Point Break

POINT BREAK

Director : Ericson Cole
Year : 2016
Genre : Thriller
Rating : **

Spectacular set pieces can't help save this turgid and ultimately pointless remake of Kathryn Bigelow's relentlessly entertaining 90's cult classic 'Point Break'. Replacing Keanu Reeves in the iconic lead role, Luke Bracey now stars as the thrillseeking FBI agent Johnny Utah who goes undercover to infiltrate a gang of daredevils led by the fearless Bodie (Edgar Ramirez filling the surf shoes of the late Patrick Swayze) who he believes is responsible for a number of highly elaborate corporate heists. To his credit, director and cinematographer Ericson Core certainly knows how to capture high octane action, with adrenalized sequences set on the land, sea and in the air providing his audience with a great deal of breathtaking thrills and acrophobic scares. 

But while these moments are indeed fun to watch, they are not enough to sustain a movie otherwise devoid of motivation, development or character chemistry. Both Bracey and Edgar Ramirez pale in comparison to their 1991 counterparts while Ray Winstone is a poor substitute for Pappa's, the European field agent who was played with verve and wit by Gary Busey in the original film. Added to it's casting and pacing problems, 'Point Break' also suffers from a dreadfully humourless script that takes the inherently fun premise of Bigelow's film and adds a faux eco-conscious edge much to it's detriment. The end result is a surprisingly dull film that looks great but lacks any depth whatsoever leading us to ponder why it was made in the first place.