Point Break - Why I still love it (Review) 

Rating: 5 out of 5

“IT’S 100% pure adrenaline!” proclaims Patrick Swayze’s bank robbing surfer Bodhi midway through Point Break. He may as well have been describing this 1991 movie itself.

A genre defining masterpiece from Kathryn Bigelow (produced by then husband James Cameron), Point Break may have been operating from a seemingly low-brow concept but it set new benchmarks within the action genre that are still being felt today.

It was also a wild, wild ride that delivered high after glorious high, not to mention a handful of memorable characters and some terrific movie dialogue (“young, dumb and full of cum” or “my name’s Johnny Utah!” “Who cares?!” or even "Utah, get me two!").

The plot follows a hot-shot rookie FBI agent named Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) as he joins the Bureau in the midst of a spate of bank robberies that no one has been able to solve. His new partner, renegade career veteran Papas (Gary Busey), believes they are the work of a group of surfers who use the money as a travel fund. But his theory makes him something of a laughing stock among his peers.

Utah, sensing the chance to make a name for himself, persuades his bosses to let him go undercover among the surfing community, where he falls in with an adrenaline seeking crew led by Bodhi (Swayze), who spouts spiritualism and life-affirming mantras, while surfing, sky-diving and seeking out the ultimate rush (“it’s not tragic dying doing what you love”).

The early establishing scenes within Point Break are among the most electrifying and fun of any film in its genre, tapping into a different way of life and a free spirit that is as seductive and soul enriching as Utah undoubtedly finds it.

The surfing and party sequences, in particular, crackle with energy and romanticism, whether in the bromance that develops between Utah and Bodhi (drawn to each other from the outset because of their heightened sense of competitiveness) or the burgeoning romance between Utah and his self-selected trainer Tyler (a feisty but luminous Lori Petty, whose early swimsuit change outsider her car rates as another highlight, complete with memorable needle drop in I Want You). A night-time sequence amid the waves is also particularly affecting - beginning with a jaw-dropping shot of the surfers walking towards giant waves, right down to the goose bumps that form on Tyler’s legs as the two bond over Utah's epiphany moment - you can feel the sense of wonder, the lifting of the chains of modern living.

Point Break has often been described as film that sticks two fingers up to the notion of the 9 to 5, the surfing serving as an antidote to the hum and entrapment of the LA freeways, where people otherwise sit and bake, dialled in to their hum-drum routines.

Bodhi offers escapism and rebellion, daring to stick it to the man by ripping off the banks (those financial giants) who would otherwise enslave his ideals. The robberies themselves are slickly executed and, in another nod to the film’s anti-establishment vibe, perpetrated by men wearing masks of former US Presidents (from Nixon to Reagan). It’s a glorious takedown of capitalism that seems to become more relevant with each passing year.

But then all good things come to an end and as Utah gets ever closer to his prey, only belatedly realising that his newfound friends are his actual enemies, Bigelow darkens the tone and ups the ante on the consequences, without taking her foot off the peddle with the action sequences.

A mid film bank robbery where Utah and Papas are lying in wait is the epitome of high stakes, adrenaline rush cinema - the ensuing chase a genre redefining moment of high octane filmmaking. The foot chase between Utah and Bodhi is still copied to this day - shot on hand-held cameras with the operators actually part of the chase to add to the realism. It’s gripping stuff, culminating in heartbreak and injury for Utah (a scene was lovingly referenced in Hot Fuzz and parodied elsewhere), thereby setting up that even darker final act.

For while Bodhi realises his friend has become his nemesis, he doesn’t seem to run immediately, but rather toys with Utah - taking him skydiving (another exhilarating sequence) and then forcing him to participate in another robbery (sans mask) so that he can prevent Tyler from being killed.

It’s a decision from Bodhi that has bloody, tragic consequences for just about everyone concerned, culminating in yet more gunplay, fist fighting and sky diving. And while that early buzz may be gone, Bigelow frames it deliberately like the dying of the light. Actions have consequences. For everyone.

It’s another of the film’s enduring messages - that sins must be atoned for. But Bigelow does it in bittersweet fashion. There is a palpable sense of sadness at the end of an era for Bodhi and what he represents.

Strong, too, are the observations on masculinity and spirituality, set within the context of the Californian beach scene, which also allows the director to take some potshots at misogyny, gang culture, testosterone driven antics and sexuality. There’s plenty to debate afterwards.

And she draws some terrific performances from a uniformly excellent cast. Swayze plays somewhat against type as the ‘villain’, yet remains charismatic and enigmatic as Bodhi, while Reeves masterfully juggles the brashness and confidence of youth with the growing realisation that not everything is as it’s been sold from the academy. His choices are tough.

Busey, meanwhile, is just a terrific sidekick and foil for Utah, his off-kilter energy and disregard for his superiors a blast of energy whenever on-screen. Utah and Papas are one of the great movie partnerships.

But then there’s Petty, too, irresistibly sassy, yet somewhat vulnerable, as Tyler, John C McGinley typically scenery chewing as Utah’s less than impressed boss, and the likes of James Le Gros and Bojesse Christopher making a mark as members of Bodhi’s crew.

This is a slice of action cinema that seldom, if ever, puts a foot wrong. It’s the type of wild ride that you simply don’t want to end.

Related: Guardian review link