I thought the premise of The Purge was fantastic. However, the film was not. Its biggest drawback was that it took place in a house. There was a whole world out there that was much more interesting. I was not overly excited for the sequel, but I knew it was going to be better because they were focusing on what was happening on the streets. While the sequel is indeed better, just how much better is it?
Remember All the Good The Purge Does
I think the biggest advantage to this film is that it is set outside during the purge, and continues expanding the notions of the purge. With an entire city the film had more freedom, as well as, more excitement. Much like the first film, there are many forgettable characters. Thankfully, the main character (played by Frank Grillo) is great. He is interesting and has a very intense screen presence. The supporting characters are fairly flat, aside from Cali (played by Zoë Soul). The film has some cool action moments, and even some great cinematography, but it is simply a fun time at the movies. I enjoyed my time during the film, but this film has to be viewed as pure entertainment. It does not offer a clever narrative, nor complex characters.
Not Complete Anarchy
While most of the characters were passable, the couple Shane and Liz were horrible. They could have been taken out of the film and the narrative would not have changed. They added very little to the emotion of the film, and became more of a burden. Both of them were stupid characters, who were very poorly written. The rest of the writing ranges from passable to bad. There were a few cringe worthy lines (mainly from Shane and Liz), and too much exposition was included in the dialogue. It felt too unnatural. While the film had some nice surprises, there were much more predictable moments to the film. There were also too many conveniences, as well as, too many moments where characters would pause to look menacing for the film. I really had to suspend my disbelief in order to better enjoy the film.
Closing Remarks
While The Purge: Anarchy is an improvement over the first, it still has many flaws to overcome. I still think the whole idea of an annual purge is great, but I wish they focus more on the New Found America’s intentions with the Purge. Even with all its problems, I had a good time, and patiently await the third film.