August 22, 2013
"R.I.P.D." means "Rest in Peace Department, a limbo dimension where dead law enforcers help catch renegade ghosts that still roam the earth doing dastardly deeds.
This is where the soul of Officer Nick Walker (Ryan Reynolds) went after he was treacherously gunned down dead by his corrupt partner Officer Hayes (Kevin Bacon). Nick was partnered with crusty old-timer Officer Roy Pulsipher (Jeff Bridges) to track down a heist of gold bars, which turned out to have a connection with the living world as well.
The execution of this film is very reminiscent of "Men In Black," only replacing aliens with so-called "deados" (dead people still existing as monsters in the world). The computer-imagery of these "deados" even have the same look and texture used for MiB aliens, down to their grotesque faces and 3D constitutions. Even the firearms of our RIPD guys are too similar to those in MiB.
Speaking of references to previous films, "Ghost" ( the classic 1990 Patrick Swayze-Demi Moore-Whoopi Goldberg film) also comes to mind because of the story line that dealt with Nick's wife Julia (Stephanie Szostak). The similarity is just too strong to ignore.
I don't know what is wrong, but Ryan Reynolds looked totally flat and lifeless as Nick. The ghost of his previous miscasting as "Green Lantern" haunts him here. If his Green Lantern was over-hyper, his Nick was over-dry. Reynolds' blandness was the reason why his co-stars walk all over him here, despite him being the central character.
Jeff Bridges literally chews Reynolds up with his over-the-top semi-"True Grit" performance as Roy. The best moments of the film are because of Bridges's spirited portrayal of the veteran old-school lawman. Furthermore, there was barely any chemistry between Reynolds and Bridges even as the movie progressed, which is always unfortunate.
As the villain of the film, Kevin Bacon did not really do anything new here. It is his typical Bacon villain performance we have all seen before in films from "The River Wild" to "X-Men First Class". Yet despite this, he still managed to project better screen presence than Reynolds.
I found the deadpan character of Mary Louise Parker as Proctor, the commanding officer of RIPD's Boston division, quite delightful actually. This is the second consecutive movie this year after "RED 2" where Parker stands out with a quirky performance.
There are occasional funny parts, yes, but these are few and far between. For me, there was only genuine LOL scene, and that was when we first see how regular people see Nick and Roy as: Nick as an elderly Asian guy, and Roy as ... I'll leave that for you to find out when you do watch, as that was the best scene in the film and I do not want to spoil that for you. Of course, that happened in the first half of the film. There was nothing much memorable after that.
Overall, this is an average action comedy with special CG effects. However, the faults of this movie are so patently obvious even for the casual movie fan, even if you watch with low expectations. 4/10.
August 15, 2013
"The Internship" is a story about Billy McMahon and Nick Campbell, two watch salesmen in their 40s who lose their jobs because their boss suddenly decides to shut down their dwindling business. Out of desperation, they try out and (inexplicably) get accepted into the coveted internship program at Google.
As the obvious outcasts among the much younger computer geek majority, the two guys struggle with their group of other misfits to snag those elusive job slots over all the other candidates.
The story of misfits trying to fit into an establishment and succeed is so familiar. This story was just recently tackled in animated form in Pixar's "Monsters University." This movie follows that tried and true formula to the letter, from being put down hard at the start to winning big at the end against all odds.
Here though, the setting just shifted from a university campus to the Google Headquarters in California, and that was THE one interesting aspect of this film. If those were the real perks of actual Google staff (unlimited free food, nap pods, etc.), then we would all like to work there! Many people criticize this film for being a big 2-hour advertisement for the Google Corporation. However, without this innovative setting, the rest of the film would just not stand up.
A lot is riding on the comedic talents and good will of the two main stars Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson (who had previously paired up in the very successful "Wedding Crashers"). They are credible as good guys, yes, and they have good chemistry together as Billy and Nick. However, sadly for me, they could not rise above the mediocre material they had to contend with. Their jabbering sales pitches frequently come across as annoying rather than charming. I would not buy anything from loud and smart-alecky salesmen like them.
An interesting detail for the Filipino audience is the presence of a Fil-Am character named Yo-Yo Santos, played by Fil-Am actor Tobit Raphael. A sheltered kid home-schooled by a domineering mom, Yo-Yo is one of misfits who was forced to team up with Billy and Nick. Tobit did well enough for his first big role in a major movie, although his part is memorable only for nervously picking his eyebrows and an "impressive recovery time" during their wild night at a bar with sexy ladies.
Overall, you get an uneven film. Only the setting is original, but mostly, this is just an average garden-variety feel-good comedy, with some raunchy scenes. You will smile more than laugh out loud. Nevertheless, the final outcome can still spark a happy feeling, however predictable it may be. 5/10.
August 13, 2013
This movie was set in 1971, when Roger and Carolyn Perron and their five daughters moved into a rundown country house in an isolated area in Rhode Island. Almost immediately, strange events begin to happen to them. The ghostly manifestations started benignly, with creaky opening doors to unexplained bruising. As days passed, the attacks become increasingly violent and physical.
Carolyn desperately sought the help of noted supernatural investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. What they discovered in the Perron home is a dark spirit more hateful than anything they have encountered before. They needed to work against time in order to prevent deadly events that happened to previous occupants of this cursed house. In this extraordinary case, the Warrens had to resort to the most extreme measures they know in order to save the tormented family
Unlike other films boasting about being based on a true story, this one actually convinces you that the horrific events shown in it happened in real life. A lot of this was due to the very authentic production design bringing us back to the early 1970s. The musical choices were atmospherically apt and unsettling.
There was also the topnotch acting from the cast, which is unusual for a horror movie. The expertise and compassion of Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, who played the Warrens, were very realistic. The chemistry between them was palpably sincere. Ron Livingston, Lili Palmer and the five young actresses who play the Perron daughters (among them Joey King of "White House Down" and Mackenzie Foy of "Breaking Dawn") all played naturally well as the victimized family. I would not be surprised if Vera Farmiga and Lili Palmer pick up acting nominations for their performances.
Director James Wan (who had also brought us "Saw" and "Insidious" before) throws every horror gimmick and cliche at us here, but somehow still makes everything felt remarkably fresh and original. There was some welcome humor to lighten some of the intense dread and tension that builds up within the film. The deliberately slow pace felt interminably long in some eerie scenes which will make you squirm in your seats There are scenes which can make you jump. The editing of the film was very effective in this regard.
As good as this film was, there were some minor things that did not feel right. The haunting poster and even the pre-credits scene will make you expect something, but the rest of the movie was totally about something else. There was a subplot about Ed and Lorraine's daughter which was very well-executed with some of the film's scariest scenes, but this ultimately led nowhere, except maybe a possible sequel, which is something I would look forward to.
Overall, watching this film will really immerse you into the intense malevolence that terrorized the Perron family. Many creepy images you see will stick with you for a long time. All the hype was accurate this time. This IS one of the best horror films in recent years. 8/10
August 10, 2013
This second installment of the Percy Jackson film franchise begins with the story of how the sacrifice of Thalia, demigod daughter of Zeus, gave rise to a tree which provided a protective shield over Camp Half-Blood. When enemies poison this enchanted tree, our demigod hero Percy and his close friends, fellow demigod Annabeth and satyr Grover, embark on a quest to find the legendary Golden Fleece in order to use its healing powers to heal the tree and restore its shield as soon as possible.
Along with them in this quest is Clarisse, demigod daughter of Ares, and Tyson, the gentle cyclops half-brother of Percy. This adventure not only brings them to Circe's amusement park island, where the Golden Fleece was protected by the vicious cyclops Polyphemus, it will also bring them face to face with the ultimate evil Titan, Kronos himself, who has been resurrected from the depths of Tartarus by his misguided minions.
I really liked the fluid way the story telling in this film flowed. Even young audiences can easily follow the story. However, there are a few head-scratchers may arise when you look back in retrospect, but they did not diminish my enjoyment at all. Audiences who have not read the book will probably enjoy it more since they go in without very big expectations about their favorite parts of the novel.
There are so many elaborate computer-generated effects which looked very good, like the bronze bull that attacked Camp Half-Blood, the colorful stained-glass rendition of the big prophecy involving Percy, the frenetic taxi ride with the Grey Sisters, the graceful Hippocampus creature, the two bickering snakes on the rod on Hermes, the churning belly of Charybdis -- I thought all of these visual effects were done really well.
Logan Lehrmann is really a very good young actor. He can convey his internal conflicts very effectively, and he can also execute some pretty intense action stunts. Alexandra Daddario is a very beautiful Annabeth, though her movie character sort of diminished the strength and daring of her book character. Brandon T. Jackson plays the sidekick Grover with adeptness for physical comedy.
The character of Clarisse was played by slim and pretty actress Leven Rambin. This was pretty much against the way brusque and hefty Clarisse was described in the books. Tyson was played with much charm and sensitivity by Douglas Scott, despite the rather distractingly strange way the CGI of his cyclops eye was achieved.
Their camp trainers are now portrayed by new actors. The god Dionysus, lovingly called Mr. D, is now played by the ever-reliable Stanley Tucci. The centaur Chiron, previously played by Pierce Brosnan, is now portrayed by Anthony Head. Too bad they had limited screen time. The part in the book where Chiron was suspected of poisoning Thalia's tree, was fired and replaced, was not even mentioned in the film.
After the movie, my youngest son asked me, "The title is "Sea of Monsters". But why was there only ONE monster?" And as I have already read the book before, I noted that a lot of events and details described in Rick Riordan's book had to be sacrificed or altered for the sake of streamlining this film version. A most glaring omission was the episode in Circe's spa where Percy was turned into a guinea pig. They also junked that part of the novel about the deadly Hydra, as well as the part about Blackbeard's ship and the Sirens.
Despite these deviations from the original source, the final result by Director Thor Freudenthal (previously known for more kiddie fare like "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" and "Hotel for Dogs") is actually a neat, easy to follow, very entertaining adventure film for young and old alike. An enjoyable 7/10, but would have been higher had I not read the book first.
August 9, 2013
"The Smurfs 2" largely takes place in Paris where the evil mad wizard Gargamel is now an unlikely celebrity performing magic shows at the Opera House. He kidnaps Smurfette on her birthday to get the secret formula on how to turn his new creatures The Naughties (Vexy and Hackus) into true blue Smurfs.
Of course, Papa Smurf and his gang (Grumpy, Clumsy and Vanity) try to rescue her with the help of their human friends, Patrick (Neil Patrick Harris) and Grace (Jayma Mays). This time, Patrick's zany step-father Victor (Brendan Gleeson) joins in the adventure.
This film by Sony Pictures, directed by Raja Gosnell, is strictly for the younger kids. My sons aged 11 and 9 did not really want to finish the film anymore. Girls may like it more because it is more about Smurfette and her new found "sister" Vexy.
There is the requisite lesson about family, and acceptance. This lesson is exemplified here between Papa Smurf and Smurfette, and paralleled by the relationship between Patrick and Victor. The other important lesson is obviously "good triumphs over evil". In the end, we will see Gargamel and his impertinent cat Azrael (with a much bigger role this time) get their comeuppance, as expected.
The voice acting of Katy Perry as Smurfette is front and center in this film, and she does very well in being cutesy. Christina Ricci matches Katy's sweetness with her spunk in voicing Vexy. Hank Azaria overacts like crazy as Gargamel, but that is as he should do in order to entertain kids. Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays just coast along in their portrayal of their human characters, but Brendan Gleeson is certainly a delightful presence in the film, a jolly old soul.
Everything was done to make this film as visually fun as possible for the young kiddie demographic it targets. The computer-generated effects, like the Ferris Wheel rolling on the streets of Paris, may look crude to adults but it does the job for the enjoyment and glee of small kids. It is just too bad it only has very little to offer the adults who have to bring these kids to the movie house. 4/10 for adults, but definitely much higher for small kids.
August 7, 2013
The poster proudly headlines two big name senior stars, Robert de Niro and John Travolta, in what looked like an action-themed movie. The casting hold much promise because of this star combination. Now is the film worth their names on the marquee?
"Killing Season" tells the story of Serbian ex-soldier Emil Kovac (John Travolta) who goes to America to seek out Benjamin Ford (Robert de Niro). Ford who was one of the US soldiers who executed Serbian soldiers back in 1995 when NATO intervened in the Serbian invasion of Bosnia, where Serbians supposedly perpetrated genocide in the name of ethnic cleansing.
This film is basically a revenge tale, but this was hyped up several notches because of the extreme torture scenes the filmmakers want us to see. It becomes a game of alternating one-upmanship on who is torturing who between the two characters, until the climactic confrontation scene. I have to say I have not seen any of the torture techniques employed here in other films.
Unfortunately, this film is not too good, despite its cast. Or could the problem be BECAUSE of its cast?
Robert de Niro seemed so bored doing the film. His acting was not convincing or as potent than when he was at his prime. He even looked too old to play this character Ford. When I found out that de Niro actually replaced Nicolas Cage for this role, now I understand why this character was written this over-the-top way.
John Travolta was his usual hyper-sinister character we are used to seeing him in when he plays the villain in a movie. His Serbian accent was as thick as his thick goatee-beard, both were atrocious. He was more restrained here when compared to the previous extra-psychotic bad guys he had portrayed before.
I guess this lackluster story and ordinary execution are the reasons why this film is not receiving the attention that an unprecedented de Niro-Travolta pairing deserves. As directed by Mark Steven Johnson (who had previously directed mediocre action films like "Ghost Rider" and "Daredevil"), the events were rather predictable as they unfolded. There could have been more suspense and tension, but that was not the case. What a waste. 4/10.
August 6, 2013
I have not seen the first RED which was a big hit back in 2010. So I am watching this film totally unfamiliar with what it was all about before. Even then, I thoroughly enjoyed the explosive mix of action and humor that made this film click.
Frank Moses (a retired CIA operative) is trying to live a quiet life with his mousy girlfriend Sarah (Mary Louise Parker), but you know that is not going to happen to a guy who is certified RED (Retired Extremely Dangerous).
A Wiki-leaks cable would implicate Frank and his kooky partner Marvin (John Malkovich) in a Cold War project called Nightshade, developed by genius scientist Edward Bailey (Anthony Hopkins). This project involved a portable nuclear explosive, which now Frank had to recover.
While going all around Moscow, Paris, and London to seek out this weapon of mass destruction , Frank also had to avoid two contracts out to kill him, one by MI6 spy Victoria (Helen Mirren) and another by the vicious Korean hired killer Han (Byung Hun Lee). Frank also encounters an ex- lover Russian spy Katja (Catherine Zeta Jones), who had always been his "kryptonite".
What we get is a very entertaining, high-octane action film. There was frenzied gunfire, exciting car chases, conniving and double crossing -- every element a good spy movie should have. Helen Mirren was so elegant with those firearms. The incredible graceful martial arts skills of Byung-hun Lee was a definite highlight for me.
The sense of humor is insane, especially that of John Malkovich. Everybody plays it tongue-in-cheek through all the violent scenes, including typically serious actors like Helen Mirren and Anthony Hopkins. Mary Louise Parker steals her scenes with her delightful naivety in the light of all the danger around her.
Above all, Bruce Willis really takes command of this film as Frank Moses. After a disastrous turn in the critically-massacred "A Good Day to Die Hard", this Bruce Willis in "RED 2" is the Bruce Willis we all expect and admire. It does not hurt that he has excellent chemistry with the crazy Malkovich and his "GI Joe" co-star Byung-hun Lee.
The movie does not take itself too seriously and neither should we. We are there to enjoy the awesomely conceptualized and executed action sequences, as impossible or superhuman as they may look. At the same time, we will also enjoy the lightning-fast zingers and humorous banter among these accomplished actors. Director Dean Parisot definitely achieves what he set out to do--an entertaining summer blockbuster film, and that is the most important. 8/10.
August 4, 2013
"Amor Y Muerte" is set in the 16th century in Polo, Bulacan, at about the time of Lakandula's revolt in Tondo. A native Tagala named Amor (Althea Vega) is married to a Spanish official named Diego (Markki Stroem). From being completely lusty and free from inhibitions, Amor gets slowly transformed into the sedate, straight-laced Spanish señora her husband wants her to be.
One day, Diego calls a wild man from the forest named Apitong (Adrian Sebastian) to bring a python to control the rats infesting their house. Apparently, Apitong was Amor's old beau and seeing him again wakes Amor's passion. When Diego was summoned to Manila to help quell Lakandula's rebellion, Amor seizes the opportunity to rekindle her long-repressed carnal desires with Apitong and his loincloth.
As with all stories about infidelity, we all know already how this will all end.
The actors' wretched acting made watching this supposedly dramatic film inadvertently and excruciatingly funny. The acting from the three leads was embarrassingly amateurish. There was nothing natural about any of them. Everything looked very staged and mechanical.
Given his previous clean-cut image, the bold nudity by Markki Stroem was the unexpected novelty factor used for selling this film. However, he was always so stiff when he was moving. He was very stilted in the delivery of his lines. Neither his Spanish nor this Tagalog with Spanish accent were convincing. He looked completely miscast in his role.
Althea Vega is an exotic morena beauty with a healthy bosom and stern eyebrows, in the lines of Techie Agbayani or Maria Isabel Lopez. Maybe because it is her first major film, everything she did was artificial, exaggerated and hysterical. While those her excessively loud love-making noises may have been indicated in the screenplay, but her unnatural reactions when she sees rats or snakes were out of this world.
The story is old-hat adultery tale transported to the 16th century. However, they could not even convince us that we were in the 16th century Philippines. The costumes and the make-up could have been a lot better, but I give that pass because of limited budget. The worst offender in the production design were those scrolls which the priest used for religious teaching. Those were obviously modern-day translucent paper, held by what looked like plastic rods, with text written using markers!
I would give this production a half-star for its audacity to bring back a lost genre in local movies-- the bold flicks that the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines made "legit" back in the 1980s. Ultimately, "Amor Y Muerte" is simply soft porn flimsily disguised as a historical commentary about the bad effects of Spanish colonization and the Catholic Church on Filipino pre-colonial life and culture.
Also, an additional half-star goes to the late Amable Quiambao, whose acting was the best of the whole cast (though that is not really saying much). For her quiet role as Amor's Tiya Soledad, a former "katalonan" ("spiritual leader") converted to Catholicism, I believe she is already a lock for a posthumous Best Supporting Actress Award. 1/5.
August 3, 2013
Stripped down to its basic premise, actually "Babagwa" tells a relatively simple story, about how a group of con artists from Pampanga use Facebook to meet potential "prospects". Once the victim's confidence is earned, they proceed to ask for money which they do not have plans to repay.
Greg (Alex Medina) pretends he is a rich model named Bam Bonifacio to snag his victims with fake shirtless photos on his FB page and smooth talking on the phone. Marney (Joey Paras) is Greg's ruthless gay trainer and partner-in-crime. They were doing swimmingly well until one day, Greg strikes a friendship with his latest prospect, a sexy matron named Daisy (Alma Concepcion), and unexpectedly falls in love with her.
Alex Medina, whom I only knew from TV soap "Ina, Kapatid, Anak", plays the conflicted Greg effectively and bravely, with no qualms about how the director wants him portrayed. This guy has got his Medina acting genes in full display in this intense portrayal. Joey Paras seems to be the same loud gay guy every time I see him, getting typecast in that same florid portrayal. He does deliver a good punchline when he is being cute or funny. Alma Concepcion returns to the big screen after a long absence playing basically a more mature version of her vamp persona from her previous films. Her delivery of some incredibly cheesy romantic lines drew the loudest applause during the film.
When the movie sticks to the story, it is interesting, engaging and exciting. You will get hooked into the web it spins. The climactic confrontation scene between Greg and Marney was explosive and excruciating, an acting highlight in the film. I liked the way writer/director Jason Paul Laxamana shifts to using another actor (a more mestizo Kiko Matos) and more affluent settings (picturesque river, luxurious condo) whenever Greg is in Bam Bonifacio mode. On retrospect though after watching the film, I realize this technique may portend about events to come for some more astute audiences.
However, I noted that Laxamana included so much extraneous scenes seemingly to prolong the running time of what could have been a shorter film. Those numerous raucous nude sex scenes between Greg and his girlfriend Neri, or that sequence where Marney tries to hit on the hunky apartment caretaker may have been funny, but they were far too long while being not really that essential. They could have been shortened or even deleted without affecting the film too adversely. It is not as if we need more proof what big creeps they are. Haha!
I also felt the ending scene was not very satisfactory given the excellent build up to that moment. Because of obvious clues in the narrative, the whole audience probably already knew what was going to happen, and was just waiting for the way the director was going show it on screen. It could have been edited more tightly so as not to water down the tension and suspense.
Based on the spontaneous loud applause after the screening I watched today at the Tanghalang Huseng Batute, I think this film was an audience favorite. The basic story line is actually quite commercial. The general moviegoing public will relate to it more than the other entries in the film fest. In fact, just today, I learned that "Babagwa" was declared the Box Office Hit among the New Breed films, and that comes as no surprise. 6/10.
August 2, 2013
"Transit" tells the story of Filipino diaspora in Israel. It specifically deals with one family, siblings working in Tel Aviv. They have expired working visas. They are in hiding.
Janet works as a housekeeper. She has a teenage daughter Yael by a former Israeli boyfriend. Janet's brother Moises works as a caregiver. He has a four-year old son Joshua, whom he has to hide because of a newly-passed Israeli law that seeks to deport children of foreign workers less than five years old.
The same story is told from five different points of view of five characters. Each episode will add an additional detail and dimension to the story. This innovative technique of story-telling sets this movie apart.
It was also impressive that the Filipino actors all seem to be speaking flawless Hebrew. (I say seem because I have not heard good Hebrew being spoken before in actuality.) However, many conversations where parents speaking Tagalog and their children answering in Hebrew can be disconcerting.
Irma Adlawan was very real in her role as Janet,totally immersed in her role. I hope though that she could try to minimize her "harassed mom" mannerisms, which were very reminiscent of how Ms. Caridad Sanchez did it before.
Ping Medina was convincing as the proud, paranoid, suspicious, and practical father Moises, who simply wants to keep his child with him in Israel. He did not care whether others called him selfish. His look has matured a lot since I first saw him in another indie film "Numbalikdiwa".
I found the episode with indie princess Mercedes Cabral (as the new arrived Tina) extraneous and not contributory to the main narrative. The momentum of the story actually dipped in this middle episode. I did note that Ms. Cabral could probably play Sen. Nancy Binay in a biopic.
Jasmine Curtis-Smith is really a very beautiful young actress with no bad angles, even when she was in tears. Not only that, she was able to rise up to the challenge of portraying the conflict of Yael, a teenager who was born and grew up an Israeli, yet struggling to keep the Filipino flame alive in her as her mother wanted.
With due respect to these older actors though, the success of the movie actually hinged on the star-making performance of child actor Marc Justine Angeles as Joshua. He outdid everyone else as far as acting is concerned because he did not seem like he was acting at all. That tense scene where he was willing his "cloak of invisibility" to work was simply amazing in its innocence.
This film is very good in its technical execution. The cinematography was very clean with some breathtaking camera angles in the scenic port city of Jaffa, the historic Wailing Wall in Jerusalem and that scene where Toni Gonzaga makes a cameo appearance as Joshua's estranged mother. The film editing is definitely of awards-caliber as it seamlessly went from one point of view to another.
Admittedly though, the story may be of limited interest to the general public. The story of illegal OFWs may also not be too flattering in the international scene. But the high quality of story-telling and film-making by director Hannah Espia makes this film worth catching. 7/10.
August 1, 2013
In the year 2022, the US government under its "New Founding Fathers" enact a law enabling an annual event called "The Purge". On that specific 12-hour period in the month of March, from 7 pm to 7 am the following day, vigilantes can legally go around town killing "undesirables" of society.
This film follows the Sandin family, an affluent family living in a huge mansion, on one particular Purge Night.
Father James (Ethan Hawke) is a typical successful businessman, working for a security systems company. Mother Mary (Lena Headey of Game of Thrones) lives the life of a typical rich suburban housewife. Their teenage kids Zoey and Charlie are typically annoying and detached from their parents.
The Sandin house is a fortress of security so no untoward incidents were expected that night. The problem starts when young Charlie naively lets a certain Bloody Stranger (Edwin Hodge) asking for help to seek refuge in their house. A little while later, a group of masked college-age vigilantes led by their Polite Leader (Rhys Wakefield) goes up to the Sandin house and demands them to hand over Bloody Stranger or else hell will break loose. It does.
The unusual premise of the film will grip you with its seeming inhumanity. Set in the near future, you will get to thinking why a law like this would ever be enacted. Is this a wise law that will actually benefit society? Will the crime rate really decrease with this grisly yearly ritual?
Those moments when you see the Bloody Stranger on the Sandin CCTV monitor, your pulse rate will begin to race. The build up of suspense was excellent right up to the moment when Polite Leader and his group show up at the doorstep. After that, the movie just devolves into another typical film depicting the violent violation of a private home.
Characters will be doing what we, the audience, will think is the most stupid possible option given those situations. Such is the norm in most horror films, isn't it? This film is not immune to those clichés.
Since murder is legal in that world, murders will happen. This film will not shirk from violence, probably to send a message how senseless violence can be. That is it the educated set that seems to promote this culture of violence on Purge Day is an eye-opener in this age where the power of access to social media is already dictating societal norms presently.
I had hoped that there would have been a more detailed depiction of the aftermath of that Purge Day. Those faceless voices, snippets from radio broadcasts, we hear over the closing credits, were haunting and disturbing. But that will be all we get. We want to know more about this new world order. Unfortunately the film makers do not give us more insight to the wider implications of their original idea. 5/10.
