Point Break

Name: Point Break
Genre: Action, Thriller, Crime
Released: July 12, 1991
Duration: 122 min
Rating: 58
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Patrick Swayze

1991

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Mixed or average reviews based on 20 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 161 Ratings

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7.7

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7.7	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 161 Ratings

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Point Break

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Movie Details & Credits

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation | Release Date: July 12, 1991 | R

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Patrick Swayze

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

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

Genre(s): Action, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 122 min

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Critic Reviews

Roger Ebert

The plot of Point Blank, summarized, invites parody (rookie agent goes undercover as surfer to catch bank robbers). The result is surprisingly effective. Read full review

Harper Barnes

Point Break is a perfect example of the contemporary "B" movie. And, like a lot of the old B movies, those cheap thrillers of the 1940s and 1950s, Point Break has considerably more raw energy than almost all of the higher-priced products. [12 July 1991, p.3F]

Janet Maslin

Point Break, though it's anything but watertight where plotting is concerned, again reveals Ms. Bigelow's real talents as a director of fast-paced, high-adrenaline action. Whenever the flakiness of Point Break threatens to become lulling, Ms. Bigelow wakes up her audience with a formidable jolt. Read full review

Mike Clark

Point Break points up inherent limitations in the "star" rating system. Its purely visceral material (surf sounds, skydiving stunt work, a tough indoor shootout midway through) are first-rate. As for the tangibles that matter even more (script, acting, directorial control, credible relationships between characters), Break defies belief. Dramatically, it rivals the lowest surf yet this year. [12 July 1991, p.4D]

Lou Cedrone

Point Break has its areas of excitement, but on too many occasions the movie just lies there -- even when it does, however, the film still manages to look and sound good. Read full review

Steve Davis

Bigelow stages the film's action sequences with a brutal efficiency (they almost redeem the movie), but she can't keep the increasingly silly script in check. Read full review

Hal Lipper

Whatever raffish charm Reeves and Swayze exhibit is lost in the superficial gloss of Iliff's screenplay and Bigelow's direction. [12 July 1991, p.7]

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User Reviews

TheDude-

Oct 25, 2015

Point Break is a great action film with stunning practical action sequences that are exciting to watch with characters and dialogue that is very memorable
10/10

6 of 9 users found this helpful63

FadeBlack

Jan 26, 2022

Surprised this doesn't get better reviews. A truly great movie with a message of freedom that most people secretly wish for but are not brave enough to aim for. Extremely fun as well.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

MovieMasterEddy

Apr 9, 2016

"You trying to tell me the F.B.I.'s going to pay me to learn to surf?"

Yes, dude, that's exactly what his superiors are trying to tell Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves), a clean-cut rookie officer with a secret flair for being bodacious. In "Point Break," Johnny happens to be available when a"You trying to tell me the F.B.I.'s going to pay me to learn to surf?"

Yes, dude, that's exactly what his superiors are trying to tell Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves), a clean-cut rookie officer with a secret flair for being bodacious. In "Point Break," Johnny happens to be available when a gang of bank robbers leaves behind a surfboard-wax sample (in a footprint), some beach-related toxins (in a strand of hair) and photographic evidence of a tan line (in a surveillance camera shot of one masked robber delivering a kind of humorous message by dropping his pants).

Hey, heavy evidence. This turns out to be one of those beach bum-cosmic high armed robberies with which Southern California F.B.I. agents are no doubt constantly plagued. And Johnny turns out to be the perfect candidate for the job of surfing detective. He looks good in a wet suit. He figures out how to extract information from a nice-looking female surf expert (Lori Petty). Pretty soon he is showing up at the office saying things like "Caught my first tube this morning, sir." He totes his surfboard with him to prove the point.

"Catch a wave and you're sitting on top of the world," as the Beach Boys put it in more innocent times. But the surf culture represented in "Point Break" is much more far-reaching and diffuse, in the manner of something left out too long in the sun. It is principally embodied by Bodhi (Patrick Swayze), which is short for Bodhisattva, which is Sanskrit for "being of wisdom" and therefore of no relevance here. Bodhi, who has a cult following among the kind of people who like to re-enact their finest surfing moments at parties, speaks a fluid line of Zen wavethink as he encourages acolytes to accept the water's energy and observes, "It's not tragic to die doing what you love." Among the things Bodhi loves are skydiving, extra-risky surfing and possibly even chancier pursuits.

Just as she did in "Blue Steel," the director Kathryn Bigelow observes the peculiar complicity that develops between a law officer and a seductive criminal. And once again Ms. Bigelow moves so fast and so far with this idea that her film (with a screenplay by W. Peter Iliff) eventually spins out of control. But "Point Break," though it's anything but watertight where plotting is concerned, again reveals Ms. Bigelow's real talents as a director of fast-paced, high-adrenaline action. Whenever the flakiness of "Point Break" threatens to become lulling, Ms. Bigelow wakes up her audience with a formidable jolt.

Among the film's especially energetic sequences are a furious two-man chase on foot through a heavily populated neighborhood, shot vigorously with a hand-held camera; sustained and amazing sky-diving scenes guaranteed to make the palms sweat, and a police raid on a house that becomes a wild melee and turns a lawnmower into a potentially deadly weapon. This last episode, and others like it, prove definitively that testosterone-crazed movie violence is by no means the sole province of male directors.

Ms. Bigelow also gives many of the film's conversational scenes a crisp, punchy momentum and a lot of energy. A lot of the snap comes, surprisingly, from Mr. Reeves, who displays considerable discipline and range. He moves easily between the buttoned-down demeanor that suits a police procedural story and the loose-jointed manner of his comic roles.

Especially fiery and scene-stealing is Gary Busey, as the gruff Nick Nolte-style wild man who is Johnny's F.B.I. partner and foil. Mr. Swayze, more tranquil, is best when showing off his proficiency for glamorous athletics and least good when taking the screenplay seriously. When another character says, of Mr. Swayze's Bodhi, "He's got this gift for blankness," the thought seems all too true.

Mr. Iliff's screenplay includes some egregious silliness and a long string of false endings, but occasionally it sounds the kind of tough-guy note that gets one's attention. "It's been paper targets up till today, huh?" says the more experienced F.B.I. man (Mr. Busey) to the rookie (Mr. Reeves) after the latter's first kill. "It's no different, Johnny. Just a little more to clean up."… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

matteodreddy

Dec 13, 2020

beautiful and brilliant,good story and script,acting is good,interesting to watch,cool finale too

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

marcmyworks

Jul 4, 2017

This film is hilarious in how over the top each of the characters act. It really feels like an early Michael Bay film, but with the worst FBI agents in history. Overall a classic action flick for its original take on bank robbing surfers.

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

EpicLadySponge

Jan 25, 2016

This > 2015 remake. Period...... and another period. For 1991's greatest hits, this was never one.... which was sad. It's still a good original for you guys to enjoy.

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

amheretojudge

Apr 23, 2018

you're a real blue flame special..

Point Break It may have a fresh approach with some interesting twists and turns to a typical buddy cop movie but having said that it lacks enough concrete material to feed the audience for around 2 complete hours. Kathryn Bigelow; an acclaimed director,you're a real blue flame special..

Point Break

It may have a fresh approach with some interesting twists and turns to a typical buddy cop movie but having said that it lacks enough concrete material to feed the audience for around 2 complete hours. Kathryn Bigelow; an acclaimed director, would execute such a feature comes as a bit shock for it barely seeks attention from the audience no matter how much "used formula" it might use. Keanu Reeves did not seem at its best and unfortunately wasn't supported strongly by the cast like Patrick Swayze and Lori Petty. Point Break might work for a younger audience that seeks a typical popcorn fun time but beyond that their barely is something to explore in it on terms of craft.… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

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