The Purge: Anarchy

The Purge: Anarchy

 Purge 2 is what passes for a profound-smart movie, but doesn't quite make it in that department. It doesn't even come close. When a movie tries so hard and messes up its own message, plot and concept, it just makes it worst. It does get points for digging deeper into the world of the first movie tried to creature. It works when it uses that concept. However, the movie completely loses interest in its own concept and switches gears at least three times to something completely different. So, there are two gaping problems in the movie that make the movie look amateurish.

The story comprises different groups left out during Purge night when everyone is allowed to cause acts of violence against anyone else. It's a green card for killing each year. All the “good guy” groups get together and fight through way through Purge night, or at least that what the original concept was before the movie changes its mind.

Let's talk about the good points...

First off, Frank Grillo is very good as the anti-hero/hero. I really liked his character. He's basically channeling Snake from the Escape from New York movie. He's prepared for battle during the Purge. He has the right weapons and equipment. And, his character works for that reason.

Second, the concept of the Purge, while extremely flawed, does work for the first act of the movie on a basic zombie level. You have a group of people trying to survive the night from mobs of killers just like a zombie movie or and an end of the world movie. It's too bad the writer/director loses interest in the fight or flight movie by the end of the second and beginning of third act.

Why not keep making the story from the first act?

While the notion or idea of the Purge is an interesting one, Star Trek did an episode with this concept back in the 60s, the manner the movie and the writer make people act out to be is completely wrong. People seem to turn into blood thirsty murders once the Purge clocks in. It seems ALL rich people are instantly killers once the Purge starts and some of your fellow co-workers are creepy assholes that want to do horrible things to you. Would a lot of people partake in the Purge like this movie tries

This is a huge problem with the movie. Every “bad” character loves the Purge and feels like it cleanses them in almost a religious fashion. They come across as cartoon characters. And, it sort of cheapens the overall concept of this violent movie.

Generally, people are good until they need something or their life is on the line. People aren't going to start killing and hunting down people to fulfill their blood lust, not in a massive manner like the world of the Purge tries to convey. It is a little bit too far for me to deal with. And, it gets more silly when the rich people start to get involved.

Heck, I get upset when I have to honk at someone.

It is at this point the movie takes a left turn and shifts to a different movie. The zombie like movie turns into a darn first person shooter. The rich people gather up people from the Purge and hunt them down. This is a different movie entirely and it doesn't mesh with the rest of the movie. It felt like the writer/director wanted to shoehorn a message into the movie involving these rich people hunting down normal people. However, why abandon your other concept/message involving the government hunting down people and using the Purge as a cleaning tool?

Then, it gets even sillier when one character changes on a dime and wants to “purge”. Despite all the problems this character has, I can't see her change into a purge-person. It almost made me want to turn off the movie.

Then, the movie changes again into a moral story about revenge, which seemed to be part of the first act's storyline. Why introduce the rich people story then?

The Purge 2 has a few things going for it, like showing us what happens outside, but it loses interest in its own concept in order to shoehorn in another message/story that should have waited for sequel instead. The Purge movies want to be profound, but they feel like someone trying too hard to be profound. This is is frustrating with it shifts in storyline. Stick with your interesting concept. The way people behave in the movie isn't believable even in the world of the movie.

Grade: C-