WARNING: This Review Contains Spoilers
When robbery meets extreme sports, there’s no telling what could go wrong. In 1991, we hit the waves with Johnny Utah in his pursuit of ‘The Presidents’ but little did we know, he was to resurface in 2015 with the thrills turned up a notch.
All Too Convenient
Something I really enjoy about the original film, is actually the fact that it isn’t perfect. In the remake, Johnny ends up lucky enough that the man who rescues him from drowning just so happens to be the one he’s after whereas in the original, they go after the wrong men first, messing up another agency’s bust. In real life, they would never just miraculously find the right people straight away so it would have been nice if the director of the 2015 version had the decency to keep it as natural as the original.
Johnny Utah
Just like the film itself, the original Johnny Utah isn’t perfect. Yes, he has excelled as an FBI agent but not everything comes naturally to him – unlike his 2015 counterpart. Let’s break it down, starting with their backgrounds. In 1991, Johnny (played by Keanu Reeves) is an ex-American football player – but has to stop due to a knee injury. In 2015 however, Utah (played by Luke Bracey) decided to quit motor-cross after the death of a friend. From here on, our Utahs travel along the same path. Here comes my first issue. The idea of who the suspects could be isn’t originally Johnny’s idea and, to be honest, even he thinks it’s a little bit whacky but supports his partner anyway. Although, in the remake, because he’s from an extreme sports background, Johnny knows it has to be his kind of people and knows exactly where they’re going to be next (hmm, again – all too convenient?).
On to my next problem, again backed-up by their backgrounds. Keanu’s Johnny Utah has no idea how to surf so spends a certain amount of time learning to do just that (from a certain bank robber’s ex-girlfriend I might add). However, Bracey’s Johnny already knows how to surf and he only ends up underwater because he’s never ridden a wave so big. Along with this, all the extreme sports that take place in the remake (honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many in one film) seem to come instinctively naturally to him.
Missing Character: Pappas
Ok, maybe to say he’s ‘missing’ is a little over-the-top but to me it’s true. Honestly, this is a good and a bad thing in my opinion. Good, because honestly Ray Winstone is no Gary Busey. Bad, because not having Utah’s partner as such an intrinsic character as he is in the original film actually helps audiences forget something very important about Johnny’s character – HE’S AN FBI AGENT – and with all the extreme sports and very little casework going on, this fact just seems to drift away until he reveals himself to Bodhi later in the film.
The Iconic Scene
Even if you haven’t seen Point Break, you’ll know the scene I’m talking about (shout out to Hot Fuzz fans). Throughout the film, a friendship develops between Utah and Bodhi – and this face-off between them reveals some very important things. By this time, Johnny at least has a suspicion that it could be Bodhi under the mask but because of their friendship, he cannot bring himself to shoot him. No words are spoken between them, the scene is silent until Utah screams and discharges his gun into the air. This is also the moment that Bodhi discovers Johnny’s true identity (something the audience won’t have forgotten in the original, sing it back to me FBI Agent). Unfortunately, and obviously this is my opinion, this scene does not come over so well in the remake. Firstly, the original chase that leads to the stand-off is done on foot, in the remake they are on dirt bikes (slightly shortens the intensity from the outset). Also, they actually speak to each other and Bodhi reveals he knew all along that Utah was a ‘cop’ but he wanted to ‘save him’. As he speeds off following this heart-felt exchange of words, just like the original Utah fires his gun into the air.
Getting the Girl
As I’ve mentioned already, Keanu’s Johnny Utah learns to surf through Bodhi’s ex-girlfriend (obviously he doesn’t know this when they meet, we leave convenient interactions until 2015). Over time, a relationship develops between them – so much so that Bodhi uses her as leverage. This would not be possible in the remake however. Yes, there is what I guess you can call a love interest but we only meet her about three times before they eventually sleep together, no obvious relationship develops between them after this but why is he heartbroken when he shoots her, believing she’s Bodhi? I’m sorry but where have these emotions come from for a girl he barely knows?
In Conclusion
To be completely honest, I only have three words to describe the remake of Point Break – style over substance. There is just so much more to the original film without having to be in your face and forgetting the actual storyline.
