Great Ideas Don't Make Great Films.

Rating: 6/10 (19 December 2013)

Heading into The Purge, I had heard that it was a great premise, but fell into the boring already done horror house movie. I wasn't very surprised then, because that's what I got. To be honest, I could have just listened to what was said, and not watched the film. However, they are some redeeming aspects to The Purge.
The film has many flaws, but I will start with the positives. The idea is a very good idea, and I know some have argued that the base of the film isn't even as good as many say, but I disagree. All laws gone for a day (OK 12 hours) is a great premise for a film. The chance to question the society and laws of the great country of the United States is brilliant. They are some themes in there about race, wealth, death and politics, that gave the film some originality. The film succeeds in these aspects, but they don't give the underlining narrative any substance or time.
That's where the films flaws start to emerge. The acting is OK, but at times is questionable. The stereotyped family is here again, with the brutish father, the caring mother, hateful daughter and the weird little brother. The main villain of the piece seems to be a combination of A Clockwork Orange like Joker, and it seems a little too forced. Halfway through the movie it seems we are endlessly following people in the dark, with nothing much happening, and even with the short viewing time made me check my watch.
As a summary it has some great ideas and themes that could have been explored so much more then they were. In the end it becomes another alright horror house movie, but the idea behind it makes it worth a watch if you can't find a copy of A Clockwork Orange or The Strangers.