Not Really a Remake

Rating: 6/10 (7 February 2016)

The original Point Break was an American story. Although there wasn't much background information on the characters in it, you got the sense that the gang knew each other since high school. Meanwhile the cop had been a college football hero.
The new Point Break goes "Euro." The characters have accents and the setting is in Europe for the most part. Also, in the original there was a group of guys robbing banks to finance their endless summer and the leader had some vague philosophy about living life on your own terms and showing the world that "the human spirit is still alive." But they weren't trying to change the world.
In the new one the guys do crimes that have a huge impact on the world. They also believe that their work is of monumental importance, and they make some effort to help the poor along the way. *But most importantly the difference is that in the old one, they did their crimes for the money itself. In the new one they don't need money, because they have a financier.
I felt that both main characters had engaging looks and personalities. There are a few super awkward moments where Luke Bracey tried to basically imitate Keanu Reeves. I understand that they were paying respect to the original, but that was lame.
In the original there was little or no dialog about the morality of what the gang was doing. That was a big hole in the screenplay. In this one, there is a line or two about potential hypocrisy.
The girl part was so awkward in this new one. All we know is that she had been adopted by some freaky Japanese adventurer. No one even explains her accent. Supposedly she has known the gang leader since childhood, but he is more like a brother than an ex-boyfriend.
In this version, the cop figures out the plot from the very beginning, before even meeting the guys. Then he goes directly to them. In the original there is some confusion and a red herring.
There is no charismatic older partner cop in this one. This guy is just some old European with few lines. The original had an eccentric Vietnam veteran with great lines and a sense of American humor. Also, in the original the commanding officer is an idiot and unsympathetic. In this one there is a black guy who supports our main character from the start. (There were no black characters in the original either) The action scenes are spectacular. That includes the photography and timing. But ultimately the whole thing is just an excuse to show these scenes. I'm not complaining. I enjoyed it.
I think the next step should be to make a "prequel." You could have one for the original and one for the remake. I need to know how these people became who they are.
Our philosopher leader in this one must be in his late 30's and he's from Venezuela. What the heck has he been doing for the past 20 years and how did he become so good at extreme sports without any fame? Who the hell are his partners and how did he meet them? Why are all of them so skilled at extreme sports? All of the gang characters are much older than the gang in the original Point Break. These guys are grown men pushing 40. That in itself makes the feel of this one quite different.
Check it out. It is worth seeing for the action sequences. Don't expect it to stick to the original plot. Just accept it for what it is and enjoy. Don't listen to the reviewers who hated it, because they are judging it as purists, instead of as action fans.