*Originally written March 13th, 2016*
"Point.... Shit"
I know I'm not the biggest fan of the original. I'm aware of what it is, pure '90s action cheese, and for that it's fine, I get why it got its cult status and why people love it, it just didn't do a lot for me, but it was still head and shoulders over this abysmal remake.
The production of this film has was an utter mess, it first started out as a sequel that probably would have been straight-to-DVD, but then it become a remake that was stuck in development hell over the years. I think Gerard Butler was attached at some point too?
Eventually in 2015 (or 2016 for us in the UK), this remake hit the big screen. I just wish it stayed in its development Hell and eventually got cancelled. It tells the same story the first did, a rookie FBI agent goes undercover with a gang of thieves to bring them down. The two changes here are the fact that surfing is swapped for "extreme sports" and the rating has been watered down for a PG-13/12A audience.
It's a train wreck all around, despite the high-budget, it reeks of a cheap cash-in and has that really dull and ugly look that all these straight-to-DVD films, it's just so grey and drab. So boring and ugly to sit through.
While the original had this tongue in cheek charm of its absurd content, this plays it so dead serious. There's not a single ounce of even a sense of fun. It tells a lot when the scene it Hot Fuzz spoofing a scene from the original Point Break carries more of an emotional impact than the remake. There's no irony to any of the insane stuff on display.
Utah lets Bodhi get away so many times that it becomes laughable. Both the leads are utterly cardboard and uncharismatic it's ridiculous. Luke Bracey's performance as Johnny Utah makes Reeve's acting looking Oscar worthy, there's not an ounce of charm to him, he's just so boring. I usually like Edgar Ramirez too, but here he suffers the same problem, he's just a pale comparison to the original. Ray Winstone also carries none levels of madness and entertainment Gary Busey managed to exhale with his performance.
Where I thought this remake might redeem itself was in the action department, being partly about extreme sports, I thought maybe there could be some inspired set-pieces, but no everything is fairly dull and boring. It doesn't help that the watered down rating took away from any of the impact, despite police being gunned down during a bank robbery, none of it felt violent at all. The fact they couldn't make any decent heist scenes too is disappointing.
Point Break is a cheap looking, boring and uninspired watered down version of a film that didn't need a remake, and it shows. Thank god this flopped, hopefully Hollywood will realize nobody wants family friendly versions of '80s and '90s action films.
2/10 Dans
Point Break is out now on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD in the UK
Watch the trailer below:
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