The Purge (2013) – Movie Review

The_Purge_posterSo, Anything Going On Tonight?

“REMINDER ALL EMERGENCY SERVICES WILL BE SUSUPENDED” warns a poster advertising “The Purge” writer/director James DeMonaco’s ultra-violent science fiction thriller about a family trying to survive 2022’s annual ritual when for 12 hours all crimes, including jaywalking, failure to recycle and oh yes, MURDER are legal. The 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM suspension of rescue options is nothing compared to the suspension bridge of disbelief that must be constructed to buy into the picture’s premise of a yearly nationwide free for all in which carte blanche is given for anyone to do whatever’s clever or in this case cleaver, as long as the last drop of blood is spilled before the closing siren. As perverse and preposterous as this, seeing is truly disbelieving and after enduring 85 minutes of brutal misbehavior masquerading as political satire I couldn’t wait to try and erase all memory of ever having seen it in the first place. Thanks vodka.

For what it’s worth, which isn’t the price of smuggled in M&Ms, much less admission, Ethan Hawke plays security system salesman, husband and father of two James Sandin who has won his company’s sales contest by selling high tech home protection equipment to everyone in his gated community. The movie opens with James wishing everyone in sight a “safe night” after which he tries to decide what yacht to by with his bonus money, since the family’s house is already the envy of the neighborhood. Seriously, these people are not happy, but more on that if you make it that far.

Meanwhile, back at the start of this night of the long knives, guns, bats, etc. the Sandins have eaten (no carbs please) engaged their security system and settled in to watch the carnage unfold on TV as if it were New Year’s Eve for serial killers, disgruntled employees and anyone who couldn’t get their case heard by Judge Judy. Of course things don’t go quite according to plan, starting when Henry, the older boyfriend of James’ daughter Zooey takes a few gun shots at dear old dad, as a way of explaining the seriousness of his intentions for Zooey. Complicating matters further, James’ tween son Charlie has let down the family’s gates long enough to let in a bloodied stranger who was being hunted like the prize in a human fox hunt. When the masked mob of exuberant, well armed youths that was chasing the stranger arrives at the Sandin’s door to claim their supposed rightful prey, or else… the Sandlin’s are torn between helping these fine young Americans express their right to Purge (and saving themselves in the process), or doing what’s, ya know, right.  The answer, like the movie itself is a no-brainer.

As home invasion movies go “The Purge” aspires to break in somewhere between Sam Peckinpah’s classic “Straw Dogs” and Stanley Kubrick’s equally brilliant “Clockwork Orange” but has neither the character development of the former nor the futurist savvy of the later. Barring a successful Bachmann/Perry presidential run in 2020 it’s doubtful the country would condone such wholesale mayhem, even as a way of weeding out minorities, the poor and other “undesirables” who can’t afford health care, assault weapons or armored houses. Furthermore, even if the new government’s claims that the annual culling did somehow keep crime down and the economy thriving, who would be left to clean up the mess?

From the days of the Romans and Incas and to the NFL and MMA of today, violence is a known opiate to the masses, especially when combined with cheerleaders, light beer and nachos. But such mayhem is best left to the skilled swords, hands and helmets of professionals and not the general population, since afterwards donuts still need to get made and bills need to get paid.  But should a real life night like “The Purge” ever come to pass, those responsible for this excruciating exercise in torture-porn should be the first ones duct taped, hog tied and tossed into the street.

Until then “safe night” everyone!

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For More Information Visit:
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http://www.movieweb.com/movie/the-purge
http://www.facebook.com/thepurgemovie
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2184339/combined

 

Author: Spyder Darling

1 thought on “The Purge (2013) – Movie Review

  1. K… so I get that you were not happy with the concept and that you felt the characters were not well developed but did it at least have any thrills or gore or ANYTHING that would make this watchable?

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