On P List of Movie Reviews

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Point Break (1991)

Rate: 9
Viewed: 12/02, 6/03, 4/04, 9/04, 3/05, 12/06, 5/19, 7/24

PointBreak
12/06: There are few films that are as exciting and inspiring as Point Break.

I bet if anyone watched it just once, he would've entertained some thoughts about changing his entire lifestyle. Bodhi perfectly described the truth-seeking experience, "Pure adrenaline, right?!? The ultimate rush. Other guys snort for it, jab a vein for it—all you gotta do is jump." Sounds pretty simple, eh?

Patrick Swayze, who did the skydiving stunts, should've been Oscar-nominated. He's captivating. I can see it in Johnny Utah's eyes when he saw what Bodhi did. The other characters are well-sketched: Angelo Pappas, Ben Harp, Tyler, Roach, Nathanial, Grommet, Bunker, Warchild (Vincent Klyn), and Tone, among others. Each of them should have his own movie because they're all super cool.

There are many unforgettable scenes: the night surfing, the foot-chase through the alleys and houses, the bank robberies, Johnny Utah's "they are ghosts" moment of epiphany, his taunting against Pappas for telling Nam stories, John C. McGinley's asshole speech, and the ending.

In case if you're interested, the ex-Presidents' masks are LBJ, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan, and they're killed in the same chronological order of their term years. Ironically, with the exception of Carter, all of the former presidents were bigger criminals than the bank robbers themselves.

All in all, Point Break is among most thrilling movies of all time.

5/19: I knew who Kathryn Bigelow was before she won Oscars for The Hurt Locker because she directed Point Break.

It's one of the most adrenaline-rush pictures with some of the best editing ever. It's like being there. The best scene is when Keanu Reeves was chasing Patrick Swayze on foot through the alleys and houses. The surfing and skydiving scenes are can't-beat as well. So is the ending with Bodhi who meets his destiny.

There are cool people, and there are super cool people. Point Break is full of the latter. The central focus is Patrick Swayze doing all of his stunts in skydiving. It's obvious his character has so much charisma that Johnny Utah can't resist. He just wants to be that guy. Besides these two, there are great acting performances, especially from Gary Busey, John C. McGinley, and Lori Petty. It's funny to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis in agony after shooting himself in the foot.

All in all, if you don't like Point Break, you don't like movies, period.

6/24: The world-class editing is evident in Point Break.