The Purge...0.5 out of 4 Skittles

Rating: 1/10 (5 July 2013)

Sometimes you hear the description of a movie before you see it and wonder how such a dumb concept could actually be made into a real movie. The Purge is one of those kinds of movies.
Sometimes you give a movie a chance and watch it even though it looks and sounds like it's going to be a real stinker. Every now and then a movie will surprise you and find a way to get past its ridiculous concept and deliver a great-underrated movie. The Purge is NOT one of those movies.
This movie is dumb. Really dumb. In a future world where everything is wonderful unemployment and crime are at an all-time low, and it's all credited to the Purgea once a year holiday when all crime is legal. Dumb!
Somehow the audience is supposed to buy into the rational that the government will allow you to go out and kill anyone you want once a year, and that this will give everyone a release from their built up stress and allow them to be on their best behavior the other 364 days. Dumb!
Even if the audience were to somehow go along with the idiotic premise and forget that most murders are committed in the heat of passion and not from careful premeditated planning, they still have to get past the scriptwhich is heavily flawed with convenient plot points at every turn, filled with gaping holes and overall weak. Writer/Director James DeMonaco forces the audience to be as dumb as his movieat least those who want to try and enjoy it.
It's also sad to see Ethan Hawke (Training Day, Sinister) in his douchiest role to date. It's hard to watch Hawke go from a brilliant performance in this summer's Before Midnight, to pathetic swill in this one. He obviously thought there was something profound in the turd of a screenplayand nobody else can be blamed for his choice.
The Purge is a dumb concept with a flawed script and plays as a really weak movie trying to disguise itself as something deep. The Purge is a waste of time, money and brain cells.
For more quick spoiler free reviews check out www.FilmStallion.com