Point Break

The story in a nutshell: Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves), an FBI agent, infiltrates a group of surfers led by Bodhi (Patrick Swayze), who rob banks as their part-time job. There’s a girl too. People die.

Point Break has everything. Surfers who say things like, “It’s about us against the system. The system that kills the human spirit,” and policemen yelling, “I’ve been working on this case for three months.” Giving off strong 90s vibes, the movie’s highlights include two action-ridden chases: One by car with lots of drifting around corners and hubcaps flying all over the place, and another by foot that lasts ten minutes trashing several homes along the way and ending at the LA river.

Spoiler alert. Point Break’s conclusion neatly ties the film together. The good guy gets the girl. After a short chicken fight on an Australian beach, Utah handcuffs Bodhi but lets him go to ride a once-in-a-lifetime wave, never to be seen again. Utah then throws his badge into the sea; he’s no longer a man of the law; he’s a surfer now. The fitting end reveals what this movie is: An unintentional comedy.

Point Break (1991). Director: Kathryn Bigelow. Cast: Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves, Lori Petty, Gary Busey.