Point Break (1991)

 

Classic action flick? 

Can I get a "Fuck yeah!"?

You can absolutely forget about the shitstained remake, by the way. This one is pretty much perfect in every way. 

Keanu Reeves plays Johnny Utah, an FBI agent assigned to Bank Robbery in Los Angeles. He is teamed up with an older agent called Pappas (Busey), who is still hunting bank robbers called the Ex-Presidents as they always wear rubber masks of former presidents. Pappas has this theory that these robbers are in fact surfers who disappear for most of the year, as they follow the waves around. So Johnny wants to go undercover, but he soon finds it isn't as easy as he imagined it to be. Through a girl called Tyler he learns how to surf and comes into contact with a tight group of surfers led by the enigmatic Bodhi (Swayze), who is in every respect a guru to these people. Johnny and Bodhi hit it off really well and then the revelation dawns on Johnny that his newfound friends might actually be responsible for the robberies... 

Can you enjoy this if you have no connection whatsoever to surfing? Of course you can. This is one heck of a well-put-together film, as it is never boring, has iconic characters, memorable dialogue and action up the wazoo. 

Okay, this was early in Keanu Reeves' career, so his linereading can still feel a little stilted at times, but that's okay. It fits with his character, who is a control freak anyway. But the supporting cast more than livens up the proceedings. Gary Busey is wonderful in this role, as the man proves he can pretty much do anything, even if he sometimes feels a little unhinged. Not here, where he actually is extremely controlled and pretty hilarious. Of course, this wouldn't work as well without the ever charismatic Patrick Swayze as Bodhi, who steals the show. He isn't really a nice guy, but because he so clearly lives by his own rules and in essence doesn't wish harm on people, he is electrifying. He eventually does bad things, but never with genuine malice intent. 

It's not easy to pinpoint why this one works so well, but every single piece just fits, from the editing, to the acting, to the music, to the gorgeous and exhilarating shots of people surfing. Kathryn Bigelow deserves all the credit she gets for this one (and of course later works as well). 

If you have never seen this one, the time is now. 

Surf's up, dudes.