Point Break (1991)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Kathryn Bigelow

Writers (WGA):

Rick King (story) &
W. Peter Iliff (story) ...

Release Date:

12 July 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Drama | Sport | Thriller

Tagline:

100% Pure Adrenaline.

Plot:

An FBI agent goes undercover to catch a gang of bank robbers who may be surfers.

Plot Keywords:

Surfer | Undercover | FBI | Mask | Beach

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Patrick Swayze	...	Bodhi
Keanu Reeves	...	Johnny Utah
Gary Busey	...	Pappas
Lori Petty	...	Tyler
John C. McGinley	...	Ben Harp (also as John McGinley)
James LeGros	...	Roach (as James Le Gros)
John Philbin	...	Nathanial
Bojesse Christopher	...	Grommet
Julian Reyes	...	Alvarez
Daniel Beer	...	Babbit
Chris Pedersen	...	Bunker
Vincent Klyn	...	Warchild
Anthony Kiedis	...	Tone
Dave Olson	...	Archbold
Lee Tergesen	...	Rosie

Also Known As:

Johnny Utah (USA) (original script title)
Riders on the Storm (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language and brief nudity.

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

Japan | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints)

Certification:

USA:R (Violence) (Adult language) | Iceland:16 | Denmark:15 | Canada:18 | Italy:VM14 | Ireland:18 | South Korea:18 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (original rating) (cut) | UK:18 (video rating) (uncut) (1992) | USA:R | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

Beryl Street & N. Catalina Avenue, Redondo Beach, California, USA

Company:

JVC Entertainment Networks

Trivia:

Elizabeth Berkley had a small scene in the movie, but it was cut out.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The night of the first robbery where they went to 'work the drop car'. Pappas said it was 7:30pm and it was very dark. If they only had 1 month left to catch the robbers before the end of summer that would make it late August, early September. Day Light Saving Time would be in effect and it would still be light outside.

Quotes:

15: Surfing's the source man... swear to God.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "High Chaparall: (#2.4)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

My City

An under-rated classic

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.