The Purge: Anarchy (2014)

I just caught a rip of this, and honestly, it doesn't even feel like a shaky-cam movie. You could maybe pass it off as some fun little trashy flick or something intentionally campy, but beyond that? The sequel isn't much to write home about either.

If you’re the type of person who lives for those gritty 80s action classics—I'm talking stuff like Escape from New York or Warriors—then you are absolutely going to love this. Seriously. Frank Grillo totally killed it; he honestly has that specific kind of charisma you just don't see much anymore, the kind that makes someone a legitimate new action star. In my opinion, he would have been the perfect choice for Punisher, but since he’s already playing Crossbones in Captain America, I guess that door is pretty much slammed shut. That's just how it goes, I suppose. For anyone who isn't into the style of movies I mentioned at the start, though, they're probably going to think this is total trash.

Honestly, it was just a decent, middle-of-the-road flick.

It definitely felt better than the first one, but man, it still didn't quite hit the heights I was hoping for. There were so many missed opportunities, too—like that whole masked gang? I was fully expecting them to go absolutely wild and actually pose a real threat to the main characters, but they basically just stood there doing nothing.
To make a long story short, the movie feels a bit scattered, when it really could have been an incredible survivor horror if they had just leaned into it more.

My rating: 4/10

What do you mean, a 4 out of 10? 😁

Honestly, this movie was awesome—it’s such a massive step up from the first one. It’s just non-stop tension and action from start to finish, and I’d even go as far as saying it’s actually pretty smart with some really solid characters (well, okay, maybe not *all* of them, but still). Look, I’m not claiming this is going to be some legendary masterpiece people are analyzing for decades or some all-time cinematic classic, but it is genuinely a blast to watch and highly entertaining. If you’re into that specific mix of thriller, horror, and action, I cannot recommend it enough. Plus, there’s a nice little touch of dark comedy sprinkled in there too 😁

7.5/10

The first part ends on such a cliché happy note... honestly, it feels like a total bust to me. I mean, if the sequel (which I haven't seen yet) doesn't involve the daughter, the son, and the widow teaming up to get revenge on the neighbors who tried to take them out, then this whole thing was a waste of time...
but I have to mention the original—there was way more tension in Carpenter's "Assault on..." back in the 70s. It could've gone that way, or even better, in The Purge—the core concept was actually pretty solid.

Such a killer movie, just non-stop action👍. The characters are great, and the lead is honestly smoking hot.🙂
The first one was alright, but it leaned way too hard into the drama. This one’s got some solid actors—mostly TV talent this time around—but they actually kill it.👍👍

It was okay, I guess. There’s a plot there, but it just feels like it's missing something. Honestly, I expected way more, especially from those masked characters. The only part that actually hit was when the warning message flashed on the screen followed by that creepy sound announcing the start of the cleansing... chilling.

I wouldn't exactly call this a super film, honestly... there's just way too many clichés and plot holes everywhere.

I actually liked this one way more than the first, even if there was room for improvement. Hopefully, the third installment leans harder into the action.

Honestly, I thought the first one was just terrible. Like, seriously—wtf, it was awful! There was absolutely zero logic to any of it. Look, I get that movies don't always need to be perfectly logical (though that’s always a huge debate, right?), but they should at least be fun to watch! At the very least, that yellow bad guy provided some laughs, but everything else? Just a total letdown. :S

Nothing groundbreaking here—but certainly a step up from the first one.

So many missed opportunities here. Like someone else pointed out, I was actually expecting the masked teenagers to be a bit more bloodthirsty... I’ll probably check out the third installment, but I’m going in with zero expectations. Honestly, Frank is the only good part of this movie 😁

A bad sequel to an already bad movie! Why? I guess only Americans can figure that one out. Personally, I found the people participating in "The Purge" to be more annoying than scary; they’re just incredibly theatrical and irritating. It honestly makes you want to just knock them out and be done with it. I don't know what the director and the actors were thinking trying to play it this way. Unfortunately, since flops always seem to get sequels, we'll probably see at least five more of these

I'm happy with this one. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who digs fast-paced thrillers, horror, or action flicks. It stays engaging from start to finish. It’s not exactly a masterpiece or an instant classic, but it’s solid—honestly better than the first movie. It keeps you hooked the whole way through. As far as the horror element goes, I’d call this more of a softcore horror.
8/10

Spoilers

Yeah, I wish they had shown more of those masked characters. Also, the rule about not using weapons above level 4 is pretty interesting, but what even is "level 4"? There are a few plot holes there. We also saw the first instance of someone seeking revenge for a crime committed last year. Still, I think this franchise could eventually produce a true classic. The Purge has huge potential. 👍

Personally, I thought this was an excellent film... truly excellent... as far as I'm concerned, it gets a SOLID 7.5/10, regardless of what anyone else thinks.

It’s pathetic how much garbage gets a 7.5 or even an 8 these days, yet this takes a 6.5? Truly sad...

The movie is actually terrifying—it gives you chills thinking about the horrifying possibility of a government having the power to do something like that...

I also have to say that Frank Grillo is just awesome to watch. I think he suits roles where he plays the protagonist (even with a dark past) much better, like in this film, and I believe he deserves way more roles like this. He was fantastic in Warrior 2011 too—in my opinion, he needs more quality films where HE is the lead, just like in this one.

He is one of those rare modern actors whom I can honestly call a BAD MOTHER FUCKER because of the way he commands the screen; the man has actual presence and CHARISMA.

Anyway, super film. I say "super" because I really wasn't expecting it to be this good. I watched it about six months ago, and today I’m going to watch it again 😁

SUPER FILM 👍

By the way, Frank Grillo would be the perfect Punisher (he shares the name with Frank Castle, after all), and it honestly pains me to see Grillo in Captain America—he’s just a supporting character there, and I'll say it AGAIN, Grillo doesn't deserve that. Even if "Captain America" were part of the Fantastic Four, it wouldn't matter—FRANK GRILLO OR THOMAS JANE ARE THE PUNISHER; there simply isn't anyone better for the role.

Man, whenever I just imagine Grillo in the Punisher outfit, everything screams: THAT IS THE REAL PUNISHER. He is absolutely perfect for the part.

@wiredraven82, did it bug you that those masked creeps were basically just wasted potential?

Honestly, it kind of ruined the whole vibe for me because I was expecting these guys to be absolute motherfuckers who actually strike fear into people's hearts, but instead, they were just... there.
It felt like watching Alien and waiting for the Xenomorph to show up and absolutely wreck everyone, only to have some tiny little facehuggers scurry around instead. You know what I mean?

cosmiclynx57 said:@wiredraven82, did it bug you that those masked creeps were basically just wasted potential?

Honestly, it kind of ruined the whole vibe for me because I was expecting these guys to be absolute motherfuckers who actually strike fear into people's hearts, but instead, they were just... there.
It felt like watching Alien and waiting for the Xenomorph to show up and absolutely wreck everyone, only to have some tiny little facehuggers scurry around instead. You know what I mean?

Look, it didn't bug me nearly as much because the movie is trying to make a point—specifically, that we might not truly understand the darker nature of humanity, or how a legal framework like this might actually appeal to the masses and the government alike.🙂

It’s brutal. You have the lead—Frank Grillo—who isn't strictly a hero or a villain; he’s a decent guy who’s been pushed so close to the edge by life that he’s flirting with the dark side🙂—but he still tilts toward doing the right thing, stepping up to protect the innocent amidst all that literal Anarchy...

The concept itself feels fresh. I thought the first one was garbage, but this one was a super film...

But hey, what do I know? I respect everyone's individual take.🙂

The only reason I landed on a 7.5/10 instead of an 8/10 is that I really feel like Grillo should have just finished off that piece of trash at the end.

wiredraven82 said:Look, it didn't bug me nearly as much because the movie is trying to make a point—specifically, that we might not truly understand the darker nature of humanity, or how a legal framework like this might actually appeal to the masses and the government alike.🙂

It’s brutal. You have the lead—Frank Grillo—who isn't strictly a hero or a villain; he’s a decent guy who’s been pushed so close to the edge by life that he’s flirting with the dark side🙂—but he still tilts toward doing the right thing, stepping up to protect the innocent amidst all that literal Anarchy...

The concept itself feels fresh. I thought the first one was garbage, but this one was a super film...

But hey, what do I know? I respect everyone's individual take.🙂

The only reason I landed on a 7.5/10 instead of an 8/10 is that I really feel like Grillo should have just finished off that piece of trash at the end.

Nah, it really isn't. I mean, sure, maybe for the first one, but you can't claim the exact same idea is "original" twice, haha—you actually made me laugh there! 😁

I mean, even the first one had potential; they just totally dropped the ball on fleshing out the story and the characters. It’s such a shame, really, because they had this killer premise but then completely botched the execution. It’s like being handed a shiny new Mercedes-Benz, but instead of finishing it properly, you just slap some cheap finger paints from a kindergarten kit on the body and try to bolt on some wheels without actually tightening the bolts... so what happens? The wheels just fly off after driving a few feet, right?

But hey, fair enough. Much respect for your opinion though! 😉

cosmiclynx57 said:Nah, it really isn't. I mean, sure, maybe for the first one, but you can't claim the exact same idea is "original" twice, haha—you actually made me laugh there! 😁

I mean, even the first one had potential; they just totally dropped the ball on fleshing out the story and the characters. It’s such a shame, really, because they had this killer premise but then completely botched the execution. It’s like being handed a shiny new Mercedes-Benz, but instead of finishing it properly, you just slap some cheap finger paints from a kindergarten kit on the body and try to bolt on some wheels without actually tightening the bolts... so what happens? The wheels just fly off after driving a few feet, right?

But hey, fair enough. Much respect for your opinion though! 😉

Look, I don't care about the first part. The concept itself is original, and the fact that they turned that original idea into garbage in the first film doesn't bother me—I couldn't care less about a single bad entry. That idea finally found its true expression in this second movie, so... technically, it's original. 😁

wiredraven82 said:Look, I don't care about the first part. The concept itself is original, and the fact that they turned that original idea into garbage in the first film doesn't bother me—I couldn't care less about a single bad entry. That idea finally found its true expression in this second movie, so... technically, it's original. 😁

Man, wiredraven82, you're being totally unrealistic here. It really doesn't matter which movie hits harder or who executed the concept better—the person who brought the idea to the table first is the one who's being original, right?

I get where you're coming from emotionally, I really do, but you just can't ignore the fact that the first film exists and introduced that whole new concept to us in the first place.
If a third movie comes out down the road and you end up liking it way more than the second one, would you suddenly claim the third one is the "original" idea? Come on, 😁