Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Point Break Blu-ray Movie Review

This surprisingly good action movie sports fine, true-to-the-source picture and audio qualities.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 5, 2008

You are now in the bank robbery capital of the world.

Point Break proved to be one of the more pleasant surprises of my Blu-ray reviewing career. This is a film I've seen once or twice before, ages ago, and I don't remember ever seeing it quite like I did today. For the most part, my memory of the film, prior to today's screening, recalled the film's basic plot outline but failed to recall the nitty gritty details that make Point Break a superb action flick. I don't ask much more of my action movies other than they be thrilling, engaging, and entertaining, and Point Break offers all three of these attributes in heavy doses. Upon first glance and on the surface, this is a conventional action movie that manages to raise itself above the norm thanks to fantastic direction from Kathryn Bigelow (Blue Steel), incredible stunts, solid performances from a set of A-list actors (both then and now), and several plot twists, all of which add up to make Point Break one of the better action movies of the 1990s.

And you thought 'Point Break' was just about surfing.

Keanu Reeves (Street Kings) portrays Johnny Utah, a rookie FBI agent fresh out of Quantico who is eager to please and get his feet wet. He is paired with a veteran agent with an attitude, Pappas (Gary Busey, Under Siege), and is immediately put on the case of a string of high-profile bank robberies committed by a quartet of men dubbed "The Ex-Presidents," so named for the masks they wear as they commit their crimes (we see Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon, and Lyndon Johnson). Pappas suspects the criminals are surfers based not only on tan lines seen in surveillance camera footage but also on the fact that the robberies only occur in the summer months, leading him to believe that the robberies are connected to the procurement of monies to fund winter surfing expeditions elsewhere in the world. With only one month left before they suspect the string of robberies will conclude until the following summer, Utah goes undercover into the world of surfing and meets Tyler (Lori Petty, A League of Their Own), a girl whom Utah convinces to help him learn to surf after she saves him from a near-death experience on the waves. Once deeper into this world, Utah, through Tyler, meets Bodhi, a world-class adrenaline junkie who accepts Utah into his gang. Utah's loyalties, ambitions, and emotions will be tested as he finds himself deeper and more involved in this seemingly innocent corner of the world where not everything, or everyone, is as it appears.

There's quite a bit to like about Point Break for action/adrenaline film enthusiasts. Keanu Reeves, before he was Jack Traven or Neo, was Johnny Utah in Point Break, a role which put him on the map of action stars and paved the way for him to star in the biggest hits of his career. For as much flack as he gets, he's simply perfect in this role; his persona and demeanor are without equal for the Utah character, and he brings to the role a fantastic screen presence and chemistry with his co-stars, notably Patrick Swayze, also in one of his better roles, but this is not necessarily one of his better performances. Both actors are a natural fit for the film; everything from their appearances to their mannerisms and to their grasp of the underlying tones and conflicts of the story, not to mention their fantastic ability to put on a great show during the various action sequences, help set Point Break apart from other, lesser, dime-a-dozen action vehicles. Also appearing are several actors of note, including John C. McGinley and Tom Sizemore in a cameo appearance.

Of course, director Kathryn Bigelow's fantastic direction, eye for action, and keen sense of how to effectively weave a first-rate story is the foundation upon which Point Break is built. Bigelow does a fantastic job in creating a tense, exciting action movie. She knows how to handle the various surprises the movie throws at the audience with unflinching authority, conveying every emotion and twist with almost unparalleled ease and grace, all the while maintaining the tense, blood-and-guts, gritty feel of the movie. Point Break reveals its secrets far earlier than most action movies do, both to the audience and to the characters, and this is perhaps the best aspect of the film. It dares to be different in many regards, this being the most engaging example. It breaks formulas and conventions without isolating itself or pretending to be anything but a slick, well-paced, exciting action flick. All of this combined with its first-rate stunts and sequences (including two fantastic skydiving sequences, the first of which is easily the best sequence in the film thanks not only to its fantastic visuals but also due to the perfect placement of the exciting yet laid back music that accompanies it), Point Break is an action movie lover's delight.

Point Break Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

20th Century Fox presents Point Break on Blu-ray in a 2.35:1 framed, 1080p high definition transfer. Point Break is a fairly dull-in-appearance movie. The film was released in 1991, and this image appears to be fairly accurate to the slightly dimmer, duller, grittier look and feel of many action movies of that time period. The image often appears hazy and lacks fine detail. Film grain is rather heavy in many scenes; in fact, I would label the grain field on this disc as one of the heaviest I've seen on Blu-ray in several scenes, which adds a gritty, scary, realistic feel to the movie, particularly in the bank robberies and assorted action scenes, and it is nice to see it intact and preserved on this release. Many of the early segments of the film, including the first bank robbery and the subsequent police investigation therein, appear gray, washed out, and lifeless. Black levels, too, are a bit too gray in places, but are generally solid, as noted during the football-on-the-beach scene in chapter eight. The film's bright, exterior daylight scenes easily fare the best. Detail is relatively high, considering the rather bleak, undefined look of the movie. Flesh tones appear accurate.

Just because this one isn't as flashy and refined as something like I, Robot doesn't mean that it isn't good. The elements seen here appear natural to the source and the style of shooting chosen by director Kathryn Bigelow. I was pleased with this transfer because it isn't afraid to be what it is under the harsh scrutiny of Blu-ray: a gritty, sometimes unattractive, but definitely true-to-the source transfer that retains the original charm of the picture. Fans hoping that this movie is magically going to look like The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe or Saawariya will be disappointed, but for purists looking to see this film exactly as it was intended to be seen, look no further, because this Blu-ray disc is the best presentation of Point Break you're ever likely to see.

Point Break Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Point Break splashes onto Blu-ray with a decidedly 1990s-in-feel soundtrack. Presented in Fox's usual choice of DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless surround sound, Point Break's soundtrack shows its age but sounds about as good as it can on Blu-ray. There is a hint of mushiness and lack of fine clarity to this sound mix (it is perhaps best described as having a harsh edge to it), but it does manage to be an all-encompassing, highly engrossing mix that takes full advantage of both lossless sound as well as every speaker in the home theater. Dialogue is probably the best aspect of this disc. It's clean and precise, and every pitch of all the unique voices heard throughout the movie is reproduced in our homes to perfection. Gary Busey's scruffy voice in particular stands out as both unique and well-presented on this soundtrack. Various surfing and underwater scenes fare well, but I was not completely impressed with the sonic presentation. With every underwater scene, there is a palpable sense that the track is trying really hard to be the best underwater moment you've heard on Blu-ray, but I never had the feeling of total submersion from a sonic perspective. On the other hand, there is fine directionality and imaging. Waves flow from one side of the listening room to the other, with both grace and power. Many are accompanied by deep, impressive lows that shake and rattle your subwoofer. Point Break also features an entertaining and well-staged shootout in chapter 13 that is one of the better moments on the soundtrack. The shots have that cranked up 1980s, early 1990s overbearing power and oomph to them, and directionality and placement is excellent throughout the entire scene. Point Break, a product of early 1990s action movie sound design isn't as precise as more recent vintage action pictures, but it's a fun listen that hearkens back to different era of sound.

Point Break Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Point Break rides onto Blu-ray with a fairly standard supplemental package. Four featurettes are the highlight of the bunch. It's Make or Break (480p, 23:03) is a better-than-average piece that begins with the cast and crew discussing their thoughts on the film, its origins, and even the various studios and stars the script floated to before settling onto Fox and Keanu Reeves, Patrick Swayze, and the rest of the cast. From there, it becomes more standard-fare examination of the film and its various cast and crew members. Ride the Wave (480p, 6:08) showcases the cast and crew discussing their thoughts behind one of the film's characters, the waves of the ocean. Adrenaline Junkies (480p, 6:02) examines the film's numerous action sequences. On Location: Malibu (480p, 8:32) features two of the film's lesser characters taking us around various filming locations in Malibu. The disc also offers a photo gallery, eight deleted scenes (480p, 4:34), and three trailers for the film (480p, 4:15).

Point Break Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Point Break is as entertaining as it is exhilarating. With fine performances from the leads, fantastic visuals, first-rate action, and top-notch direction, the movie's reputation as an adrenaline-packed action extravaganza is well deserved. Fox has brought this fine action movie to Blu-ray in a package that is true to the source. The video quality is not clean, bright, and pristine, but is rather edgy and gritty, just as it should be. The same can be said for the audio. Unfortunately, the supplements are rather light, and the glaring omission is a commentary track from director Kathryn Bigelow. Fans should be pleased with this edition, and those action fans new to the movie will probably enjoy it as well. Recommended.