The Purge: Anarchy (2014) Review

"We don't save lives.  Tonight we take lives.  We can't have interference.  We can't have heroes."

-Big Daddy

Once again, it's time for the annual Purge.  Anarchy tells the story of three groups of people who get trapped outside on Purge Night in Los Angeles and must band together to survive.  Shane and Liz (Zach Gilford and Kiele Sanchez) are a married couple with relationship issues.  Their car breaks down in the middle of the city just before the start of the Purge.  Waitress Eva Sanchez (Carmen Ejogo) and her daughter, Cali (Zoë Soul), get taken from their apartment by a mysterious army led by Big Daddy (Jack Conley).  Both groups are rescued by Sergeant Leo Barnes (Frank Gillo), who is well armed and highly skilled at killing.  Barnes is out on a quest for revenge, but is convinced to help the others survive the night as they avoid Big Daddy and the others ruthless and psychotic Purgers.

What Works:

The is the Purge movie we all wanted and thought we would get when we first heard the concept.  Anarchy makes full use of its premise, giving us a wider scope of the event and taking us all around the city.  It's a lot of fun to see what all sorts of different people do on Purge night.  Anarchy executes well on its premise.

Anarchy does a great job of maintaining its energy throughout the entire film.  The characters are in nonstop danger and something exciting is constantly happening.  It's far more interesting and engaging than the first film.

The strongest aspect of the film is the protagonist, Sergeant Leo Barnes.  The dude is a badass, and has a heart of gold.  Frank Grillo gives an excellent performance as a man who is in a lot of pain and can't turn his back on the innocent.  He's endlessly entertaining to watch in action and it's awesome to see someone so highly skilled take down the Purgers.  The best part is seeing Barnes kick ass in the arena.  Unarmed and outnumbered, watching him take down the hunters was a blast and one of the highlights of the film.

Finally, I want to mention the scene in Tanya's (Justina Machado) apartment.  This scene does a excellent job of building tension, but in a much more subtle way than the rest of the movie.  Watching Tanya interact with her sister and her brother-in-law makes us realize something is off, and Barnes notices it too.  We know something bad is going to happen, but we aren't sure what.  It's very exciting when it finally happens and is one of my favorite scenes in the movie.

What Sucks:

My biggest complaint is with the character Cali.  This girl does not shut up.  I get that she's supposed to be an outspoken teenager, but there's a time and a place for that and it's not on Purge night.  She spends way too much time talking even after Barnes tells her to shut up.  There are murderous gangs out to kill you.  Seriously, stop talking.  Listen to the guy who saved your life and actually knows what he's doing.  Some of the things Cali says to Barnes about it never being okay to Purge feel kind of inappropriate and condescending.  Less irritating dialogue from her would have been great.

My only other complaint is the uselessness of the other characters for most of the movie.  It was frustrating at time watching the incompetence and ungratefulness of the characters Barnes is trying to save.  Not only are they useless, but they are kinda rude to him.  This guy can just leave you behind to fend for yourselves.  You might want to be a little nicer to him.  At least Shane, Liz, and Eva have character arcs that result in them not being useless by the end, but that doesn't stop some of the frustration earlier in the movie.

Verdict:

Off the top of my head, I can't think of a sequel that is as superior to the original as The Purge: Anarchy is.  The film executes on its premise to near perfection with some awesome sequences, great pacing, and one of the horror-genre's best protagonists.  Apart from some annoying, ungrateful, and useless supporting characters, this movie has really got it going on. 

 8/10: Really Good