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Point Break (Blu-ray)
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray ALL - United Kingdom - Icon Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Rick Curzon (28th June 2024). |
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The Film
 From Academy Award winning director Kathryn Bigelow, experience Point Break, the ultimate 90’s cult classic, like never before as it returns to the UK for the first time in stunning 4K. The two-disc 4K UHD special collector’s edition, packaged with a premium O-ring, contains the feature in 4K and Blu-Ray, plus an exclusive, limited-edition poster and four art cards. Also included are more than 45 minutes of bonus features. Assigned to investigate a string of bank robberies conducted by the notorious masked group known as The Ex-Presidents, FBI agent Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) is transferred from the Midwest to Los Angeles, where sun and smog coexist with New Age music and 20th Century spirituality. Going undercover among the maverick fringe who surf off the Southern California coast, Johnny meets his match in Bodhi (Patrick Swayze), who shows the young agent a whole new way of looking at the world, and himself. In an escalating series of explosive encounters, Johnny will learn the truth of Bodhi's most important lesson: If you want the ultimate thrill, you must be prepared to pay the ultimate price.
Video
Kathryn Bigelow's cult thriller has FBI agent's Keanu Reeves and Gary Busey investigate some bank robberies that may or may not have been committed by a surfer gang. A modest box office success on first release this one has gone on to a great deal of afterlife as a culty item over the last 33 years. I recall it as a mainstay of video stores in the VHS era here in the UK. I had the 20th Century Fox widescreen VHS release and have always enjoyed it ever since on DVD and BD. It makes its UK debut on 4K UHD BD from Icon in a supposedly new 4K restoration from the interpositive. A standard BD is also included which houses the extras, both discs are region free. Both discs utilise the new transfer and it's a noticeable upgrade even on the BD. However, if you're buying this for the BD disc and aren't bothered with the UHD disc then I'd recommend that the upgrade is minimal and not worth forking out more money if you own the 2008 transfer (2011 in the UK). But, the UHD BD is where it's at frankly; the additional resolution is noticeable even with HDR switched off, the encoding on both is excellent handling this incredibly grainy film very well. If you don't like film grain (but ... why?) you won't like this 4K presentation because this is an incredibly filmic transfer beautifully handled. With both HDR10 and Dolby Vision choices available you'd be a fool to carp. The higher dynamic range offers beautiful colour resolution that takes the already great new transfer to heights the BD can never quite manage. Point Break was made in the early '90s and is a colourful film with beautiful cinematography. Colour delineation is excellent, the general palette being warm and handles primaries well, flesh tones are natural with lots of Californian tans. During opticals, grain increases and the image is softer but that's the way it's meant to look given how the film was made entirely photochemically. Black levels and contrast are first rate although the UHD disc is slightly darker than the 1080p24 and if you switch off HDR on the 4K some slight crush is introduced. Detail is exceptional given the grainy, occasionally soft image on all focal planes. This film has never looked as good as the image on the UHD BD (with HDR, either choice is equally good); this is the definitive home cinema choice for connoisseurs ('A+' for the UHD BD, 'A' for the 1080p). 2160p24 / HEVC / U66 / 2.39:1 / 121:52 1080p24 / AVC MPEG-4 / BD50 / 2.39:1 / 121:53
Audio
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz) English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo (48kHz) Subtitles: English HoH Both the UHD BD and the BD in this set have the exact same sound choices. This is one of those soundtracks that would've been demo quality back in its day circa 1991-92 but has been superseded by advances in technology and sound design since. It still holds up pretty well with the dialogue being mostly pretty clear given the intentions of the filmmakers with it occasionally getting eclipsed during the thunderous action scenes, which take centre chair in this film. The subwoofer gets a bit of workout with LFE being satisfying although by today's standards when compared to the latest action spectaculars it's not in the same league. Surrounds are very active with the score benefitting hugely. It's surprising that this popular perennial didn't warrant an Atmos upgrade which might have boosted the soundscape to even more room rattling levels and the ambiance, which is decent, would've flowed all around the viewer. Hard of hearing subtitles are excellent and on the sections of the film I sampled, I didn't spot any dropped or compressed dialogue. Overall I'd rate this soundtrack as 'A-'.
Extras
The extras are on the second disc in the set, the BD. "It’s Make or Break" 2006 featurette (23:03) "On Location: Malibu" 2006 featurette (8:32) "Ride the Wave" 2006 featurette (6:08) "Adrenaline Junkies" 2006 featurette (6:01) Four featurettes totalling 43:44 produced for the 2006 special edition DVD and which have appeared on the subsequent 2008 Pure Adrenalin Edition BD releases. The following take part and are interviewed: Peter Abrams (Producer) Pat banta (Keanu Reeves' stunt double) Kathryn Bigelow (Director) Gary Busey (Actor playing Pappas) Bojesse Christopher (Actor playing Grommet) W. Peter Iliff (Screenwriter) Rick King (Co-producer-story writer) Robert L. Levy (Producer) John C. McGinley (Actor playing Ben Harp) Lori Petty (Actor playing Tyler) John Philbin (Actor playing Nathanial) Keanu Reeves (In 1991 footage, actor playing Johnny Utah) Patrick Swayze (Actor playing Bodhi) Glenn R. Wilder (Stunt coordinator / second unit director) Scott Wilder (Patrick Swayze's stunt double) These aren't quite as superficial and useless as the typical studio-produced EPK guff we see but they're only marginally more informative. They're obviously retrospective having been done roughly fifteen years after the film was made. It's all very "cool" and "spiritual" etc. Everyone seems to have enjoyed working on the film and has nothing but positives or physical challenges to discuss. If you're a fan, you'll have seen these before and will be happy they've been ported over but they're not very interesting and all very American, Californian ... surfer dude - RAD MAN!. Presented in upscaled 1080p24 1.78:1 with lossy English 2.0 stereo (48kHz, 192Kbps) and no subtitles. Additional Scenes (4:35): - "Holistic Fitness with Agent Pappas" (0:07) - "Agent Johnny Utah Thinks He Can Surf" (0:49) - "Tyler Saves Johnny From the Waves" (0:24) - "Penetration of the Social Infrastructure" (1:24) - "Tyler and Johnny Spend Time Alone in the Water" (0:56) - "A Basic Hit and Run" (0:07) - "Tyler Accuses Johnny of Using Her" (0:23) - "Johnny and Bodhi Talk About Robbing Banks" (0:25) The same standard definition scenes off the 2006 DVD special edition. None are essential so it's easy to see why they were cut. Presented upscaled in 1080024 1.78:1 with lossy English 2.0 stereo (48kHz, 192Kbps) and no subtitles. Trailer (1:36) Promo promoting the special edition 4K Icon 2-disc set under review here, presented in 1080p24 1.85:1 (I think this is open matte from the Super35 image) with lossy English 2.0 stereo (48kHz, 192Kbps) and no subtitles. Still Gallery (2:17) 24 behind the scenes images presented in 1080p from the 2008 Pure Adrenalin Edition BD Packaged with a limited edition, premium o-ring, plus exclusive poster and four art cards Not sent for review.
Packaging
Not sent for review.
Overall
Icon in the UK have utilised the excellent new 4K transfer that first appeared on the UK Shout! Factory UHD BD release and have matched it. Image and sound are as good as can be, although a new Atmos track would've boosted the sound even more. Extras are all vintage and decent, for what they are; they'll never touch the quality of more balanced and detailed pieces produced by a boutique label. All date from the 2006 US Adrenalin Edition DVD. Overall this disc warrants an 'A-'.
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