Point Break Remake Is Hammered By Critics

What with being released at the same time as ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’, things weren’t looking great for the remake of classic action movie 'Point Break’.

But now the critics have taken rather badly to it too.

So far, the movie has been panned, with it receiving a lowly 7% approval rating on the reviews aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes.

And it appears that some critics have relished weighing in on the movie, which has found 'Fast & Furious’ cinematographer Ericson Core updating Kathryn Bigelow’s 1991 movie.

“How the heck do you screw up 'Point Break’?” asks Noel Murray in the Los Angeles Times.

“The result is a movie that becomes enough of an extreme endurance test that Bodhi could easily add it to his to-do list.”

In the New York Times, Nicola Rapould explains: “Nowhere does Mr. Core’s film approach the action-movie chops or psychological smarts of Ms. Bigelow’s original or, truth be told, benefit from actors displaying the same charm as her stars.”

On RogerEbert.com, Peter Sobczynski writes: “25 years later, we have now been blessed a 'Point Break’ remake that is completely lacking in any of the visceral thrills or apparent charisma of the original and which could not be duller if it tried.”

Stephanie Merry in the Washington Post added: “Basically a cavalcade of extreme sports, but with less drama than a highlight reel.”

Reviewer TK on movie site Pajiba was, perhaps, the most blunt.

“I went to see 'Point Break’ immediately after a second viewing of 'The Force Awakens’,” he continues, “which is essentially like having lobster for dinner and then a garbage can full of used diapers for dessert. It’s terrible in literally every way a movie can be terrible. Don’t go see it. Don’t even think about it too much. Forget it was ever made - you’ll be better for it.

Fears were first raised when it was reported that advance screenings for press in the US had been cancelled at short notice due to 'unforeseen circumstances’.

With Édgar Ramírez playing the Patrick Swayze role as Bodhi and Luke Bracey as Keanu Reeves’s undercover agent Johnny Utah – along with support from Ray Winstone – the movie has proved another expensive misstep for Warner Bros, which paid over $100 million to make the movie.

It adds to the studio’s woes of 2015, in which big budget projects 'Pan’ and 'Jupiter Ascending’ both took a bath at the box office.

So far, despite a strong opening in China, 2015’s 'Point Break’ has only made $53 million (£35 million).

Luckily, next year Warner Bros has some big guns, including 'Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice’, 'Suicide Squad’ and 'Fantastic Beast and Where To Find Them’, ready to refill the coffers.

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Image credits: Warner Bros