Purge and Purify!
To be completely up front here; I love the Purge movies (well, the second one that is, I never bothered to see the first one). I think it's a fascinating concept and framing device for a movie (even if the concept kind of falls apart once you think about it). I figure that I should say this right away though because my bias is going to be showing...
For a quick refresher, The Purge is an annual event in fictional America where all crime is legal for a 12 hour period. Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo) returns from the second film except this time, he is the head secret service agent for Senator Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell). Her family was butchered in front of her in a past Purge and for some reason that has soured her opinion on the event and is running for President on a "No more Purge" platform.
However, the New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA), a board room of cackling evil old rich white people, wants to keep The Purge going because it helps make everyone money (subtly isn't this movies strong suit) while culling all those poor people. They betray the Senator on Purge night by sending a group of Confederate and Nazi Flag wearing skin head government special forces (subtle!) to kill her to squash the Anti-Purge talk. Leo and Senator Roanes escapes and ends up meeting up with Joe Dixon (Mykelti Williamson) and Marcos (Joseph Julian Soria), store owners that are protecting their store and Laney (Betty Gabriel), a friend who works with the Anti-Purge resistance movement hinted at in the last movie.
Similar to the previous movie, the actors are all serviceable here. Nobody does a wonderful job (though the script doesn't give them much to work with besides one note stereotypes) but nobody is bad either. The bad guys are all cartoonishly evil (see "Skin Heads" above) but because of the setting, it works in a way that it probably shouldn't with how ridiculous it is. Like the second movie, the action is entertaining and bloody in a fun way.
Did you see the second movie? If you did and you liked it, you'll like Election Year. If you did not like it, it does nothing different that will make you change your mind. It's a lot of mindless action with a premise that doesn't make all that much sense if you think too much about it so shut down the brain and enjoy the ride.
7.5/10; A serviceable action movie that doesn't take itself too seriously. If you want to kill some time watching a bunch of people kill each other, you could do worse. Just don't think too much...
Last Review: "Hell or High Water [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.943067-tippy2k2-tells-you-what-to-think-Hell-or-High-Water]"
EDIT: I was in a super pissy mood when I wrote this so this is a pretty shoddily written review
Just a FYI for the three people who read these things.
To be completely up front here; I love the Purge movies (well, the second one that is, I never bothered to see the first one). I think it's a fascinating concept and framing device for a movie (even if the concept kind of falls apart once you think about it). I figure that I should say this right away though because my bias is going to be showing...
For a quick refresher, The Purge is an annual event in fictional America where all crime is legal for a 12 hour period. Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo) returns from the second film except this time, he is the head secret service agent for Senator Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell). Her family was butchered in front of her in a past Purge and for some reason that has soured her opinion on the event and is running for President on a "No more Purge" platform.
However, the New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA), a board room of cackling evil old rich white people, wants to keep The Purge going because it helps make everyone money (subtly isn't this movies strong suit) while culling all those poor people. They betray the Senator on Purge night by sending a group of Confederate and Nazi Flag wearing skin head government special forces (subtle!) to kill her to squash the Anti-Purge talk. Leo and Senator Roanes escapes and ends up meeting up with Joe Dixon (Mykelti Williamson) and Marcos (Joseph Julian Soria), store owners that are protecting their store and Laney (Betty Gabriel), a friend who works with the Anti-Purge resistance movement hinted at in the last movie.
Similar to the previous movie, the actors are all serviceable here. Nobody does a wonderful job (though the script doesn't give them much to work with besides one note stereotypes) but nobody is bad either. The bad guys are all cartoonishly evil (see "Skin Heads" above) but because of the setting, it works in a way that it probably shouldn't with how ridiculous it is. Like the second movie, the action is entertaining and bloody in a fun way.
Did you see the second movie? If you did and you liked it, you'll like Election Year. If you did not like it, it does nothing different that will make you change your mind. It's a lot of mindless action with a premise that doesn't make all that much sense if you think too much about it so shut down the brain and enjoy the ride.
7.5/10; A serviceable action movie that doesn't take itself too seriously. If you want to kill some time watching a bunch of people kill each other, you could do worse. Just don't think too much...
Last Review: "Hell or High Water [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.943067-tippy2k2-tells-you-what-to-think-Hell-or-High-Water]"
EDIT: I was in a super pissy mood when I wrote this so this is a pretty shoddily written review
Just a FYI for the three people who read these things.