Review of The Purge (2013) by Shane Z — 24 Feb 2015

You'll probably go into "The Purge" being interested in it's premise and be disappointed once you leave it by it's concept, which is fantastic. A new society allowing the world to murder, which is some like tradition or the government (called the Founding Fathers) giving the consent to do so by making all crime legal for one night every year... without consequences for twelve hours in a called, Futuristic? America.

Ethan Hawke plays James Spadlin, a man who build a fortress all around his home to protect himself & his family and be prepared of the tonight's this year's purge. As everything seems to be settling for the rich family til his "smart" odd son, Charlie (Max Burkholder) sees on their cameras a African American (Edwin Hodge) in trouble, begging for -- help! Charlie goes up to his mom, Mary (Lena Headey) & dad to ask to let him in, but James refuses. It seems too risky to help since - duh! The purge - but Charlie still just opens their fortress to let him in.

Now that was risky and dumb. Now a group of straight high class college students that were after the homeless African American have come to the Spadlins and are asked to either give him up or they all get killed.

Yet again, I know he just wanna help out but What if this guy were part of the group. OR his style of purging, going into homes needing help, instead he's going to kill you. Charlie would of been killed. And me & my brother say 'he probably should ' my brother just hates Charlie, he would of killed him. Then not only Charlie I complained about, What was with the group wanting the homeless man? Do they hate homeless? Do they have a problem with Africans? OR just have no one else to kill? Then James, if you're feared about anyone coming in, why bother building a fortress well secured? I assume you can get in easy after Zoey (Adelaide Kane)'s boyfriend was able to climb up in her window no problem, almost tried to shoot James like a boss.

This wouldn't be a missed opportunity if it didn't go from a good commentary of sociopolitical premise to a home - invasion thriller filled with stupid characters that may came from the new Evil Dead (a worse example of a movie with dumber people in it).

Shane Zaborski.