The Purge: Anarchy

While the first Purge gave us Ethan Hawke and his family moping around inside their house as the annual blood fest took place out of doors, this one takes the action outside and into the streets. In one plot thread we get a mysterious Sergeant gathering up some heavy artillery and taking to the streets on Purge night, looking for some revenge. In another, we get a mother and daughter who must leave their apartment after they are attacked. Sergeant interrupts his vengeful mission and lends the ladies a hand. After another scampering couple joins these strays, the band of strangers faces off against gangs of masked marauders and, eventually, agents of the very strange government. While the first Purge had far too little going on, this one suffers a bit from overkill. Some of the characters and their boring problems get a little too much screen time, and the film offers little in the way of genuine surprises or scares. Granted, the action on a larger scale is welcome, but there’s something very flat about the look of this movie. Cinemark 14 and Feather River Cinemas. Rated R