The Purge - aka - Really Now? Come on...

"In an America wracked by crime and overcrowded prisons, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity-including murder-becomes legal. The police can't be called. Hospitals suspend help. It's one night when the citizenry regulates itself without thought of punishment. On this night plagued by violence and an epidemic of crime, one family wrestles with the decision of who they will become when a stranger comes knocking. When an intruder breaks into James Sandin's (Ethan Hawke) gated community during the yearly lockdown, he begins a sequence of events that threatens to tear a family apart. Now, it is up to James, his wife, Mary (Lena Headey), and their kids to make it through the night without turning into the monsters from whom they hide." (Courtesy IMDB)

The Purge - Rated R for strong disturbing violence and some language - 85 min

Here's the trailer: 

"Henry" Creepiness Factor  +10  

 

Tony Oller as the "Purge Leader" is as creepy as they come.  He delivers a smile that will send chills down your spine, and I’m not talking about the good kind of chills. On top of that, they throw in blonde haired, blue eyed girls skipping while they bludgeon people. It all adds up to what I imagine  the Manson Family’s home videos might have looked like.

Creepy as it may be, the film has many problems, the least of which is the Sandin family, whose patriarch father, played by Ethan Hawke, is the top sales guy for a multi-million dollar security company.  I wasn’t sold on his character because he can't even stop their teenage daughter from sneaking in her boyfriend.  An entire community has entrusted him with their safety, which isn’t very believable, if you ask me.

I kept finding holes in the film I couldm't ignore. Like, why are there homes with multi-million dollar security systems, but not one camera inside? I won't spoil the outcome by telling you what happens when a 4 wheel drive pickup is attached to the front door with a log-chain.  (You guessed it).

The other thing that fell short? Saying The Purge happens in 2022.  That is only nine years from now. I don’t think so.

I took my 17 year old daughter Miss Tawni to the screening, and our conversations following the movie were very thought provoking:



·                     Why so much anger aimed at "the black guy?"
·                     Did you notice he was a Veteran?
·                     Why didn't they have a backup generator?
·                     Why wouldn't they all stick together?
·                     What would you do the very first Purge? 

This movie is the closest I will get to voluntarily seeing a horror movie.  I will not see Saw or The Ring or anything of that nature. They are just not something I enjoy.  I only went to this one so I can review it on KQ2’s Live at Five segment.

Do I recommend it?  Not sure.  It was fun and action packed. I would give it credit for the scare factors too, especially since I had to cover my eyes more than once. Was it believable?  No way.  But I will tell you that the audience had fun watching because there were cheers and laughs throughout the show. Any movie that can engages its viewers is doing something right. Do I think it was a great movie? Not really.

This reviewer summarized my thoughts pretty accurately.  I will leave you with his words:

"A clever set-up, well-executed interior-shot action, and just enough goofy thematic exploration to throw ideas at you without asking you to take a single damn one of them as serious subject matter – it’s tense, crazy, and gloriously stupid. And I mean that as a compliment." ~ Brian Tallerico - HollywoodChicago.com

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