The good thing about THE PURGE: ANARCHY is that it's a step up in terms of quality from its predecessor; the first film was just another home invasion thriller, one quite well made but let down by its own predictability. ANARCHY is still predictable, but the chase/journey narrative structure means that it's a faster-paced production as a whole, one that never becomes boring.
The film's protagonist is played by Frank Grillo, a guy who never impressed me in support in the past but who does a fine job as a tough guy here. He reminded me a lot of The Punisher in terms of his dark appearance and tough-guy presence. The supporting cast are less interesting, and some of the female characters are still annoyingly weak and given to screaming at every little thing.
Still, the journey through dark and violent streets is an often exciting one and there's a wealth of gritty action to enjoy. Often the action is a little too CGI-enhanced for my liking, but at least the film never slows down, building to an appropriately thrilling climax. Watch out for Michael Kenneth Williams in another weird cameo. ANARCHY manages to be creepy enough in the early scenes and exciting enough in the later ones to be an effective Hollywood thriller.
The film's protagonist is played by Frank Grillo, a guy who never impressed me in support in the past but who does a fine job as a tough guy here. He reminded me a lot of The Punisher in terms of his dark appearance and tough-guy presence. The supporting cast are less interesting, and some of the female characters are still annoyingly weak and given to screaming at every little thing.
Still, the journey through dark and violent streets is an often exciting one and there's a wealth of gritty action to enjoy. Often the action is a little too CGI-enhanced for my liking, but at least the film never slows down, building to an appropriately thrilling climax. Watch out for Michael Kenneth Williams in another weird cameo. ANARCHY manages to be creepy enough in the early scenes and exciting enough in the later ones to be an effective Hollywood thriller.