‘It’s not tragic to die doing what you love...’
I love everything about this movie. The plot. The script. The acting. It’s an unimpeachable classic – a rare film that improves with every viewing. It’s Patrick Swayze’s finest hour. It’s Gary Busey’s finest hour. It might even be Keanu Reeves’ best film (although it’s hard to see past The Matrix on that one). Quite simply, one of the high points of ’90s cinema…
Rookie FBI Agent Johnny Utah (Reeves) is tasked with infiltrating a group of prolific bank robbers who call themselves the “Ex-Presidents”. Swayze is Bodhi – a surf guru and violent bank robber. Busey plays Utah’s grizzled and jaded partner FBI Agent Angelo Pappas. The principal cast is rounded out by John C. McGinley going full asshole as FBI Director Ben Harp and Lori Petty as Utah’s love interest Tyler Endicott.
We know we are in safe hands within the first ten minutes of Point Break when iconic director Kathryn Bigalow delivers an incredible bank robbery set piece and then W. Peter Iliff’s script has McGinley’s character introduced by insulting Reeves’ rookie FBI agent for ten wonderful minutes. From there, the action never lets up. There isn’t a single wasted scene. No fat to trim. No flab. Just two hours of high-octane, action fun times. I’ve no idea if this is a true representation of the surfer lifestyle. Who cares? At its best, cinema is supposed to transport us to other worlds. When watching Point Break, I’m completely immersed and invested.
Point Break is not just one of the best films of the ’90s, it’s one of the best action films ever made. I love it like Johnny Utah loves staring into the middle distance. A true classic.
