Very different remake of the 1991 movie of the same name.

Rating: Null/10 (28 May 2016)

My wife and I saw this on Blu-ray from our public library. It is a remake of sorts of the 1991 movie with Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze but it gets to its conclusion in a quite different sequence of events.
The first thing I want to say about this version, especially on Blu-ray, the picture and sound are great. They used real experts in the various stunts and went to exotic, picturesque locations to film the stunts. The sound surrounds you as it should and the deep bass in certain scenes literally shakes you if your sound system has a really good powered subwoofer. So, even if a viewer doesn't particularly care for the story the visuals and sound are bound to please most viewers.
So, what is the story here? Australian actor Luke Bracey plays Utah, so named because he is part Ute Indian. He is a thrill seeker and as the movie opens we see him and his buddy doing some extreme motocross riding across hills in a badlands area. But his buddy loses it, Utah reevaluates his life, and seven years later we see him training to be an FBI agent, after finishing high school and also getting a college degree.
A series of seemingly unrelated crimes get Utah's attention and as a trainee approaches his superior, he thinks he knows what is going on and that they are connected. It involves some extreme sportsmen attempting to achieve 8 tasks that are thought to be impossible, as a way to achieve a higher plane of existence. But their quest is misguided in that they break laws and if innocent people die that is just part of their quest.
We find that the leader of this effort, which involves 3 others, is Edgar Ramírez as Bodhi. Utah's approach is to infiltrate the group, gain their respect and trust, then arrest them to stop the crimes.
Eye-candy is added by South African actress Teresa Palmer as Samsara, one of the group, who looks so good in a skimpy bikini that the screen of my TV almost melted. Her role isn't really necessary but it does provide a spice of sorts.
Well story-wise this is just a mediocre movie, but the stunts and scenery make the 1 hour and 45 minutes worth the watch for those of us who enjoy that sort of thing.
SPOILERS: In the original at his last encounter with Utah, Bodhi does his last stunt and disappears, presumed to have died. In this version, surfing a giant wave at sea, Bodhi disappears, presumed to have died. Utah is fast-tracked to get his official FBI designation.