So bad it's worth watching

Rating: 5/10 (19 November 2013)

I still like Ethan Hawke. In interviews, he comes across as a nice, decent guy. & he's acted in some quality roles in the past.
But, after The Purge... I don't know.
Let's face it: this movie is an exploitation film. Without the two moderately *big names* the film is almost nothing. 90% of the "Sci-Fi/Thriller" plot line (this movie is only is only as "thrilling" as watching a married couple & a homeless war vet run around a suburban home, shooting bad guys in the nick of time before they get one of the kids.) ... 90% of the plot line can be had from the trailer. The rest is just filler.
And as for the "Sci-Fi" element, except for the absurd premise, there was none. The only thoughts "The Purge" will provoke in the audience is how bad and unrealistic it is.
The acting is bad. (Maybe Lena Headey did OK) The dialogue is bad. The characters are underdeveloped,(the "bad guys" might have less personality than the gray men from Power Rangers) and behave unrealistically. The story is uninteresting. The premise is RIDICULOUS.
This movie isn't quite so bad to ever reach cult status, but pointing out the bad-ness is the only thing that makes it enjoyable. So that's why it got a 5 from me rather than a 3.