Right idea - wrong execution

Rating: 4/10 (15 November 2013)

Oh, what could have been.
Had the powers that be (including the producer of "Paranormal Activity") taken what was a very intriguing idea and done something OTHER than apply the tired "Paranormal Activity" treatment to it, this film could have be far more satisfying and original. As it stands, "The Purge" is a predictable, formulaic and gimmick-riddled mess of a film and a a frustrating waste of a good idea.
You know a film is destined for failure when, barely ten minutes into the film, you find yourself scripting your own version while audibly and repeatedly exclaiming, "this could have been so much better if they had just...". This film should have been MUCH darker, MUCH more sinister and MUCH more impactful than it was.
You've read the synopsis, so I won't rehash. Instead, I'll touch on a few points that significantly contributed to the film's lack of success:
1. As soon as the power was cut, it became immediately apparent that the "Paranormal Activity" treatment was now in full effect and that the one trick pony film makers were going to attempt to scare me with silhouettes, flashlight-lit closeups of faces and various "gotchas" that pop out of the darkness. As such, any hope for original, visually striking impact for the remainder of the film would be fleeting, at best.
2. Watching the first person perspective of the kid's robot rolling down the hallway hearkened (slightly) to the similar effect and perspective of Danny in "The Shining" as he rolled down the hallways of The Overlook on his Big Wheel. Why is this significant? Because it made me wonder what this film could have been had it been made 30 years earlier under the tutelage of Stanley Kubrick. Think of the possibilities, then become instantly suicidal upon witnessing what ultimately transpires on screen.
3. The basic idea behind The Purge (as a concept) is that, if the "undesirables" are killed off during that one fateful evening each year, the rest of society will continue to live in a world (or, at least, nation) of economic harmony, perpetually upward mobility and supposed bliss without having to traipse amongst the unwashed. Despicable as that notion is, as a premise for a film, it lends itself to cheap, easy emotional attachment to, and sympathy for, the "have nots" while instilling resentment of the "haves" without having to invest too much time in character development or establishment of motives.
That is, of course, if it's done....right.
In the end, it was extremely difficult to muster any sympathy or contempt for anyone in this film because the supposed and logical object of empathy (the victim who sought refuge) was off screen for so much of the film, that you actually forgot about him until his (in retrospect) highly predictable reappearance wherein he ultimately "saves the day" for the family. Huzzah.
4. The perpetrators were led by a reasonably effective sadist (whose character could have been given much more to work with), however, as a unit, they essentially functioned as nondescript, throwaway extras. When evil exists as a group, the inherent evil of members other than the leader needs to be established and believable. I will point you to the original "Last House on The Left" and "The Devil's Rejects" as the only examples needed for the illustration of this point.
Overall, a mess of a film and a complete waste of a decent premise.