“Point Break” is one of the dumbest films I’ve ever seen and if I ever see another movie like it, I’ll know there is something very wrong with this world. From the lousy plot to the unengaging action sequences, “Point Break” is bad on just about every level.
In “Point Break”, hotshot F.B.I. agent Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves “The Matrix”, “The Devil’s Advocate”) must go undercover as a surfer in order to infiltrate a group of bank robbers that like to dress up as former-American Presidents. No, I haven’t just made this plot up. With this kind of premise, wouldn’t the title “Surfing Bank Robbers” be better.
Keanu Reeves tries to be good here but the script is so bad that I’m afraid that he just falls to pieces. Gary Busey (“Lethal Weapon”) is interesting as Johnny’s partner but again the script cripples him. By far the worst character is spiritual surfer and lead bank robber Bodhi, who is played appallingly Patrick Swayze (“Dirty Dancing”, “Road House”). The scenes where Johnny and Bodhi supposedly bond via surfing are terrible and come across as being part of some really cheap music video and not the mystical adrenaline rush intended. Also, the combination of Reeves and Busey is weird and does not work.
“Point Break” (or “Surfing Bank Robbers” as I’m calling it) has a couple of interesting ideas in its second half but the film is so awful that it can’t be saved by a few minor positives. It features one of the worst endings I’ve ever seen and involves Reeves’ character throwing his badge away. It made me think about the amount of badges littered throughout movie history. “Surfing Bank Robbers”, I mean “Point Break”, is messy and not a film I would find pleasure in if ever finding myself watching it again.