| | | 100% pure adrenaline.
Features: DVD, Widescreen, Interactive Menu, Original, Trailers
Young FBI agent Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) goes undercover at the suggestion of his partner (Gary Busey) to learn if a group of wild surfers is actually a gang of bank robbers. He soon comes under the dangerous spell of the surfers' charismatic leader, Bodhi (Patrick Swyaze), a mystical mastermind who'll do absolutely anything for a thrill - and expects his followers to do the same.
"People will have a hard time finding a more entertaining thriller." Roger Ebert, Siskel & Ebert
"...enough high-octane, heart-racing excitement for a dozen movies." Derek Adams, Time Out
"Visually delirious...with wonderfully executed chase scenes..." Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.com
"...majestically powerful, even awe-inspiring. Bigelow's picture is a feast for the eyes..." Hal Hinson, The Washington Post
"...Bigelow's fourth feature keeps offering us new thrills with unapologetic verve." TV Guide's Movie Guide
Editor's Note
POINT BREAK is the high-velocity thrill ride in which clean-cut FBI agent Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) goes head to head with surfer renegade Bodhi (Patrick Swayze) in this nonstop action drama. Utah is assigned to go undercover, investigating a string of 28 bank robberies by a gang called the Ex-Presidents. With very little to go on, as the Ex-Presidents are adept at their trade, deal only in cash, and never leave behind clues, Utah's only lead comes from his partner, Pappas (Gary Busey). Pappas believes that the Ex-Presidents are a surfer gang, lead by charismatic adrenalin junkie Bodhi. Posing as a surfer himself, Utah slowly becomes a member of Bodhi's gang, enticed by his energy and craziness. As Utah's investigation goes deeper, with dazzling extreme sports hijinks that involve night surfing, sky diving, and well-executed bank robberies that serve as the glue between his world and Bodhi's, Utah must ultimately choose between duty and friendship. Director Kathryn Bigelow presents a well-sculpted masterpiece with this action-lover's dream, adding another gem to an already glowing filmography (K-19: THE WIDOWMAKER, WILD PALMS, and THE WEIGHT OF WATER).
| Features | English Subtitles | | Spanish Subtitles | | English 4.1 Surround | | English Dolby Surround | | French Dolby Surround | | Original Theatrical Trailer | | Featurette | | English DTS | | Anamorphic Widescreen | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Foxvideo |
| Release Date: 2/1/2005 |
| Running Time: 117 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1991 | | Catalog ID: 2001432 | | UPC: 00024543014324 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English [CC], English, French Dubbed | | Available Subtitles: English, Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1 |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
MTV Award (1992) |  | Keanu Reeves, Winner, Most Desirable Male | | | Patrick Swayze, Nominee, Most Desirable Male | | | Point Break, Nominee, Best Action Sequence |
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| | Professional Reviews | Rolling Stone
"...[The director] keeps the action percolating in high style....Reeves proves a resourceful actor..." 08/22/1991 p.73New York Times
"...[POINT BREAK] reveals [Bigelow's] real talents as a director of fast-paced, high-adrenaline action..." 07/12/1991 p.C12 USA Today
"...Its purely visceral material (surf sounds, skydiving stunt work, a tough indoor shootout midway through) are first-rate..." 07/12/1991 p.4D Ultimate DVD
4 stars out of 5 -- "POINT BREAK is a big, fun, ridiculous movie that everyone should see at least once." 12/01/2006 p.201 Washington Post 6 of 10
...A lot of what [director Kathryn] Bigelow puts up on the screen bypasses the brain altogether, plugging directly into our viscera, our gut. The surfing scenes in particular are majestically powerful, even awe-inspiring. Bigelow's picture is a feast for the eyes... - Hal Hinson
Reel.com 8 of 10
"I caught my first tube today, sir!" With those words as Point Break's surfing FBI agent, Johnny Utah--eclipsing the inane Valley speak of Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure--Keanu Reeves probably sealed his fate in the eyes of the average movie critic. Fifteen years later, he is still a major movie star and a fan favorite, but he rarely catches a break in movie reviews. He is still that guy, that wave riding, surfing G-man, and no one is about to forgive him for it. What people forget is that as silly as Point Break was, it was also a fresh, adrenaline pumped action movie, and its virtues hold fast to this day...There are many pleasures to be had in Point Break, not the least of which is the ridiculous dialogue, which has the unfortunate Reeves spouting surfer slang, while Swayze waxes ridiculous with his greeting-card philosophy: "If you want the ultimate, you've got to be willing to pay the ultimate price. It's not tragic to die doing what you love." It is also an offbeat buddy movie for a time, as Utah bonds with Bodhi and his crew, who accept him into their tribe despite the fact that he is a truly lousy surfer. In fact, that is one of the great things about the movie, the fact that Johnny can't surf and never becomes very good at it, which is far more realistic a scenario than the average action movie will countenance...But the biggest thrills in the movie, by far, are those supplied by the many action sequences. - Pam Grady
Chicago Sun-Times 9 of 10
"Point Break" is not the kind of movie where we should spend a lot of time analyzing the motives of the characters. Once Johnny Utah realizes, for example, that Bodhi knows he's an FBI agent - should he really go skydiving with him, and let Bodhi pack the chute? Such questions are fruitless, because the movie has Utah trapped in Bodhi's spell, in which everything - free-falling, surfing, robbing banks - is part of catching the wave of life, looking for that endless ride...Bigelow is an interesting director for this material. She is interested in the ways her characters live dangerously for philosophical reasons. They aren't men of action, but men of thought who choose action as a way of expressing their beliefs. That adds an intriguing element to their characters, and makes the final confrontation in this movie as meaningful as it can be, given the admittedly preposterous nature of the material...Bigelow and her crew are also gifted filmmakers. There's a footchase through the streets, yards, alleys and living rooms of Santa Monica; two skydiving sequences with virtuoso photography, powerful chemistry between the good and evil characters, and an ominous, brooding score by Mark Isham that underlines the mood. The plot of "Point Blank," summarized, invites parody (rookie agent goes undercover as surfer to catch bank robbers). The result is surprisingly effective. - Roger Ebert
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