Prime Time: Point Break (1991)

It came from a story idea by Rick King, it was turned into a screenplay by W. Peter Iliff, it was directed by Kathryn Bigelow, and it starred Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves, with sterling support from Lori Petty, Gary Busey, and John C. McGinley. It threaded together a plot that featured undercover FBI work, surfing, skydiving, masks depicting ex-presidents of America, and the best ever foot chase committed to film. And Point Break became one of the best action movies of the early '90s. Tonally, everyone involved judges this just right, and you can take comfort in the fact that this pretty much holds up as well today as it did when you first saw it. Even that bit referenced in Hot Fuzz when Keanu Reeves shoots his gun up in the air and goes "aaahhhhhh".

Reeves is Johnny Utah, the new guy at an L.A. branch of the FBI. The area has seen a number of bank robberies over the past few years, really professional work by people who have barely left one clue at any crime scenes, which leads to Utah being sent undercover. Because one potential theory, thought up by Agent Pappas (Gary Busey), considers the notion that the robbers are a group of surfers. Utah soon finds his way in to the surfing scene via Tyler (Lori Petty), which gets him close to Bodhi (Swayze) and his buddies. They're a good bunch of thrill-seekers, but would they ever think of robbing banks? 

There’s so much to like about Point Break in pretty much every main sequence, even when you are just wallowing in the action movie tropes that crop up. The story is enjoyably ridiculous, and famously reworked to start a certain car-filled franchise, and the action beats remain slick and impressive. Bigelow often feels like a bit of a “get out of jail free” card when people are asked to make one female director they like, especially as she made so many films that seem steeped in testosterone, but she has the reputation that she has because she absolutely deserves it. And Point Break shows her excelling once again, and delivering a bit of a modern classic.

Reeves is excellent, physically capable in the role of Johnny Utah, while still wet enough behind the ears to complicate the situation when he finds himself making a whole bunch of new friends he could end up having to arrest. Swayze gives another one of his star turns from this period, once again playing someone trying to live by a certain code of ethics as things get tougher and tougher, although his character eventually becomes much more morally flexible. Petty may be stuck with the “potential love interest” role, but she does well, and is allowed some interesting little moments throughout. Busey is as gregarious as ever, and John C. McGinley is the stereotypical angry boss, a role that fits him well. There’s also a very small role for Tom Sizemore, playing another undercover agent, that means he was involved with two of the best action thrillers of the nineties.

The script may be more brie than brilliance, but that is part of the charm. Point Break delivers everything you expect from this kind of film, and then some, but it has a mix of earnestness and humour that helps to keep it near the very top of the action movie tree. And it is one that is arguably just as influential as some of the other action movies from the ‘80s and ‘90s.

9/10

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Prime Time: Road House (1989)

About as '80s as they come, Road House features a lot of fun lines, some bruising fights, a "Bigfoot" truck, a great soundtrack (featuring Jeff Healey, who also appears in the film, and other artists), and the nigh-unbeatable combo, for some of the screentime, of Patrick Swayze and Sam Elliott. Cheese, yes, but it's some of the best brie that you can indulge in from this decade.

Swayze is Dalton, the best bouncer in the business (referred to throughout the film as a "cooler"). He's observant, smart, and very tough. Which is why he ends up being hired by Tilghman (Kevin Tighe), a man who wants to make a roaring success of his business, the Double Deuce. Unfortunately, Tilghman's business is located in a town that is choking from the grip of the rich and powerful Brad Wesley (Ben Gazzara). Brad employs a number of people, many of them helping him to collect funds from local businesses, but his main right hand man is Jimmy (Marshall Teague). It's only a matter of time until Dalton has to face off against Jimmy and co. 

Directed by the aptly-named Rowdy Herrington (this was his second directorial gig, and most likely remains his best), Road House is a star vehicle for Patrick Swayze that should appeal to all, as long as you're ready for the kind of movie that it is. The script, by David Lee Henry and Hilary Henkin, knows just how to keep viewers engaged throughout, mixing in some humour with the action, and helping the pacing along with the introduction of various characters (alongside those already mentioned, Kelly Lynch appears as Doc, a potential love interest, and then everything moves up a notch when Elliott steps into the plot, as Dalton's BFF, Wade Garrett).

The first big fight scene may feel like a cross between The Blues Brothers and Airplane!, but most of the blows feel like they land, and feel impactful. Swayze is not only swoon-inducingly handsome, but also looks convincing whenever he's in fighting mode, especially when it's a bigger challenge (as it is against Jimmy).

The highlights of the movie are the scenes in which Swayze and Elliott are together, undeniably, and both shine in their roles, with the former easily proving his winning status as a leading man and the latter just being the bundle of laid-back charm he usually is. Gazzara is an enjoyably cold villain, flanked by the tough Teague and a ridiculously flirty Julie Michaels (playing Denise, someone else won over by the obvious appeal of Dalton). Lynch is stuck in the typically thankless role required for this kind of film, and she's okay, while everyone else, from Tighe to Healey, gets to have much more fun. I won't mention everyone else, which is a shame as the supporting cast is full of so many enjoyable little turns, but I'll at least namecheck Red West, John William Young, and Kathleen Wilhoite.

It's not wanting to strain your brain, it's not wanting to cause any seismic shift in cinema, Road House is just out to entertain you. Action and attractive women are there for a lot of male viewers, action and some hunky men are there for a lot of female viewers. And it has a level of homo-eroticism running through it that almost rivals Top Gun. It's highly recommended.

8/10

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Christmas In Wonderland (2007)

A light-hearted family movie that squanders a half-decent cast, Christmas In Wonderland is enjoyable enough. It just could have been much better.

Patrick Swayze is a father to three children, and he's not looking forward to Christmas. The family have just relocated, only for his job to fall through. Trying to hide this fact from the kids, dad takes them all to the local mall (which is quite spectacular) and asks the eldest boy to look after his two younger siblings. The eldest obviously makes a break for it as soon as possible, which leaves the two younger children free to find a bag of counterfeit cash that they immediately begin spending, much to the chagrin of the two thieves (Chris Kattan and Preston Lacy) who lost it, and the cop (Tim Curry) trying to crack the case.

The script here is as weak as you'd expect it to be. Writers Wanda Birdsong Shope, James Orr (who also directed the movie) and Jim Cruickshank mix the usual seasonal magic with a plot that crosses Blank Cheque and Unaccompanied Minors, forgetting to include any fun factor that made both of those movies slightly more enjoyable. There are some amusing moments of randomness, including one actor (Matthew Walker) popping up in a variety of guises, but those don't make up for the many weaker moments.

With his director's hat on, Orr does what's needed of him, and nothing more. His best decisions seem to have been made while casting the film, and it's a shame that he gives no consideration to things like pacing, predictability, or even potential tension. Viewers won't ever feel that the children here are in any danger, which makes it harder to keep caring about individual moments leading up to the final reel.

Swayze is just fine in his role, although he spends a lot of time on the sidelines while the film focuses on the adventures of the kids. Cameron Bright is suitably stubborn and moody as the older son, Matthew Knight is personable enough as the middle sibling, and both Amy and Zoe Schlagel work together to portray the youngest of the three, a little girl who still believes in Santa and Christmas magic and happy endings being a rule rather than an exception. Preston Lacy may have been someone who made me laugh as part of the Jackass crew, but he's annoying here from the very first moment that he opens his mouth. Kattan does a bit better, despite having to share almost all of his scenes with Lacy. And Carmen Electra has fun as the third criminal, the one who expects to sit back and let the two men do all the work for her to reap the rewards. I wish I could say that I enjoyed the performance from Tim Curry, but he decides to try out an accent that just doesn't ever sound right, subsequently undercutting the amusement that his character could have provided.

Kids will, obviously, enjoy this a bit more, and it's not irredeemably bad. It's just not that good, especially when considering how much it has in common with those other movies I already mentioned: decent child actors, one or two big (well . . . . . big-ish) names, incompetent crooks, a montage moment, and even some love in the air for the older lad. The addition of some Christmas magic should have been enough to make this a superior family film. Sadly, it's not.

4/10

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Steel Dawn (1987)

In a post-apocalyptic world, one man wanders through the desert with a sharp sword, a courageous heart and the capacity for kindness. And he meditates while doing headstands. That wandering warrior is Patrick Swayze.

Yes, Steel Dawn is one of many sci-fi movies that go for the cheap 'n' cheerful approach and it's an enjoyable slice of cheese, mainly thanks to the cast. The story is familiar to anyone who has seen this kind of movie before (and, if you grew up in the '80s then you've probably seen loads of them). The wandering warrior eventually encounters a settlement and helps them out for a while. He quickly finds out that they're being troubled by the henchmen of a nasty man who wants their water supply. The warrior causes some trouble and the nasty man gets even nastier.

Patrick Swayze is very good in the main role but he's not the only Swayze onscreen, with the part of Kasha being played by his wife, Lisa Niemi Swayze. I assume that director Lance Hool didn't mind the husband and wife team because there's also a very young character played by Brett Hool AKA his son. But the real fun begins when the great Brion James appears onscreen. Seeing that the main villain is played by Anthony Zerbe is a big bonus but even he is outshone by the performance of Christopher Neame, playing a hired killer who admires Swayze as his worthiest opponent yet. There's also Arnold Vosloo having fun in a relatively small role.

The script by Doug Lefler is sparse but that's probably a good thing, with most of the dialogue that is present being either laughably bad or just trying too hard to invest the hokum with a sense of seriousness. Lance Hool doesn't do anything special but he keeps things moving along well enough and manages to keep boredom at bay even during the more sedate first half.

It's no classic of the post-apocalyptic subgenre but, thanks to the selection of great actors onscreen and the winning lead performance from Patrick Swayze, it's a fun film for fans of the people involved.

6/10

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Red Dawn (1984)

Red Dawn is another film from the '80s that many people view with fondness. It could be to do with the ridiculously entertaining plot - America is invaded and a bunch of teens become formidable guerrilla warriors. It could be to do with the cast, which includes a lot of great youngsters with support from dependable old hands such as Harry Dean Stanton, Ben Johnson and Powers Boothe. Or it could just be the very, well, eighties-ness of it all. Having somehow never seen the film until now, I don't have the rosy tint of nostalgia to cloud my judgment. I can still enjoy Red Dawn and I can still see why so many would have enjoyed it more when it was released in 1984 but I can also see the many negative points.

Starting off with a laughable amount of title cards that get viewers up to speed, Red Dawn quickly gets the action started when a bunch of American schoolkids are alarmed, to say the least, by invading Soviet forces.
They head for the hills, at first just thinking of survival but soon coming up with tactics to use in a concerted effort to fight back.

It's, essentially, a war movie set on American soil with lots of young heartthrobs in the cast. Patrick Swayze is the older, brave member of the group while the likes of C. Thomas Howell, Charlie Sheen, Jennifer Grey, Lea Thompson, Darren Dalton and Brad Savage look up to him. Then there are those old hands I already mentioned in supporting roles, as well as Lane Smith, Ron O'Neal and Frank McRae, though the latter is onscreen for merely a minute or so.

This may not be the finest film from director John Milius but it's worth a watch for a number of reasons. First of all, there's the subject matter. Yes, it's dumb and gung-ho for most of the runtime but there are also a surprising number of dark moments that aren't expected in a film about teen freedom fighters. Secondly, the cast. Of course. Thirdly, this is an early film in the interesting career of Kevin Reynolds. I like Kevin Reynolds (oh yes, I liked Waterworld - a lot) and the movies that he's involved with always tend to have enough sheer entertainment in the mix to keep me happy throughout.

Red Dawn is a film that was, undoubtedly, best viewed in 1984 but you can still watch it now and, after checking that nobody else can see you, allow yourself to pump your fist in the air and shout "Go Wolverines!".

6/10

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