His first day in L.A. proves to be an eventful one for FBI agent Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves). Shortly after being partnered with veteran agent Angelo Pappas (Gary Busey), he’s assigned to a case involving a string of bank robberies perpetrated by a gang known as the Ex-Presidents. Pappas, much to the amusement of most of his fellow agents, believes the Ex-Presidents are surfers, so Utah goes undercover, learning to ride the waves from a surfer chick named Tyler (Lori Petty), and falling under the spell of an enigmatic surfing guru named Bohdi (Patrick Swayze), who just so happens to be the leader of the gang Johnny’s trying to nail.

CRITIQUE

Point Break is one of the silliest movies ever made, and I mean that in a good way. Keanu Reeves as an FBI agent? Come on. Patrick Swayze as a modern day Zen master who chases waves? Please. The federal government spending taxpayer money on surfing lessons based on sketchy evidence? Okay, maybe that could actually happen. Thing is, none of this does anything to dilute the movie’s entertainment value. In fact, it actually serves to make the movie that much more fun. Point Break is gloriously goofy, and I’ve grown to love it more and more over the past seventeen years.

That the movie works so well is a testament to the talents of one person, and that person is Kathryn Bigelow. Having previously directed the indie vampire classic Near Dark and the Jamie Lee Curtis cop flick Blue Steel, Point Break was her first big flick, and Bigelow, who took over the director’s chair after Ridley Scott left the project, grabbed the ball and ran with it. Not many action flicks can be described as gorgeous, but this one certainly can. It’s no surprise that Bigelow was a painter before she got into filmmaking, as this is one of the most stunningly beautiful movies I’ve ever seen.

From the first frame to the last, Bigelow and cinematographer Donald Peterman create a series of kinetic pieces of art. The camera never seems to stop moving. Just look at the amazing steadicam work as Utah first enters the FBI building, or the dolly work as Bodhi and his gang pull up to the bank while Utah is ordering Pappas’s two meatball sandwiches. The botched raid midway through the picture, during which Anthony Kiedis loses a foot and a topless woman savagely attacks people with a knife, is masterfully executed.

The skydiving and surfing sequences (arguably the best non-documentary surfing footage ever committed to film) are breathtaking. And if the chase (both in car and on foot) that ensues after the second bank robbery isn’t one of the greatest action set-pieces in cinema history (Swayze throws a dog at Reeves!), I’ll eat my hat.

I know I took cheap shots at both of them earlier, but Reeves and Swayze seem to have been born to play these roles. John C. McGinley is great as Utah’s tool of a boss. Petty’s nowhere near as annoying as she normally is. Busey pretty much walks away with the movie; whether he’s whining about having to retrieve bricks off the bottom of a pool, reminding Utah to get him two meatball sandwiches (I love that bit), or simply standing around puffing on a stogie, he’s a riot (it’s a damn shame Busey finally became completely unhinged). And Tom Sizemore shows up briefly as...well, I won’t spoil it for anyone who hasn’t seen it (it’s a damn shame Sizemore has decided to squander his talent).

THE VIDEO

The 2.35:/1080p transfer, like all previous home video incarnations, exhibits a slight degree of softness throughout, a softness I’m still sure is inherent in the original photography. The video here isn’t a huge upgrade over the 2006 standard-def disc (I’d wager both were struck from the same master), although color reproduction and visible detail are boosted. Black levels are also improved just a bit, and grain has a more natural, film-like structure.

THE AUDIO

The lossless DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 track also provides a moderate upgrade over the standard-def disc’s audio. Bass is punchier (those pounding waves really sound great), Mark Isham’s score and the now-dated soundtrack selections (Ratt and Concrete Blonde!) sound better, and the surrounds (which really only come into play during the surfing and action sequences) are better integrated into the mix.

Some lines of dialogue still exhibit a looped quality, but again this is something that is characteristic of the original elements. English 5.1 Dolby Digital, English 4.0 Surround (which likely corresponds to the original theatrical mix), Spanish 2.0 Dolby Stereo, and French 3.0 Dolby Surround tracks are also included. English, Spanish, Mandarin, and Korean subtitles are available.

THE EXTRAS

All of the extras from the 2006 standard-def Pure Adrenaline Edition have been included here.

It’s Make or Break (23 minutes) is a standard making-of piece. New interviews with Busey, Swayze, McGinley and writer W. Peter Iliff are mixed with vintage footage of Bigelow and Reeves.

Ride the Wave (6 minutes) is a brief look at surfing, both in the movie and in the real world.

Adrenaline Junkies (6 minutes) primarily focuses on the film’s skydiving sequences.

On Location: Malibu (8 minutes) features John Philbin (Nathanial in the movie) and Bojesse Christopher (who played Grommet) goofing around while giving a tour of several of the movie’s locations.

Eight deleted/extended scenes are also included. These are presented in non-anamorphic widescreen and look to have been sourced from a videotape work print.

A stills gallery features several behind-the-scenes production photos.

Lastly, there are three theatrical trailers.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This Blu-ray edition doesn’t prove to be a major upgrade over the standard-def disc, so even though I’m still recommending it, this is one you may want to rent first.