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Point Break (1991)
Starring Keanu Reeves, Patrick Swayze, Gary Busey, and John C. McGinley. Cinematography by Donald Peterman. Editing by Bert Lovitt and Howard E. Smith. Produced by Peter Abrams and Robert L. Levy. Written by Rick King and W. Peter Iliff. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow.
I once had this nightmare that Patrick Swayze was a Hindu meditation master and led a band of bank robbers that loved to surf and skydive. The group called themselves “The Ex-Presidents” and when they robbed a bank they would disguise themselves as Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon. And then after the heist was over they would go and catch some nice tasty waves or jump out of an airplane or something. Also in this dream Keanu Reeves was an FBI agent that was sent in undercover to infiltrate the group and take them down from the inside. Well, it ends up that Reeves and Swayze develop this love/hate relationship with each other and surf and skydive together until the truth finally comes out. And somewhere in the mix was Gary Busey and his giant teeth. Wait… this is actually a movie? Oh, God, no!
If surfing bank robbers does not sound like the most plausible story treatment you’ve ever heard of, you’re right. Oddly enough, newlyweds James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow disagree with you. Screenwriter Peter Iliff initially began working on the script as a Ridley Scott vehicle, but it was ultimately dropped from his schedule. Before Cameron got his hands on it there were almost a dozen different copies of the story floating around. Cameron, who acted as executive producer and script doctor, said that he was attracted to the project because the psychology of surfing interested him. He has said that he has always been intrigued by waves and used to dream about them frequently. He has noted that the amount of energy that inside a wave is so enormous that it could potentially destroy a human body without even slowing down. Waves struck him as a good metaphor for death and the idea of riding them for sport was a fascinating activity.
Bigelow, who is one of Hollywood’s most commercially successful directors, tried to take Point Break and really make a go of it. Her direction is solid and graceful, but it’s sadly overshadowed by the shallowness of the story. The film is a nonstop pointless action explosion that leaves you scratching your head wondering what the hell you’re sweating for. Really the only way I can recommend this film to you is if you are very drunk or otherwise incapacitated.
Budget: $24,000,000
Total US Gross: $43,218,000
Genre: Action
Runtime: 122 Minutes
US Release Date: 7/12/91
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Awards: none
Tagline: 100% Pure Adrenaline.
Quote: “You're sayin' the FBI's gonna pay me to learn to surf?”
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