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Category: Movies and Theater

Published on Wednesday, 06 August 2014 18:58

Written by Super User

By Judy Thorburn - The Flick Chick

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The Purge: Anarchy

Once a year, for a twelve hour period, from 7 pm to 7:30 am, when The Purge is in effect, all hell breaks loose in the United States. During that time, all crime is legal, including murder, with no interference by the police and the shut down of emergency services.  Sanctioned by the New Founding Fathers of America, in the not too distant future, the program was put into motion as a means of dealing with the epidemic of crime by allowing people to cleanse their souls by releasing pent up aggression.  Since introduced, the NFFA claims unemployment and crime has been at an all time low.

That was the premise of James DeMonaco's 2013 sleeper hit The Purge. The original movie starred Ethan Hawke as a successful wealthy businessman trying to defend his family, a desperate stranger, and home in an upper class gated suburban community, from weapon wielding vicious intruders intent on committing murder and mayhem.

The sequel, “The Purge: Anarchy” features no big name stars with returning writer/director DeMonaco this go around moving the action out of the home and into the dangerous, mean streets of an unnamed city.

As the 6th annual Purge begins, the focus is on five major characters; Eva (Carmen Ejogo) a struggling Hispanic waitress and her teenage daughter Cali (Zoe Soul),  a young White married couple (Zach Gilford and Kiele Sanchez) stranded downtown on their way to visit relatives, and a hunky white guy, Leo Barnes whom everyone calls Sergeant (Frank Grillo, Captain America: The Winter Soldier) on a mission cruising through the city in his armored car determined to seek revenge for his son's death by a drunken driver.  It doesn't take too long before circumstances bring the strangers together and the heavily armed Sargeant, reluctantly takes it upon himself to be their protector and savior as the group finds themselves repeatedly confronted and attacked by a machete wielding sadistic gang on motorcycles and a group of of others dressed in swat-team like gear, out for blood. Mind you, that doesn't include eluding snipers and other nut jobs on the prowl.

Meanwhile, Carmelo (Michael K Williams), a militant African American, vehemently opposed to the government program, has been posting videos on the internet stating that the Purge was set up to rid the country of poor people and he and his group of armed revolutionaries are out to stop it.

Racial stereotypes, bad dialogue and unanswered questions aside, The Purge: Anarchy fails as a worthy socio-political commentary. Like the first movie, Anarchy pits society's have nots, or the poor against the haves or privileged upper class rich within a totally despicable premise that does nothing more than offer the potential to incite hatred and violence by emphasizing class warfare.  It is a sad state of affairs when movie going audiences revel in this type of theatrical experience.  It is also chilling and frightening to think that anyone with morals would welcome and celebrate even an hour to partake in  murderous deeds that carry no lawful consequences.  

If The Purge: Anarchy is supposed to offer some catharsis for the masses, this is indeed a sinful, sick way to go about it. When the last line, “It's over”, was spoken in the movie,  I couldn't have been more relieved and elated.  Here's hoping and praying another installment in not on its way.

Courtesy of http://www.theflickchicks.com

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