Point Break (1991) VHS Movie Review
Analog Jones tries to survive all the adrenaline and sex appeal in this high octane film, enjoy our Point Break (1991) VHS Movie Review!
Quick Facts
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow
Produced by Peter Abrams and Robert L. Levy
Screenplay by W. Peter Iliff
Story by Rick King and W. Peter Iliff
Production companies: Largo Entertainment and Levy/Abrams/Guerin Productions
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date July 10, 1991 (Westwood, California) and July 12, 1991 (United States)
Running time: 122 minutes
Budget: $24 million
Box office: $83.5 million
Point Break (1991) Cast
Patrick Swayze as Bodhi/”Ronald Reagan”
Keanu Reeves as FBI Agent Johnny Utah
Gary Busey as FBI Agent Angelo Pappas
Lori Petty as Tyler Endicott
John C. McGinley as FBI Director Ben Harp
James LeGros as Roach/”Richard Nixon”
John Philbin as Nathaniel/”Jimmy ll Carter”
Lee Tergesen as Rosie
Bojesse Christopher as Grommet/”Lyndon B. Johnson.”
Julian Reyes as FBI Agent Alvarez
Daniel Beer as FBI Agent Babbit
Vincent Klyn as Warchild
Chris Pedersen as Bunker Weiss
Dave Olson as Archbold
Anthony Kiedis as Tone
Christopher Pettiet as 15
Sydney Walsh as Miss Deer
Peter Phelps as an Australian surfer
Galyn Gorg as Margarita
Tom Sizemore as DEA Agent Deets (uncredited)
VHS Box Summary
“People will have a hard time finding a more entertaining thriller.”
-Roger Ebert. “Siskel & Ebert”
To prepare for his role, Keanu Reeves spent time with real FBI agents, learned how to handle firearms at the L.A.P.D. target range and underwent football training from UCLA quarterback coaches. Patrick Swayze, an accomplished skydiver, actually took part in the film’s spectacular free-fall ensemble maneuver.
Relentless action, breathtaking surf, and sky-diving cinematography, and the multi-layered performances of Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze make “Point Break” a high-adrenaline, visually spectacular thriller.
Young FBI agent Johnny Utah (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 (Swayze), a mystical mastermind who’ll do absolutely anything for a thrill and expects his followers to do the same.
Behind the Scenes
Development of Point Break began in 1986 when W. Peter Iliff wrote an initial treatment for the film. Bigelow soon developed the script with then-husband James Cameron, and filming took place four years later. It was shot across the western coast of the continental United States and had an official budget at $24 million.
Point Break opened to generally positive reception, with critics praising the relationship between Reeves and Swayze. During its theatrical run, the film grossed over $83.5 million and has since gained a cult following. After the film’s success, Point Break had a re-release on Blu-ray on June 14, 2011; it also spawned a remake in 2015.
The film came close to production in 1986, with Matthew Broderick, Johnny Depp, Val Kilmer, and Charlie Sheen all considered to star in Point Break playing the character Johnny Utah with Ridley Scott directing. However, production fell through.
Point Break was initially called Johnny Utah when Keanu Reeves was cast in the title role. The studio felt that this title said very little about surfing and by the time Patrick Swayze was cast, the film had been renamed Riders on the Storm after the famous rock song by The Doors. However, Jim Morrison’s lyrics had nothing to do with the film and so that title was also rejected. It was not until halfway through filming that Point Break became the film’s title because of its relevance to surfing.
Originally the movie’s plot was wrapped around skateboarding and not surfing.
Patrick Swayze broke four ribs while surfing during production.
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