Review of The Purge (2013) by Dave J — 16 Jun 2014

Wednesday, May 21, 2014.

(2013) The Purge.

SCIENCE-FICTION SUSPENSE THRILLER/ SOCIAL COMMENTARY.

The sole 'idea' of this movie is something that can be seen from a Japanese movie which the entire environment has been altered into controversy. Like "Battle Royale" or "The Hunger Games", "the Purge" is supposed to be like America's latest cult-like phenomenon where citizens are allowed to express their contempt toward other people in general by using physical force for a time of 12 hours. And that people working under gov't including police officers and fire men are exempt from "The Purge". To put it in simple words, it's a day where the open public are allowed to shoot, kill and maim as many people as s/he chooses for 12 hours since no one isn't going to be prosecuted for doing it. The first half of the movie explains 'the Purge' to the audience that acts like the Hunger Games and Battle Royale, the second half of the movie is a reminiscent of "Straw Dogs" and "Assault On Precinct 13". We're also introduced to James Sandin (Ethan Hawke) and his family. James makes a good living selling latest security equipment for people who want to keep their homes safe. He has a wife, Mary(Lara Flynn Boyle), daughter Zoey(Adelaide Kane) and youngest son, Charlie (Max Burkholder) and things become complicated to the family, which questions the family's humanity as soon as the youngest kid, Charlie allowed an African American man seek refuge into the family household, motivating 7 to 10 wannabe killers who are part of this killing phenomenon to go after the family if this African American man isn't let out on a specific time. And they of course, became motivated to fight back since they also have firearms.

One of the subtle things I liked about this movie, is the fact that because I do read newspapers and watch a lot of news on TV, the movie is suggesting how this "Purge" phenomenon can be deemed as racial and stereotypical since majority of it's victims are people who're living below the poverty line, which in turn means that much of them are minorities including African Americans, Latinos and Asians. I can see gun nuts hating this movie because they deem themselves as righteous owners who can never be manipulated, and I can see politicians, particularly right-wing not liking this movie either since they would never okay on such an act, except that it has already happened since in some of the largest cities in the United States such as Detroit and Chicago, policemen only help and aid residents who live in the city but not in dangerous urban communities which is where most minorities live. I would see hospitals closed down where they are needed the most so they could provide to areas where people can afford it. The best way to describe this movie is 'nihilistic' with a possible presumption about what things may yet to come because not all crimes are not properly attended, and that the only ones that are addressed are the ones branded as entitlement.

2.5 out of 4.