Thursday, July 30, 2009

POINT BREAK


Okay, this one is a guilty pleasure of mine, so much so that I actually “on-demanded” it the other day to watch it for to 50th time. Look, the movie’s no Oscar winner, but it’s pure action, pure adrenaline and pure Keanu (“I can’t describe what I’m feeling right now”…we know, Keanu). If you like any of those three elements, you’ll enjoy the film. I happen to like all three. I don’t expect many people to dig this film the way I do, but I think it can still be appreciated for it’s pure entertainment value. Car chases, foot chases, great surfing shots, bank robberies, skydiving (parachutes optional)…what the hell else do you need? Plus, there are some classic Busey moments. In fact, one can’t help but wonder if Busey’s character in Big Wednesday quit surfing, joined the FBI and became the washed up old agent that partners up with Utah. Hey, it was his idea that the ex-presidents were surfers after all! Kathryn Bigelow (director of the recently released Hurt Locker) does a great job making an otherwise terribly cheesy B movie with mega stars into something great (well, maybe not GREAT, but great). Patrick Swayze also turns in a solid performance as Keanu’s surfer guru and eventual nemesis. The movie is old school, but to me it is a classic that can never be overlooked. It is best viewed late night in the summer on any cable channel to remind you of the times you watched it over and over again when you were thirteen. “Utah! Git me two!”
Posted by at
Labels:

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

About Me

After graduating from the University of Texas Austin in 2000 with a degree in Radio-Television-Film, I spent five unsuccessful years in LA trying to make my way as a film/video FCP editor. After eventually coming to terms with failure (or defeat), I decided I’d try something else: law school. So, after completing my second year of study, I felt that I should try to do something a little more creative to balance out all the analytical thinking going on in my head. Smokin’ Joe’s in the MOW is the result of that effort. There’s an old joke that goes, “what do you call someone who desperately wants to be in a band, but sucks at guitar: a music critic.” I guess that's now me. While perhaps this all seems quite self-loathing, I fell it grants me the freedom to say just about whatever I feel like about OTHER people's creative efforts. While I have great respect for those with enough courage to go out and attempt to make films, sometimes you gotta call 'em as you see 'em. Cheers!