The Purge: Anarchy
3.5/4
Starring: Frank Grillo, Carmen Ejogo, Zoe Soul, Zach Gilford, Kiele Sanchez
Rated R for Strong Disturbing Violence, and for Language
There are two reasons I went to see "The Purge: Anarchy" even though the first installment was on my Bottom Ten list last year: the story was opened up, which meant new possibilities for things to happen to the characters (not to mention a pretty cool trailer), and if nothing else, I needed another entry for this year's Bottom 10 list. Boy, was I surprised!
Not only is this sequel an improvement on its predecessor, it's a HUGE improvement. I don't think I've ever seen such a surge in quality in a franchise, much less between two entries (the reverse is another story). There are few other ways to put it: "The Purge: Anarchy" is way cool. It's tense, very violent, intriguing and more than capable of generating a few laughs as well as effective shocks. Not many movies can make that claim.
Six years ago, the US Government fell, and a way to restore order was found: for twelve hours every year, all crime, including murder, is legal. In the first installment, we found ourselves trapped in a house with the Sandins, who were facing off with a trio of psychos wanting to purge themselves. This time, the playing field has been opened up considerably.
The film follows five people racing through the city trying to get to a friend's apartment without getting killed by one of the numerous lunatics out for blood. Mother and daughter pair Eva (Ejogo) and Calli (Soul) have been kidnapped by armed mercenaries with unknown motives, only to be saved by a sergeant (Grillo), a Purger with a conscience. Joining them shortly thereafter are Shane (Gilford) and Liz (Sanchez), a recently split-up couple whose car quit working just before the Purge began. The five of them have to rely on each other in order to make it to the apartment building where Eva's co-worker lives, so they can find sanctuary and the sergeant can carry out his personal mission.
After watching this movie, I think I found the real problem with the original film: the setting was far too limiting. The premise of the franchise is ripe with possibilities, both physical and philosophical. A home invasion story doesn't do the idea justice. Thus, DeMonaco had to fill it up somehow, and unfortunately it was all pretentious psychobabble that was, as they say, "all fury signifying nothing." It was as if Jan de Bont had set "Speed" just in the airport. There's only so much one can do in such a constrained idea, especially if the premise has such potential. Here, with the setting opened up to an entire city, DeMonaco can truly let his imagination run wild. We can meet more characters with different motives and in different situations. The possibilities are just about endless, and DeMonaco makes the most of it. It's as if he read all the critics reviews and took them to heart.
The film is also more successful on a basic level. The characters are better developed (as far as that goes in a genre like this) and are more engaging. The characters are also smarter; sure they do a number of insanely stupid things, but no more than is required for the film to work. There's no one as moronic as the teenagers in the first one. The editing is also tighter and the direction is staged more effectively. The film begins generating tension from frame one and it doesn't let up. DeMonaco shows adeptness at tone; some scenes are both creepy and funny at the same time (the auction, which is hinted at in the trailer, is one such instance. Special mention has to go to Judith McConnell, who plays the auctioneer. As one can see in the trailer, she's totally demented). The philosophical questions that the film raises aren't hammered in and are instead mostly generic to the story; there's no time for excess babble here.
The acting is also stronger. Both Ethan Hawke and Lena Heady are accomplished actors, but they were slumming their way to a quick paycheck in the first installment, and it showed. That's not the case here, where the cast is made up of up-and-coming character actors. Frank Grillo, who is quickly making his way up the ladder, is terrific as the sergeant. He's driven to do something on Purge night, and won't let anyone get in his way. But he's also willing to risk his safety to get the four helpless civilians to safety, even if it's so he can get a car. Grillo has been on my radar since "Warrior," and I hope his renown continues to rise. I'm willing to forgive Carmen Ejogo for "Sparkle" after this. She disappears into her character as a loving mother trying to protect her daughter (although I have to admit that her relationship to Calli is confusingly written, but it hardly matters). Zoe Soul is also good as Calli, even if she spends too much time trying to convince the sergeant to hide out the night instead of risking his life in the hell that the city has become. Zach Gilford (another interesting, and cute, actor to watch) and Kiele Sanchez are convincing as a couple who are trying to decide when to tell people that they're splitting up (ironically, she and Gilford have been married in real life since December 2012). Michael K. Williams has a small role as an anti-Purge activist, and he bears a striking resemblance to Spike Lee.
I don't know what more I can say about "The Purge: Anarchy." It's good old R-rated (the film doesn't hide from its violence...some of it is pretty disconcerting, but it doesn't dwell needlessly on the carnage) entertainment. And the best news is that you don't have to watch the first one to enjoy this movie. Apart from the premise and the re-appearance of one minor character, this is a stand-alone sequel.
I may be a little lenient on the film because I was so pleasantly surprised (I doubt that it will end up on my Top 10 list), but considering where it came from, it deserves that extra little bit of love.
Starring: Frank Grillo, Carmen Ejogo, Zoe Soul, Zach Gilford, Kiele Sanchez
Rated R for Strong Disturbing Violence, and for Language
There are two reasons I went to see "The Purge: Anarchy" even though the first installment was on my Bottom Ten list last year: the story was opened up, which meant new possibilities for things to happen to the characters (not to mention a pretty cool trailer), and if nothing else, I needed another entry for this year's Bottom 10 list. Boy, was I surprised!
Not only is this sequel an improvement on its predecessor, it's a HUGE improvement. I don't think I've ever seen such a surge in quality in a franchise, much less between two entries (the reverse is another story). There are few other ways to put it: "The Purge: Anarchy" is way cool. It's tense, very violent, intriguing and more than capable of generating a few laughs as well as effective shocks. Not many movies can make that claim.
Six years ago, the US Government fell, and a way to restore order was found: for twelve hours every year, all crime, including murder, is legal. In the first installment, we found ourselves trapped in a house with the Sandins, who were facing off with a trio of psychos wanting to purge themselves. This time, the playing field has been opened up considerably.
The film follows five people racing through the city trying to get to a friend's apartment without getting killed by one of the numerous lunatics out for blood. Mother and daughter pair Eva (Ejogo) and Calli (Soul) have been kidnapped by armed mercenaries with unknown motives, only to be saved by a sergeant (Grillo), a Purger with a conscience. Joining them shortly thereafter are Shane (Gilford) and Liz (Sanchez), a recently split-up couple whose car quit working just before the Purge began. The five of them have to rely on each other in order to make it to the apartment building where Eva's co-worker lives, so they can find sanctuary and the sergeant can carry out his personal mission.
After watching this movie, I think I found the real problem with the original film: the setting was far too limiting. The premise of the franchise is ripe with possibilities, both physical and philosophical. A home invasion story doesn't do the idea justice. Thus, DeMonaco had to fill it up somehow, and unfortunately it was all pretentious psychobabble that was, as they say, "all fury signifying nothing." It was as if Jan de Bont had set "Speed" just in the airport. There's only so much one can do in such a constrained idea, especially if the premise has such potential. Here, with the setting opened up to an entire city, DeMonaco can truly let his imagination run wild. We can meet more characters with different motives and in different situations. The possibilities are just about endless, and DeMonaco makes the most of it. It's as if he read all the critics reviews and took them to heart.
The film is also more successful on a basic level. The characters are better developed (as far as that goes in a genre like this) and are more engaging. The characters are also smarter; sure they do a number of insanely stupid things, but no more than is required for the film to work. There's no one as moronic as the teenagers in the first one. The editing is also tighter and the direction is staged more effectively. The film begins generating tension from frame one and it doesn't let up. DeMonaco shows adeptness at tone; some scenes are both creepy and funny at the same time (the auction, which is hinted at in the trailer, is one such instance. Special mention has to go to Judith McConnell, who plays the auctioneer. As one can see in the trailer, she's totally demented). The philosophical questions that the film raises aren't hammered in and are instead mostly generic to the story; there's no time for excess babble here.
The acting is also stronger. Both Ethan Hawke and Lena Heady are accomplished actors, but they were slumming their way to a quick paycheck in the first installment, and it showed. That's not the case here, where the cast is made up of up-and-coming character actors. Frank Grillo, who is quickly making his way up the ladder, is terrific as the sergeant. He's driven to do something on Purge night, and won't let anyone get in his way. But he's also willing to risk his safety to get the four helpless civilians to safety, even if it's so he can get a car. Grillo has been on my radar since "Warrior," and I hope his renown continues to rise. I'm willing to forgive Carmen Ejogo for "Sparkle" after this. She disappears into her character as a loving mother trying to protect her daughter (although I have to admit that her relationship to Calli is confusingly written, but it hardly matters). Zoe Soul is also good as Calli, even if she spends too much time trying to convince the sergeant to hide out the night instead of risking his life in the hell that the city has become. Zach Gilford (another interesting, and cute, actor to watch) and Kiele Sanchez are convincing as a couple who are trying to decide when to tell people that they're splitting up (ironically, she and Gilford have been married in real life since December 2012). Michael K. Williams has a small role as an anti-Purge activist, and he bears a striking resemblance to Spike Lee.
I don't know what more I can say about "The Purge: Anarchy." It's good old R-rated (the film doesn't hide from its violence...some of it is pretty disconcerting, but it doesn't dwell needlessly on the carnage) entertainment. And the best news is that you don't have to watch the first one to enjoy this movie. Apart from the premise and the re-appearance of one minor character, this is a stand-alone sequel.
I may be a little lenient on the film because I was so pleasantly surprised (I doubt that it will end up on my Top 10 list), but considering where it came from, it deserves that extra little bit of love.
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