"The Purge: Anarchy" Film Review

 

  Many people say that The Purge was a bit of a ridiculous movie. That is correct.
  They also say that the sequel was much better. Also correct.
  Allow me to elaborate:
  The first movie introduces the concept of this (possibly upcoming) franchise, in which American society is now a sort of future utopia. Unemployment and poverty is virtually nonexistent, as is all national crime. This is due to how, on one night every year, all crime is made legal for 12 hours, in an effort to have the people "cleanse" themselves of their hatred. The Purge did not delve into too many other details, besides noting that the government is now ruled by the "New Founding Fathers Of America"; rather, it focused on a rich family (the Sandins) as they attempt to protect their home on Purge night after a homeless man is accidentally let in by their youngest kid. The fact that the film chose not to expand upon the interesting backstory is what ultimately led to it being kind of disappointment. Instead, the film just became a generic cat-and-mouse home invasion flick that was so nonsensical at times, I was literally laughing in my seat.
  But where the first film failed, the sequel pretty much succeeded. In The Purge: Anarchy we see a lot more characters, a lot more important exposition, and practically everything we were hoping to experience when watching its predecessor. While it is really more of an indirect sequel, as only one person from the first film actually makes an appearance, the story feels a lot more developed and a lot of the elements are far less uneven. The plot itself centers around several characters: a police officer who aims to use the Purge in order to hunt down the man responsible for the death of his son; a single mother and her young daughter who are trying to avoid Purge night altogether; and a young couple who is trapped on the streets on Purge night when their car breaks down in the middle of the city. But when the Purge begins, all hell breaks loose as our characters are inevitably forced together and must rely on each other to survive the night.
  If the political connotations of the last movie were too subtle for you, they come out in full-force with the sequel. I am not going to delve too deeply into it, but I will say that it can get to the point where it's a bit confusing. The morals of this story and the actions of the characters are contradictory at times, and it is hard to determine just exactly who we are supposed to be rooting for. They are painting most of the characters as being cold and unfeeling, yet also innocent at times, so the constantly changing atmosphere can be a little annoying. The social and racial commentary is obviously there, but oddly enough, both left-wing and right-wing views can be seen as present in this film, depending on how you take it. So it is probably a relief that it doesn't completely shift in one direction. A vast improvement on the previous film, and entertaining enough to be a good pick for movie night.
 
  Overall rating: 7/10