Friday, July 01, 2016
Michael Allen
Cast: Frank Grillo, Elizabeth Mitchell and Mykelti Williamson.
The Purge: Election Year is the third film in this series. Started in 2013, by James DeMonaco, these films take place during twelve hours of lawlessness. This third film takes a more political turn as the United States moves ahead with a new presidential election. Though, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are not really satired here, despite the tagline: "Keep America Great." Instead of satire, this film brings every possible sociological conflict to the screen, with white men getting the worst of it. With the purge outlawed near the end of the film, is this the last Purge film? Movie-goers and ticket sales will answer this question, while this viewer encourages action and horror fans to get out to see the film.
Actor Frank Grillo returns in this second sequel as Leo. A former police lieutenant, Leo is no longer a vengeful father. Instead, he is working as a bodyguard for an aspiring state senator. Senator Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell) seeks the oval office, but there are a few impediments along the way. The New Founding Fathers of America want to see her dead as Roan promises to upset their political power. Then, Roan is targeted for assassination. Meanwhile, a number of sub-plots develop. An underground violent black movement, equatable to the current Black Lives Matter movement, is also out for blood; their target is an insane Christian presidential delegate. Other subplots compete for your attention as twelve hours of lawlessness turn Washington into a warzone. All of the bullet fire will likely make movie-goers duck for cover.
The film does not really pit Donald Trump versus Hillary Clinton. Though, it does turn Democrat against Republican. And, Republicans are not given much positive praise in DeMonaco's latest. Most appear as grizzled old, rich, white men. They want to hold onto power, at any costs. The Democrats look much more honourable. Roan wants to outlaw the purge and rid the US of violence. This is a lofty goal, but obviously the better one, when compared to the New Founding Father's murderous plots. DeMonaco shows a bias, in his writing, which favours the Democrats and it is hard not to notice. Though, this viewer is no fan of politicians, of any colour and age.
This series of films continues to take advantage of age old prejudices. In The Purge: Election Year, the young conflict with the old. Two sadistic Catholic schoolgirls attack an aged shop owner. Strangely, the conflict begins over the theft of a chocolate bar. One's life should not be risked over something so little. Still, the young face the old, on the darkened streets of Washington, D.C. As well, blacks square off against whites. The blacks, as gang members or of the aforementioned political movement, face a group of skinheads. One side comes out as the obvious winner. Not a single member of the white supremacist movement makes it into the final credits. Whites are bad - you see? Also, the rich are set against the poor. The reason for the purge's start is to rid the country of welfare recipients and supposed less desireables. It is just strange not to see more minorities as the elites, in the film. More and more millionaires continue to come from diverging ethnicities, especially the Chinese. As an aside, this viewer wonders what it would have looked like to see a feminist group out in the purge, or a few Muslims. How would they fare? Still, DeMonaco brings a lot of conflict to the screen, with several different groups pursuing political dominance.
Will this be the end for the Purge series? The film's final few scenes leave another sequel possible. And, there are many more avenues which future films could pursue. As well, the previous film, The Purge: Anarchy (2014), made at least ten times in ticket sales in comparison to its nine million dollar budget. It will be interesting to see how this third film does in the box office. Still, the material is relevant. The current world is rife with antagonisms as cultures spark against others. Gender relations continue to deteriorate. And, ethnic preferences, along with prejudices, are evolutionarily wired in our brains. DeMonaco's films capitalize on all of this hostility and Freud might even say that they help release tensions, via catharsis. Whatever the answer to the initial question, The Purge: Election Year really gets the adenaline pumping as group fights opposing group.
There is rarely a dull moment in the film. The up-tempo pacing and complex story, along with its many sub-plots, keep the visual frame full of tracers and sharp dialogue. The characters are developed to an extent, with minor characters relegated to a couple, simple character arcs. This time around, the second sequel takes a more political tone, compared to the previous two. There is no fear of satire here as the material is viewed through a dramatic, or serious lens. Still, there are moments to smirk or laugh at, with how some of the various groups are portrayed. It must be a difficult time to be a devout Christian, nowadays. As it is and at this point in the series, The Purge (2013) and specifically The Purge: Election Year has kept its ear on the heartbeat of North America's culture, even as that heartbeat slowly fades away.
Overall: 8 out of 10.
A second trailer for the film is available here: The Purge: Election Year Trailer #2
Recommended release:
Subscribe to 28 Days Later: An Analysis 28 Days Later Analysis Email Subscription
Posted in: 2016,action,james demonaco,movie,movie poster,movie review,post-apocalyptic,post-apocalyptic movie review,review,story,synopsis,the purge,thriller,violence
0 comments:
Post a Comment