Action Blu-ray Review

'Point Break' Blu-ray Review: '90s action gets an extreme makeover

April 1, 2016Ben MK



FEATURE: 
As far as action movies go, 1991's Point Break was something of a trendsetter, taking what would have ordinarily been a typical cops-and-robbers flick and turning it into a story about bromance and male bonding. Fast forward 24 years and Point Break has been reborn — this time, into the world of extreme sports.

Directed by Ericson Core, Point Break 2015 piggybacks off of the popularity of director Kathryn Bigelow's original, while simultaneously distancing itself from the plot points of the Keanu Reeves/Patrick Swayze cult classic. The core storyline remains the same, however: Johnny Utah (Luke Bracey) is an undercover FBI agent out to nab a group of elusive bank robbers led by a man named Bodhi (Edgar Ramirez). This time around, though, Utah is a former motocross racer, and Bodhi and his band of thieves are extreme athletes seeking, for all intents and purposes, spiritual enlightenment.

Out to complete a series of high-adrenaline physical endurance trials called "The Ozaki Eight" — which also entails stealing from American-backed companies and distributing the loot to the disenfranchised — Bodhi and his crew (Matias Varela, Clemens Schick and Tobias Santelmann) attract the attention of the FBI. However, it's only Utah, with his extreme sports background, who is able to discern the pattern in their actions, which results in him being sent in to infiltrate Bodhi's inner circle and bring him to justice. The question, as with the original Point Break, is... can he do it?

Written by Kurt Wimmer (who also penned 2012's Total Recall remake), Point Break's script exists solely to showcase the film's daredevil action sequences, which — depending on your outlook — may or may not be a good thing. That means the movie's storyline and character development isn't anywhere near satisfying. However, if viewed simply as a leave-your-brain-at-the-door action film, the result isn't without merit. Ultimately, Point Break can be entertaining, so long as you approach it as a stunt-filled, action experience with narrative elements, and not the other way around.

AUDIO & VISUALS: 
Point Break surfs, skydives and snowboards its way onto Blu-ray with an excellent visual presentation, although the film's color palette might irk viewers who are sick of seeing the same teal and orange hues that are used over and over again in the genre. Otherwise, contrast and black levels are strong, and fine detail is impressive, especially since the cinematography boasts such awe-inspiring environments as the Swiss Alps and the Venezuelan jungle. Audio-wise, music is crystal clear; however, the film's primary DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 sound mix tends to make dialogue sound low-volume when compared to the thunderous sounds of revving motorcycle engines, crashing waves and gusts of wind.

EXTRAS: 
Warner's two-disc Blu-ray release includes an UltraViolet digital copy, a DVD and the following Blu-ray extras:

  • Point Break (8:01) - A collection of four promo featurettes that take a look at the rock climbing sequence filmed in Angel Falls, Venezuela, the wingsuit flying sequence filmed in Walenstadt, Switzerland, the snowboarding sequence filmed in Italy, and the motocross sequence filmed in Swingarm City, Utah.
  • Deleted Scenes (8:17) - Four scenes ("Airport," "Utah Skateboards," "Utah and Pappas at the Train Station" and "Moto X").
  • Trailers (5:09) - Two trailers ("Domestic Trailer #1" and "Domestic Trailer #2").

Point Break is available from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment as of March 29th, 2016. The Blu-ray features English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian Dolby Digital 5.1, and separate US and UK English Dolby Digital 5.1 Descriptive Audio tracks. The film is presented with English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian subtitles. The total runtime is 1 Hr. 54 Mins.







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