McCabe Movie Review

As I continue my Keanu film festival, I’d like to review the 1991 absolute gem Point Break.

2 years after Parenthood, Keanu Reeves has hit the gym, cut his hair, and is starring in an action pic.  I’ll take it.  This movie, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, is my all-time favorite action film (BY FAR) and after this review you will know why.

Keanu Reeves stars as Johnny Utah (not a joke), a rookie FBI agent who gets assigned to a grizzled and jaded older cop, Pappas (Gary Busey) at a police bureau in LA.  Predictably, his new boss and coworkers give him a lot of shit.  He’s going to have to prove himself in this new environment.  But he’s Johnny Utah, and he can do anything, even when assigned to investigate a series of bank robberies by a mysterious masked group of unruly robbers. 

Pappas thinks they might be surfers.  Johnny finds himself going undercover, learning to surf, and oh, befriending a cute girl, Tyler,  who is very talented at shredding in the water.  Oh, and her ex-boyfriend is surf clan leader Bodhi (played by a sun bleached Patrick Swayze!)

Lori Petty as surf babe Tyler is PERFECTLY cast in this film, even though she apparently lied about her surfing ability to get the role.  It so wasn’t an issue.  It’s no surprise that this movie doesn’t pass the Bechtel test.  (The Bechtel test requires a film have at least two named female characters who have a conversation about something other than a man.  Nope, not this movie).  Still, even though she’s the only woman in this film I still love it. 

As Johnny is brought into the fold of Bodhi’s surf clan, with a lot of hazing (man, this poor guy gets hazed a LOT in this film!) he manages to prove himself AGAIN to the surf dudes just as he does the FBI agents.  Joining multiple brotherhoods, Johnny just can’t be stopped!  Bodhi, both menacing, jovial, manipulative and mysterious, believes that selling out and having is regular 9 to 5 jobs is akin to living in a coffin. 

I won’t reveal what happens next to avoid spoilers.  Just that this film is a lot of fun.  Delightful chase scenes through the backyards of Venice Beach shot by a camera operator running on foot right behind them make you feel like you’re really there.  Beautifully shot ocean surf sequences in slow-mo set against wailing electric guitars.  It’s too bad they are in wetsuits a lot of the time, but there’s some nice eye candy here and there once they peel off the wet skins.   And did I mention there’s even skydiving and Patrick Swayze does all his own stunts!  And fight scenes, so many fight scenes that actually aren’t boring – one in which Keanu’s face almost gets chopped up by a lawnmower!  What a relief that that beautiful face gets away unscathed, save for a few scratches!  Keanu holds his own against type as Johnny, paving the way for an action movie future.  Would there be a Matrix without a Point Break?  I think not.

5 out of 5 stars