One of the reasons that we keep harping on the fact that there shouldn’t be a remake of Point Break in the works is that it’s going to be almost impossible for anyone in Alcon’s new version to capture the magic of the cast from Kathryn Bigelow’s 1991 classic. Still, casting moves forward on director (and not a cell phone model) Ericson Core’s retelling of an FBI agent infiltrating a gang of extreme sports-loving bank robbers. As if we’re going to accept Gerard Butler as a better Bodhi than Patrick Swayze and Luke Bracey as a better Johnny Utah than Keanu Reeves.
Last night, Variety reported that the role of the veteran agent paired with the rookie Utah has been cast, and while we don’t know if his name will still be Pappas, the man who will try to fill Gary Busey’s shoes is Ray Winstone. A fine choice for almost any role, sure, but will Winstone be able to deliver lines as wonderful as those that Busey was gifted with in the original with the same kind of batshit zest as well? Time will tell, I guess.
And the even better line that for some reason doesn’t exist on YouTube…
Harp, I Want to Tell You Something
Call me crazy, but I just don’t see how Winstone, or anyone for that matter, can live up to the standard that has already been set by Busey. Especially when Busey’s portrayal of Agent Pappas is still so widely celebrated.