Rating of
1.5/4
Heavy-Handed, Purposeful Schlock
Unknown - wrote on 07/06/16
'The Purge' series is a niche action/thriller allegory to current political standings in the United States. It's clearly all meant to be anti-capitalism (which I can get behind). This strong viewpoint became much more obvious in the first sequel 'Anarchy', but here that message is hammered home in a way that felt as if the audience is being spoon-fed with a shovel. The whole tone was more liken to a low-budget, grimy, goofy, action flick from the 80's, except it's just not as fun as those specific guilty pleasures. The villains are straight up cartoons, the one-liners are silly, and the action is very shoddy. Those elements usually make up the stereotypical action affair I mentioned. However, they just feel jarring in this movie due to the serious nature of the previous two 'Purge' entries. Their execution dampens the political agenda on display, adding a much dumbed down demeanor to the whole experience. The action in this series has always been sub-par - this time especially. Between the constant darkness and super-choppy editing, it was hard to discern many moments. If the action and comedy had been more competent, I may have had more fun with this one - despite the fact that I completely agree with it's political intentions.
