As a self-confessed action film junkie and whose film collection is littered with some brilliant classics and some that borderline on the totally ridiculous, I can fully appreciate what it takes to produce a decent action flick.

Action films seem to follow the standard template which include guns, explosions, girls, car chases and cheesy one liners.

Well, you’d be right to a degree, and that might have been the template for the 80s certainly, but action has got wise since then.

Of course you still get some of the budget blown flops (I’m looking at you Michael Bay), which still some how mange to pull in a modest box office haul.

Nowadays the paying public want a decent script, acting that is believable and characters that you actually care about.

But we’re a fickle lot and we don’t mind if some action scenes defy belief, we’re human after all.

I grew up during the 80s, a time when action films were rife with explosions, cheesy one liners and all of the above. I remember the first time I watched Predator on VHS, that was an action film that blew me away, and to be fair still does.

Aliens, was pulsating in space, you could sit back in awe of the martial arts in Bloodsport, and take you’re pick from the ludicrousness of Stallone.

Many action films have graced screens over the last three decades (I could sit here for hours and name a lot more), but there is one that stands miles above the rest, in my opinion of course.

Point Break shattered the mould for the action genre, firstly it had a female director in Kathryn Bigelow and featured an uber cool cast including two of Hollywood’s hottest actors at the time in Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves.

It had a credible story, a well constructed narrative that managed to hold it’s own from the opening to end credits. It was simple enough, Reeves’ special agent Johnny Utah looks to bring down a group of bank robbers called the ex-Presidents.

Bigelow managed to capture the gritty realism and build relationships between all the characters, Utah having to go undercover and get close to a group of surfers led by the adrenalin fueled Bodhi (Swayze).

There was a solid supporting cast, Gary Buseys’ Pappas was a masterstroke to the film, in what was a slightly comedic element. He was the dedicated voice of reason to Utah’s gung-ho special agent and it also continued the buddy cop element which is so prominent in most action films.

The action scenes were brilliantly choreographed from the sky diving to the infamous foot chase which culminated with the point-your-gun-to-the-sky-and-go-ahhhhhhhhh!

Point Break was all about not following the rules, not being a slave to society and trying to live the dream at whatever cost. Bodhi looked to exploit this in Utah and did his best to give him a taste of what his life could be like.

It’s the type of film that you could watch over and over and never get bored, with quotable lines, some excellent acting there is no question it is one of today’s cult classics.

 My top 5 Point Break Moments…

5. “Utah, get me two!”

The famous line quoted by Pappas while he and Utah stake out a bank across the road, it’s a line that’s been quoted by many a few times and there have even been a couple of YouTube videos to riff it as well.

4. “This is not some job, flipping burgers at the local drive-in!”

In one of the film’s more light hearted moments Ben Harp (John C. McGinley) makes his feelings about the operation known to Utah and Pappas. Utah standing dressed in beach wear with a huge surfboard tucked under his arm.

As Harp’s temperature rises further he asks “Now for Christ’s sake, does either one of you have anything even remotely interesting to tell me? At which point Utah quips “I caught my first tube today… Sir.”

3. “I am an F, B, I, Agent!”

Utah is pulled along for the ride when the ex-presidents look to take down their next job. Bodhi as cool as ever reels off some of the film’s best lines, in what has been a game of cat and mouse the whole way through.

2. “Adios Amigo!”

With Utah now rumbled as an FBI agent Swayze makes his escape in adrenalin fueled fashion, by plane. After taunting Utah, “I know you want me so bad it’s like acid in your mouth. But, not this time.” He throws his gun down and with a wink and a smile falls back out of the plane.

Swayze wanted to get the realism of this and so he actually got his sky dive licence and went back with a small crew to film the jump, now that’s dedication!

1. Foot Chase

Utah pursues Bodhi through back streets, over fences and through people’s houses in what is a breath taking scene in the film. It’s tightly shot and just flows beautifully from start to finish.

Do you agree with this? What is your favourite action film, leave a comment and let me know?