The film is a redo of the Kathryn Bigelow film from 1991, where an inexperienced FBI agent goes undercover to infiltrate a surfer gang that robs banks, along the way losing his own moral compass (the setting may sound familiar, for in 2001 it was aped blatantly by The Fast and the Furious).

Considering the fatuousness of its plot, the original Point Break was better than it had any right to be. Credit went to excellent performances from Keanu Reeves (Johnny Utah) and Patrick Swayze (Bodhi), as well as spirited film-making from Kathryn Bigelow.

Yet in 2015, the powers that be decided they could somehow better a film using the less-engaging talent of Édgar Ramírez (Bodhi) and Luke Bracey (Johnny Utah) alongside inexperienced director Ericson Core, who is best known as a director of photography, and certainly not in the same league as the woman who went on to direct Hurt Locker (2009) and Zero Dark Thirty (2012).

Write Point Break off as another pointless remake

In this modern remake, Johnny Utah is a former extreme sport athlete with a penchant for motorbikes. Years after losing a friend in a biking stunt, he has decided to join the FBI. Early on in the film, he impresses after noticing a pattern in a series of heists, recognising it as an attempt by a gang of criminals to accomplish the Ozaki 8, which is a series of extreme activities that pays respect to nature. Of course, this is appealing to Utah’s own nature.

Soon, Utah ends up surfing a giant wave in France, where he runs into trouble, and is saved by another surfer. Here, Utah makes the acquaintance of Dominic Toretto … err … Bodhi (Édgar Ramírez), and his crew, including, love interest Samsara Dietz (Teresa Palmer). Predictably, Utah impresses the gang enough to join them, eventually blurring the lines between good and bad with his own actions.

To be fair, there are some interesting 3D action sequences on offer here, powered by the cinematography of the film’s director. I also enjoyed the groovy soundtrack from Junkie XL. Unfortunately, these stunt scenes feel strangely detached from the rest of the film, and are over-amped to the point where they take on a life of their own; coming across as silly as the energy drinks ads you see on TV. So silly, in fact, that there were numerous occasions where I felt bored in the middle of these scenes.

The film’s action is deflated in part by the utter lack of suspense. I couldn’t care less if ‘Generic Conflicted Undercover FBI Agent Man would survive his bromance with Generic Gang Leader with a Heart of Gold’.

Sadly, the only extreme thing about Point Break is how rapidly it sinks downhill. If you really must watch a surfing version of The Fast and the Furious, then stick to the original.

To make matters worse, the dialog is humourless and dull, leaving the uncharismatic actors with little to work with. Perhaps, with a better director at the helm, they could have provided us with more than wooden performances. Sadly, the only extreme thing about Point Break (2015) is how rapidly it sinks downhill. If you really must watch a surfing version of The Fast and the Furious, then stick to the original.

Rated PG-13 for violence, thematic material involving perilous activity, some sexuality, language and drug material

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, January 10th, 2016