, or analysis. This is one of my favorite movies. Period. Everything "works." This movie ROCKS.

Mediocre.

[CrassActionHero · 5/10 · 3 October 2006]

Point Break(1991) Point Break isn't terrible, it's just not great. Don't misunderstand me, I do like certain things here. The opening bank robbery scene was good and full of energy. The security camera footage on the other hand looked so fake. I like the ex-presidents gimmick the crooks had going. The casting is good too. Problems are the plot and story. I just do not understand it at all. Also suspecting the crooks were surfers because of wax? Okay, whatever. One other good thing here is an intense foot chase. The foot chase was very well done and contains high amounts of energy. The acting was okay, nothing special. I just thought this could have been a better movie.

The Last Word: This is okay. Nothing special. With the mixture of the good stuff and bad stuff, overall became one big mishmash. See it yourself and decide if you enjoy this. Could qualify as a guilty pleasure.

Super Surf Sandwich

[Mr Parker · 19 July 2001]

I like this movie. I can't really go into why too much but I can tell you that I watch this flick everytime it comes on cable if I'm home. I think it's worth a couple of hours of your day. It first comes off as kind of hokey but somehow ends up becoming very engrossing. Keanu Reeves gives us a nice display of things to come in his career as this movie was released pre-Speed and Matrix. Patrick Swayze gives us a nice little performance as surfing zen Bodhi. The surfing scenes are well done and so are the bank robbery pieces. Kathryn Bigelow does a good job directing this one and the rest of the cast, especially Gary Busey, turn in solid performances. Note the chase scene with Keanu Reeves going after a Ronald Reagan masked Swayze: I'd put it in the top ten chase scenes of all times and I think most people would agree with me on that one. Definitely worth checking out. **** out of *****.

Point Break

[CinemaSerf · 7/10 · 26 August 2023]

On this face of it, this ought to be rubbish... a testosterone-fuelled story of beautiful people who rob banks to fund their hedonistic lifestyle that largely revolves around anything that causes their adrenalin to rush, but it isn't rubbish. Kathryn Bigelow keeps the pace end-to-end, and both Keanu Reeves ("Johnny Utah") and Patrick Swayze ("Bohdi") are clearly having fun as the FBI agent pursuing the gang of rubber mask clad "ex-president" beach-bum robbers. Reeves is easy on the eye, but pretty wooden and sure, the plot has more holes than a string vest but the story isn't meant to be deep and meaningful. This is just a fun adventure escapade that sees our hero go surfing, sky-diving and the cinematographer is clearly in his element, too. The ending, though cluttered up with some lovey-dovey nonsense, is actually quite exhilarating as the pair seem to develop just a little bit of a bromance... It's an updated variation on the traditional cops 'n robbers affair that offers much by way of escapism on a wet, wintry evening and ought to be judged accordingly.

How can you not like this film...

[gbenson20 · 10/10 · 27 September 2006]

OK, sure it is just a big action film with a flimsy script and crazy stunts but.... it is filmed so great. It feels so summer in Cali. It makes you want to forget your blah zaa blah job, move to the beach and surf your azz off and have summer bonfires all night and party the night away. I have been reading others comments on why they can't understand the guilty pleasure about this movie.... Duh that's the whole idea. Yes you can like movies that have you thinking about this and that at the end. You can have movies that astound you. And of course you can have movies that can make you feel like you had a great F'N experience. This is what this movie is. Eat your popcorn. Dive into it AND have a great time. Who cares about the social impact. Enjoy it and think about this. Sex Wax! If it's in the movie, it's a FUN movie! Holla

Point Break review

[rafaelravelli12 · 7/10 · 12 March 2023]

I was recently recommended by the Netflix platform to watch this movie, I believe it was in the Classics category. It was a welcome recommendation.

The film's premise of taking an FBI police officer to investigate bank robbers among surfers, given some hypotheses, works well. The story gains rhythm and dynamism linearly. Anti-hero Bodhi questions and challenges the viewer and justice by taking sides with God in conversation with Officer Utah. The very ending of the film refers to this duality in a striking scene on the beach.

The film brings back memories of the distant past of the 1990s seeing "tube" style computers and phones that could only make calls.

Although dull in action scenes and fights, the film manages to entertain and proposes interesting reflections on freedom and the need for the police as a moderating agent.

Pure exhilarating 90's fun!

[UniqueParticle · 9/10 · 3 October 2019]

Patrick Swaze and Keanu Reeves blow your mind out of the water! Very well written and clever. Epic how the heists in this became an inspiration for the video game Payday:The Heist and from the other movie Heist. This has an excellent cast, wild stunts, and the beautiful cinematography - everything you'd want from a action phenomenon!!

Moral ambivalence and great action

[edwinbodegraaf · 7/10 · 8 July 2021]

Long-haired surfer dudes robbing banks for kicks versus a cocky new FBI recruit who goes undercover to solve the case of a series of bank robberies.

Patrick Swayze is magnificent in all his intensity and madness as the leader of the bank robbing surfers. Keanu Reeves as the FBI agent is passable as always, but hasn't got the gravity or cool that possibly a Tom Cruise could've brought to the role. After a promising start, Lori Petty is relegated to a supporting role. A shame, but it's a film about guys after all, or as the Lori Petty character says at some point: 'There's a bit too much testosterone around here.' (Surprisingly it's directed by a woman, the Oscar winning Kathryn Bigelow.)

The first twenty minutes are pretty standard FBI fair, with a lot of shouty men in suits, masculine bullying and the pulling of rank, but as soon as the film gets going, the excitement and tension build up beautifully. When Keanu Reeves's cover is blown by chasing the masked bank robbers, he surprisingly goes back to continue his job as an undercover... It's a strange twist, but after this, the film speeds up further and there is no way of telling how it will all end. It certainly had me at the edge of my seat.

After all these years (thirty!) the film, which depicts a life style that in my mind is very much associated with the period, is still very watchable. The tuxedo dressed and masked bank robbers (the masks depict as ex-presidents) show a another side of the the thrill seeking surfers and add a nightmarish feel to the otherwise freewheeling and drugs taking young men.

The action is balanced with some low-key druggy philosophy about living for the moment, that feels heartfelt and authentic. The film doesn't glamorize and none of the characters are all that likable - should we be rooting for Schwayze the bank robber of Reeves the sneaky FBI undercover agent? The ambivalence makes this film much better than the average action film where the line between good and bad often is drawn with much more clarity.

A ninety classic that has lost nothing of its original excitement and reminds us of what a great actor Patrick Swayze was.

Swayze/Reeves best action movie, one of my personal favorite 90's action films of all time

[NightmareOnElmStreetFan · 10/10 · 8 December 2019]

To me one of the best action movies of the 90's. Point Break is a 1991 action heist 100 percent pure adrenaline rush movie. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow and stars: Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves and Gary Busey. This review is only dediceted to Point Break fans and no one else. If you love the movie come read my review I am also reviewing this movie on YouTube I am going to defend it. I Love this film to death, I have a history with this film. This is going to be one of my hardest reviews I have done before. I would say the movie halped me get trough tough times in the year 2005. I am also going to defend this movie and Keanu Reeves character Johnny Utah.

The movie made me in to Keanu Reeves fan I am today. Point Break is my number 1 favorite Keanu Reeves movie. Top five his best movies would be Point Break, John Wick ,The Matrix, Speed and Constantine. The Year 2005 my year become one of my worst years ,I drop out sophmore year in secondary school, quit my job, I had health problems with my weight. My mom was rushed middle of the night in the hospital. I went end of school year with this group on a tour visiting Poland for 10 days, when I come back my father was rushed in to hospital he had a surgery. By the time he was in hospital I found out this movie Point Break (1991) on VHS tape when I taped it long time ago and I kept watching it and I was entertained. And after many times watching it I become a huge fan of Keanu Reeves and Point Break become my favorite action movie of all time. Die Hard (1988), Die Hard: With a Vengeance, The Last Boy Scout, Point Break and Hard Target movies really helped me get trough hard times. Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey sucks! I hate that movie! I try many times to get it, but I couldn't, I hate it. Point Break is MILES way better than Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey that Keanu Reeves did!

There was a remake of Point Break in 2015 and it sucks donkey ass! Remake is garbage with CGI and a lot of green color Picture. It can't come near this movie!

The story is about a bank robbery crew name as the "Ex-Presidents" robbering banks during summer time. They robbed 27 banks so far in three years, they end in up 60 seconds no one gets shoot. So far they were never caught. Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) is a former Ohio State quarterback who just graduate from academy with straight A, top of his class and becomes an F.B.I. Agent who was sent in to Bank roberry devision and his assigment is to catch "Ex-Presidents". His new partner experienced agent and Vietnam veteran Angelo Pappas (Gary Busey) has theory that "Ex-Presidents" are actually surfers. So Johnny agrees to go surfing and with help from a few DNK hairs. Johnny Utah founds out Quantico Beach is were the crew "Ex-Presidents" are surfing. Johnny on the beach meets Tyler (Lori Petty) a tough tomboy chick who can surf like a devil and is a very reluctant mentor as well. Johnny goes undercover as a lawyer and a surfer who meets through her, Bodhi (Patrick Swayze) the charismatic leader of a gang of surfers consisting of Roach, Grommet, and Nathaniel. On the way there is a lot of heat, action, blood, chases, shootings, skydiving, football, throwing a dog and more.

I love the ocean, the surfing scens, there is no CGI the ocean, the sea scens are for real. The stunts are practical they are dangerous. The sky diving is for real Swayze I think Reeves they both skydive for real I enjoy those scenes. The football scene is great executed. Utah is Chasing Bodhi and he catches him they both fly in the water great scene. The movie has tons of action. I love the fist cuffs on the end between Bodhi and Utah I love the finale. I love the fight sequence when this group of Nazi surffers attacks Johny and Bodhi comes to his rescue. I love that they both use martial arts. Patrick Swayze is excellent in martial arts. There is this great chase Johnny is chasing Ex President wearing Reagan mask leader of the gang on the gas station. Real practical action stunt effect from Keanu Reeves and his stunt double well done, (I don't see a shaky cam in the chase unlike in Furious 7 fight between Statham and Johnson). The foot chase is my favorite scene in the film. It is well executed, Reegan throws dog on Utah, but he kicks it a side that was a fake dog thank god. I love animals specially dogs so much. The fight between Utah and Reegan were actually stunt doubles fighting in the flame it was practical done you can see the camera because it shows different face of Utah.

You have a great raid shootout scene in the house this guy Bunker (Chris Pedersen) pulls a 16 bullpup assault rifle and fiers at Pappas. Utah with his service SIG-Sauer pistol puts Bunker down and kills him, great shoot out scene executed. War Child (Vincent Klyn) leader of the gang uses Sentinel Arms Striker shootgun on Utah, of course Utah fires back. You have a great scene in which Utah gets attacked by a naked girl in the bathroom. Utah jumps on War Child they both fly out of the window you have great choreograph fight scene. War Child try's to stab Utah, but he knocks his knive in the lawn mower. You have a great shootout scene in the bank, an off duty cop pulls his service gun and starts shooting on a bank robbers and Swayze puls his Freedom Arms Model 83 revolver and kills him. Johnny Utah jumps out of an airborne plane with no parachute, catches Bodhi while he's skydiving down to the desert below (similar to the opening of Moonraker), and holds his own revolver on him, that scene was impossible they called have not talked on the air. The show Mythbusters actually tried this scenario out, and it was determined that it Would have been possible for Utah to catch Bodhi from the plane within the time alotted. They actually timed it and tried it, with parachutes. (They also determined that the noise from the rushing air would have made it impossible for Utah and Bodhi to hold any sort of conversation. However, this is a Hollywood action film & the longstanding tradition is to make the impossible possible onscreen.) This is fiction action film, so in movie is anything possible.

Keanu Reeves's best performance as Johnny Utah he ever played his best character. Patrick Swayze is awesome as Bodhi the leader of "Ex-Presidents" I love that Bodhi is intellegent mastermind and he uses martial arts I love that. This is in my top 5 favorite Patrick Swayze movies I really miss the guy R.I.P. 1: Road House, 2: Steel Dawn, 3: Point Break (1991), 4: Black Dog and 5: Next of Kin. Gary Busey was excellent as Angelo Pappas I love the guy I love him. He shoot and killed 2 memebers of the gang "Ex-Presidents" with his revolver Charter Arms Undercover - .38 Special and he killed a gunman who held a young woman as a hostage, he shots him in the head and he save the hostage I love that. Kathryn Bigelow's best movie, she is a hot lady. James Cameron in here is an (executive producer) he is Bigelow's ex husband. Rick King helped to wrote a story with W. Peter Iliff who later wrote an excellent screenplay for the movie. Rick King directed Kickboxer 3: The Art of War (1992). There was this guy surperior by the F.B.I. FBI Director Ben Harp played by John C. McGinley who was mean to Utah and Pappas and Pappas punched him who deserve it. The script is great, I love Angelo's lines before he punches him.

Point Break (1991) is one of the best action movies of all time, I am defending this movie. Johnny Utah is not the worst F.BI. agent i want listen to idiots who are mocking Keanu Reeves who played the character great. Thanks to Johnny F.B.I. found the gang cause they couldn't find anything in 3 years, he break the ring and the case, he finished Ex-Presidents forever he saved his girlfrined Lori Petty good performance from the actress. This movie is not better than Heat (1995) but deserves to be right there with Heat (1995) one of the best 90's action heist movies. It is Rated R for violence, language and brief nudity. I love the line "I am an F.B.I Agent.", "Respect for my elders." I love this movie to death, it is in my top 15 favorite action movies of all time.

I love Nobody Rides for Free song played by Ratt on the end of the credits. I love the beautiful song Hundreds of Tears by Sheryl Crow. The only problem I have is with Blu-ray disc release this movie needs to be remastered, we need special edition and better HD Picture quality over this years we did not got nothing. So this is my hardest review I have done before, beacuse I don't watch this movie all the time. I really miss action classic movies like Point Break (1991) nowdays they don't make em like this anymore. This movie is better than The Fast and the Furious, Drop Zone, Terminal Velocity, The Hurt Locker and Blue Steal my opinion!

He gets beat up again!?!?!?!

[diac228 · 7/10 · 27 January 2010]

This is the review with hilarious spoilers. This is the movie where Keanu Reeves gets his butt kicked. A lot. As a matter of fact, at least 6 times he fails in a fight, chase, or action scene. This is the movie where the good guys fail at everything and the bad guys succeed in almost every possible way---whether it is by outsmarting the good guys or because the good guys are idiots. This is the action flick that proves you don't need special effects, but you do need someone in the background keeping tally of who is beating who in the film ("Um, Mrs. Bigelow, why is Keanu Reeves getting beat down by a naked woman?")

Point Break is one of the signature action flicks of the 90s. Why you ask? Because a bunch of violent hippie-like surfers (that love extreme sports) are robbing banks around California and an ex-football player-turned cop must stop them by becoming one of them. Yep, this plot sounds like it's going somewhere. The main character's name is Johnny Utah. Come on now, any movie with a main character that cool of a name is bound to be a hell of a good time, right? Then we have Patrick Swayze as one of the "surfer hippies" (awesome performance) and the always-reliable Gary Busey as the partner. This has all the makings of an action classic, and the opening credits just started.

The script was clever, and was something very different in the realm of action flicks. This movie was W. Peter Iliff''s best script and it's a shame after Patriot Games he didn't dwell more into the genre. There was only one issue with the script. No, it's not the dialogue, no it's not the pacing, but it's the extremely weak and pathetic main character. Our main character loses so many fights, we stop rooting for him halfway because we are sure the end result would be the same----failure. He doesn't listen, he's not very smart, he's obviously not very strong, and he mellows down to a pathetic wanna-be hero that chases the main villain like a lost puppy. There can be cases of good movies where the villains are just so much smarter than the heroes (The Dark Knight anyone?), but there are some extreme cases in which you wonder why the members of the police force still have their job based off their decision-making.

Keanu Reeves in the movie almost loses a fight against surfers, and does indeed lose against a naked woman, against bank robbers, against one guy (multiple times), against a man on fire, against gravity, and couldn't even succeed in a single chase. And he was a football player. Did I already say he lost to a female taking a shower? I did? I'll say it again anyway. Gary Busey should have ditched this guy halfway through the production, but then we the audience would definitely have known by then that Mr. Utah just wasn't going to win at anything. Unfortunately, he stuck around, giving Utah hope. Oops.

Luckily we have great direction from Kathryn Bigelow and superb stuntwork. Bigelow must have been against special effects, because this entire movie is stuntwork and pyrotechnics-driven, as we see skydiving, surfing, crazy stunts, and one of the best on-foot chases in the history of cinema----despite it ending weakly. Bigelow is one of the more underrated directors out there, as she avoids pulling punches and avoids the clichés throughout the entire production. She also crafts great performances from Busey, Swayze, and also John C. McGinley. As for Keanu Reeves, he does a decent job, but his character prevents him from delivering anything memorable. Mr. Utah is a law enforcement joke.

Bottom Line: Point Break is a swell action flick, as long as you can get past Keanu getting smacked around constantly, as he loses fights, loses arguments, constantly loses control of the situation at hand, and constantly fails in achieving his goal. It was laughable the amount of times he screws up, and the amount of times his peers screwed up. No wonder the bank robbers were having no problems taking over the city banks. Despite this fact, the movie is fun, furious, raw, and one of the signature action flicks of the 1990s.

P.S. Keanu Reeves gets beat up by a naked woman. Just wanted to say that one more time.

Great "new age" action thriller

[Mikew3001 · 9/10 · 7 January 2003]

Katheryn Bigelow's 1991 action thriller "Point Break" is still a ground-breaking film of the early nineties. It tells the story of the cop John Utah (Keanu Reaves) hunting a bunch of bank robbers camouflaged with masks of the former U.S. presidents. His investigations leads to a group of surfers and extreme sports worshippers, and the cop becomes fascinated by the free-style philosophies and adrenaline rushes of the gang around the charismatic leader Bodhi (Patrick Swayze). Their close friendship changes to a hard-fought rivalry at the end when cop and gangsters face point blank.

Bigelow uses typically American surf beach settings for this unusual and very stylish action thriller with great stunts like parachuting scenes, bank robberies, a car chase, police raids, martial arts, breath-taking chases and brilliantly photographed surf sequences. Watch out for the Red Hot Chillie Peppers as a gang of brutal surf nazis beating up Keanu Reeves and being captured by him during a hard-fought police raid.

But "Point Break" is even more than that - it also shows the lifestyle of the nineties in many ways. Bodie and his gang are a group of New Age-like grunge guys reaching out for the most extreme adrenaline experiences. They stand for the new style of extreme/fun sport worshippers, ravers and new spiritualists of the post-yuppie era in the nineties who don't care about wealth and status symbols but for fun, action, breaking the limits and finding the sum of all senses. "Point Break" is not only a well-done example of modern action entertainment without computer-generated special effects but also a very philosophical and spiritual study of society in the nineties.

Solid and incredible thriller with spectacular scenes about surfing and skydiving

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 17 March 2008]

FBI agent going up against a bank robberies executed by a band masked like US President, wearing Johnson, Carter, Nixon and Reagan masks. Although they never shoot anybody and never go into the vaults. The agent is hot on the trail but he's sucked by Patrick Swayze guru, a leader of the beach subculture, a fun-loving with destructive ways who plays cat and mouse game with the Feds. Meanwhile Reeves falls in love with Lori Petti, a beautiful surfing trainer.

This is a story of surfers and skydivers in Southern California. Impressive scenario and there are enough dazzling surfing and airborne stunts to keep you amused. Keanu Reeves as astute agent and Patrick Swayze as a thrill-seeker guru, help raise potential action-adventure story to a higher plane. Emotive and moving musical score by means of synthesizer, is splendidly made by Mark Isham with a Vangelis style. The film created the 'Skydiving sub-genre', such as, ¨Drop zone(John Badham), Terminal velocity(Deran Serafian) and Cutaway(Guy Manos)¨ among others. Nostalgic surfers with more than a little patience because the runtime is about two half and some, will enjoy this ode to the beach and mysticism and seeking the perfect wave. It's well directed by Kathryn Bigelow with a perfect and assured direction which keeps this movie on the edge of your seat.

Tragic story about the homoerotic relationship between an FBI agent and a surfer in LA.

[Trajanc · 4/10 · 23 September 2004]

Good directing and crisp editing can't save this mindless overwrought film. Keanu Reeves is his reliably wooden self as an FBI agent who maybe likes Patrick Swayze's bank robber/surfer character a little too much. I love Reeves line to Swayze near the end, 'You crossed the line. People trusted you and they died.' (sic) I'd add: 'And oh yeah, you broke the law a lot, terrorized a lot of innocent people, murdered a cop, kidnapped and almost had my girl killed and you've been generally an insufferable, pompous megalomaniac.' Then I'd have shot him in the knee and arrested him. But that's just me. Reeves lets him surf off into oblivion because the movie is really about the love/hate relationship between these two space cases.

All that aside, the story and dialogue is all nonsense and the acting ranges from adequate to bad tho Busey almost succeeds in making a character you could give a damn about. A nice film to look at but not to listen to.

Absurd but entertaining

[jon_pratt12345 · 7/10 · 18 April 2022]

Big, brash and comically macho. Rookie FBI agent, Johnny Utah partners with veteran 'Pappus' to hunt an elusive team of highly successful Bank robbers who just might also be surfers in their spare time. Point Break is action packed and borderline absurd but it does seem to capture the spirit of the adventure sport, thrill-seeker community quite well and is always entertaining.