The Purge: Anarchy
for strong disturbing violence, and for language.
Reviewed by: Brian C. Johnson
CONTRIBUTOR
| Moral Rating: | Extremely Offensive |
| Moviemaking Quality: |
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| Primary Audience: | Adults |
| Genre: | Sci-Fi Action Horror Thriller Suspense Sequel |
| Length: | 1 hr. 43 min. |
| Year of Release: | 2014 |
| USA Release: |
July 18, 2014 (wide—2,805 theaters) DVD: October 21, 2014 |
murder in the Bible
sin and depravity of man / fall of man to sin
revenge versus mercy and forgiveness
ORIGIN OF BAD—How did bad things come about? Answer
Did God make the world the way it is now? What kind of world would you create? Answer
FILM VIOLENCE—How does viewing violence in movies affect families? Answer
“VOTING” FOR BAD MOVIES—Every time you buy a movie ticket or rent a video you are casting a vote telling Hollywood “That’s what I want.” Why does Hollywood continue to promote immoral programming? Are YOU part of the problem? Answer
| Featuring |
Frank Grillo … Sergeant Carmen Ejogo … Eva Sanchez Zach Gilford … Shane Kiele Sanchez … Liz Zoë Soul … Cali Justina Machado … Tanya John Beasley … Papa Rico Jack Conley … Big Daddy Noel Gugliemi … Diego (as Noel G.) Castulo Guerra … Barney Michael K. Williams … Carmelo Edwin Hodge … The Stranger See all » |
| Director | James DeMonaco — “The Purge” (2013) |
| Producer |
Blumhouse Productions Platinum Dunes See all » |
| Distributor |
“Welcome to America where one night a year all crime is legal.”
What would you do if your car broke down on a bridge just moments before the beginning of the annual government-sanctioned kill-a-thon known as The Purge? Panic? Run? Fall down on the ground in fetal position? Chances are that you would have at least one or more similar reactions as Shane and Liz, a young couple on the verge of divorce who find themselves in such a predicament. Your terror would probably increase when you notice a gang of masked thugs who seem to have been following you for miles.
DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE—Under what conditions may Christians divorce and remarry? Answer
divorce in the Bible
What does it mean to be “the husband of one wife”? Answer
It’s the year 2024, and the New Founding Fathers of America maintain control over the government. We were introduced to their method of crime reduction and population control in writer/director James DeMonaco’s 2013’s hit “The Purge.” DeMonaco returns to the helm in this sequel, set just two years after the original. The NFFA believe that human beings, at the core, are very similar to animals, but social and cultural pressures require inhibition of certain behaviors. They instituted The Purge—one night per year individuals are free to commit crimes of all sorts (including murder) without fear of reprisal or punishment. Individuals can “purge” themselves of negative feelings and animosity by targeting the poorest and most alone individuals. The first installment found one family under siege in their home when their young son brought a wounded stranger inside.
Unlike the first film, “The Purge: Anarchy” takes the audience out of a single home onto the streets to show us what happens during the 12-hour savage spree. Shane (Zach Gilford) and Liz (Kiele Sanchez) find themselves alone on the streets—that is until they team up with other would-be victims Eva (Carmen Ejogo) and her daughter Cali (Zoe Soul) who have escape the clutches of a well-armed militia. These four end up being protected by Sergeant (Frank Grillo), a one-man army who reluctantly attempts to save the group.
Also unlike the original, this sequel has little soul and little to offer. The characters are flat, and the action is predictable. The first seemed to have a point—it made viewers question their morality and debated the difference between was is “legal” and what is “right.” This version simply appears to be about how many bullets can be expended in one film. The subtitle “Anarchy” seems to be correct.
You can probably guess that this is not a family-friendly film! [I am actually very sad to point out that there were several young children in the audience with their parents when I saw the film]. I wrote the review for the original film and, honestly, not much has changed in terms of my critique of the value for Christians. They have doubled up on the coarse language. Sensuality was surprisingly low for a film of this nature—although there is a scene where Eva and Cali are rescued just as they were about to be raped and tortured.
All in all, “The Purge: Anarchy” is a letdown on many levels. Save your money.
Violence: Extreme / Profanity: Extreme / Sex/Nudity: Moderate
See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.
So remember this movie is to promote fear… Read Psalms 91 everyday until you can quote it on your own. Thanks for listening and stay prayed up and blessed. …
PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here.
Also, to call this film outright predictable is in, my opinion, unfair (although there are a few mildly predictable moments). There were, in my opinion, some very interesting surprises in this film and “The Purge: Anarchy,” does a great job of creating a world where one night death can lurk around any corner, and there were some brilliantly suspenseful moments. I was convinced of the danger that these characters were dealing with, and I was terrified for much of the film.
The plot of this film is thin, but I think that this works in its favor, since “The Purge: Anarchy” is not so much a story but an experience. A real purge wouldn’t be bound by plot actions, so, to be realistic, the plot had to be thin. “The Purge: Anarchy” is an improvement over the one-sided original Purge because it takes us outside so that we can know what it is like to try as the characters put it to “survive the night.” The film also lets us know how the rich purge and how they feel they are so above it all as to stack the deck against their poor victims.
On a final note, I was never bored by “The Purge: Anarchy,” and, by the end of it, I felt like I had just been put through a wringer. “The Purge: Anarchy” contains much profanity and is extremely violent, although not as much as one would believe, since the power of suggestion is greatly employed. We see characters carry machetes and axes and swing and point them menacingly, but we never see any characters actually mutilated on screen, but it does give us the feeling that one or two streets over, someone is employing these horrific weapons on their fellow human beings.
“The Purge: Anarchy” isn’t flawless. While the points made in this film are expressed better in this film because they were touched upon in the first film, they do feel a little redundant. Sometimes the film does feel a little like a video game, as attackers sometime pop up just to be taken down. The film is occasionally predictable and there are some unanswered questions. But, overall, this is a wild and terrifying film, and if you think this is too violent I can only imagine what would happen if a real purge was ever instituted.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4