The Purge: Anarchy

Stars: Frank Grillo, Carmen Ojogo, Zach Gilford, Zoe Soul, Kiele Sanchez, Justina Manchado, Lily Knight

Director: James DeMonaco

Ridiculous in concept, but exciting in execution, this sequel continues with the fanciful idea that every year for 12 hours in the US law and order no longer exist, and vigilantes are free to kill as they please - 'For those releasing the beast,' smirks a TV announcer, 'a successful cleanse.' This apparently purges society of its undesirables and reduces the crime rate. Hmm.

In any case, the notion is just a peg on which to hang a story of pursuit, as a police officer (Grillo), with his own agenda, storms out on to the city streets at purge time, reluctantly coming to the rescue of a mother and daughter (Ejogo, Soul, whose ages look too close together), dragged from their flat, and a divorcing couple (Gilford, Sanchez) whose car has been sabotaged by a group of death-dealers wearing scary white masks.

After various adventures, including a barely believable interlude at the home of relatives of Ejogo, where mayhem improbably breaks loose, the quintet ends up as rich men and women's hunting prey.

In this only occasionally credible scenario, Grillo, so often the second banana in action films, finally gets to play the husky-voiced hero and he's just fine.

Even though bits and pieces from other movies never gell together to make a believable whole, The Purge: Anarchy gives us a fair amount of tension, action and excitement, virtually non-stop all the way.

David Quinlan

USA 2014. UK Distributor: Universal. Technicolor.
103 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 15.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 2, Drugs 0, Swearing 2.

Review date: 21 Jul 2014