Director: Ericson Core
Starring: Edgar Ramirez, Luke Bracey, Ray Winstone
The Overview
A young FBI agent infiltrates an extraordinary team of extreme sports athletes he suspects of masterminding a string of unprecedented, sophisticated corporate heists. (Source: IMDB)
The Good
The reaction to this remake of 1991’s action classic of the same name, was a unanimous “why?” and after seeing this film that is pretty much the only question I have. Why did they bother remaking it? Why couldn’t I have been at home watching the original instead? We’ll get to the bad points shortly, but let’s have a look at the limited redeeming features first!
The action scenes are undoubtedly spectacular, and I imagine in 3D they would look even more stunning. They’re well shot, tense, and thrilling. However, when there isn’t a big action set piece happening, the film really lacks momentum, and sadly no amount of action scenes, however spectacular, is enough to mask lacklustre acting and a unashamedly rehashed plot.
The Bad
Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze were not the greatest actors you’ll ever see, but they had an unmistakable chemistry that their 2016 counterparts are completely lacking. Ramirez and Bracey are soulless and bland, and it’s difficult to get behind them both as individuals and as a pairing. Without the audience on their side, it is hard to care about them, and I felt their friendship was completely unbelievable. The famous scene from the original was emotional and tense, but in this remake was completely throwaway, and you’d be forgiven if you missed it entirely.
There’s also nothing particularly likeable about either of the characters. Utah (Bracey) is completely bland and wooden, and Bodhi (Ramirez), with his pseudo-spiritual hippy nonsense, is incredibly annoying. Ray Winstone also crops up as Pappas; now I’ve heard Winstone do some terrible accents (cough The Departed), and even though he uses his own accent in this film, it just sounds like Ray Winstone doing a poor impression of himself. It’s very odd!
I found the whole “man bun”, tattoos and “surfer bro” mentality of this film incredibly grating, and this largely stems from the fact the characters are just so unlikeable. Kudos that they didn’t try to directly mimic Swayze or Reeves, but it’s a shame that likeability couldn’t have transferred!
The Verdict
I saw this movie so you don’t have to. I’ve thought about this a lot and have concluded that there really is no point to this film’s existence. It pales in comparison to the original in every possible way, and you’ll wish you’d stayed at home to watch that instead. Don’t bother with this one, stick on the original, and you’ll have a much more enjoyable experience!
Agree with everything I’ve said, or am I a terribly misguided idiot who has got it all wrong? Please let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to share as well.
Sarah Saw a Movie 