Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

The Purge: Election Year Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman September 28, 2016

The Purge: Election Year is a more interesting film than one might credit it for from the outside looking in. The follow-up to both The Purge and The Purge: Anarchy isn't just about killing for killing's sake, about having "fun" at the expense of another's life, but instead taking a long, hard look at a society that has devalued life and the devolution and decay of the moral fabric that once brought people together, not bring them to killing. The film doesn't shy away from exploring themes of morality, societal evolution and its effects on the populace, base instinct for survival, and general commentary on the state of the world. The film is certainly a work of fiction, but it's not one that feels all that far off the beaten path. In fact, many would argue that society is headed straight towards the world of The Purge. The movie is a target-rich environment, so to speak, for political commentary. Best to leave that up to the individual viewer, but suffice it to say beyond the very thin veil of basic Purge storylines is one of the most thought-provoking films of the year.

The crazies come out on Purge night.

Purge Night is quickly approaching, and of all the people who have targets on their backs, none is more prominent than Presidential Candidate Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell), a Senator who has built her campaign around the platform of eliminating The Purge, which, of course, does not sit well with either its political proponents or the hooligans who use the night as an excuse to run wild with no consequences, except, maybe, one day, on their own consciences. She's protected by her security chief, Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo), who vows to remain at her side for the night. The Senator, against everyone's better judgment, has decided to remain home on Purge night. The house is secured, but it may not be enough. Meanwhile, a shop owner named Joe Dickson (Mykelti Williamson) faces the night armed above his store against a band of Purgers led by a teenage girl with whom he had a run-in earlier in the day.

There are many ways to view a movie like The Purge: Election Year. As a flick that's just about violence and the fight back against it, it's not half-bad, but nothing special. It's mildly gruesome and more unsettling than it is visually revolting. It can be seen as a cautionary tale. It can be viewed as a preview of the world's direction, where moral decline is on the rise and it seems the globe is teetering on the brink of multiple collapses. The conspiracy theory crowd might view it as "conditioning" and "programming," another example of Hollywood using mainstream moviemaking as a means of normalizing the process of dehumanizing. There's even the notion of violent depopulation of the lower classes or "undesirables," a conspiracy theory that dates back decades and was, in a way, even the subject of the film Logan's Run. Writer/Director James DeMonaco, whose career in recent years has not diverted from The Purge pathway, has crafted a seriously interesting film open to multiple interpretations, many of which will reflect one's own life experiences, moral code, and view of the modern world. The nuts-and-bolts of the movie isn't that interesting, but the rest of it is truly fascinating if one is willing to move beyond the basic depravity and explore what it is the movie is saying and how it fits into the world in which it was made.

That the movie is less an orgy of violence and more a blend of pointed and social commentary is most welcome, but it doesn't necessarily translate to making this a great movie. Indeed, it's much more interesting for what it says than how it says it. The core story is very straightforward and the violence gruesome, but not necessarily boundary-pushing. It's a bit slow in the middle as the story seems to spin in circles, failing to do much of anything of a more visceral interest. It's flimsy execution, nothing that hasn't been done before, but DeMonaco ensures that the movie's core simplicities are matched, and usually outclassed, by the more pointed themes and underscored by the more subtle commentary. Performances are merely passable, a product of stilted writing (in terms of the core goings-on in the movie) and, resultantly, precious little material to stretch the actors in any meaningful way. For the most part, The Purge: Election Year is more about its gunplay, running from place to place, and having some fun with some of the crazies who participate in Purge Night. It's a touch overlong, too, and grows tiresome by the end, but it's worth a watch, and particularly for those who watch for more than just some easy bloodshed.

The Purge: Election Year Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Purge: Election Year features a good, and fairly straightforward, 1080p transfer. The digital source material holds up well in 1080p. Details are clean and the image rather smooth. Finer facial and clothing features never struggle and, for the movie's style, rarely want for significantly more complexity. Rougher textures are well represented, too, but most of the image's horsepower comes from close-ups. Colors are attractively neutral with good saturation and an eye-catching presentation, particularly odds and ends items in Joe's store and plenty of splashes of red blood. Black levels occasionally veer towards crush and sometimes seem prone to appearing a bit too pale. Source noise is present and tends to spike in lower-light scenes. Fortunately, no serious issues like banding or aliasing are present in any quantity worth mentioning.

The Purge: Election Year Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Much like the 1080p video, The Purge: Election Year's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is fine, but doesn't really stand apart. The soundtrack is made predominately from sharp, edgy notes and low end power, both of which are satisfyingly aggressive and tear through the stage with wide and immersive placement. The bottom end is deep and tight without overextending itself. The music fits the movie's tone very well. Gunfire cracks and spits from all corners of the stage during shootouts. Some shots could stand a little more raw power, but the surround sound detail is welcome. Minor atmospheric effects pierce the stage on occasion. Dialogue dominates most of the film, and it features natural center placement, clarity, and prioritization. A public address warning announcing the beginning of Purge night echoes nicely about the stage.

The Purge: Election Year Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Purge: Election Year contains several deleted scenes and two featurettes. A DVD copy of the film and a voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy code are included with purchase.

• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 8:05 total runtime): Security Prep, Senator Roan's Home, Purge Montage, Romantics, Partners, The Triage Van, and Searching for the Senator.
• Inside The Purge (1080p, 5:31): Cast and crew discuss the franchise's evolution, this movie's story and themes of class warfare, the film's reflections on the real world, the qualities James DeMonaco brings to the movie, the film's and franchise's violence, and the cathartic advantages of a movie of this nature.
• Character Spotlight: Leo (1080p, 3:34): A look at Leo's return, his character's arc and evolution, his place in this film's narrative, stunt work, and a look at the Beretta 92 9MM pistol he carries in the film.

The Purge: Election Year Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Purge: Election Year is hardly a master film, but it's an interesting film. Superficially bland but thematically relevant and thought-provoking, Director James DeMonaco takes the franchise in a logical direction and does a good job of balancing commentary and underlying thematic relevance rather than smothering the movie in it, or on the flip side leaving out all but a semblance of depth and just focusing on the mayhem. Even if the film's run-and-gun bits and pieces aren't more than basically satisfying, The Purge: Election Year impresses as a movie that, if nothing else, leaves the viewer thinking about what it says and the direction in which the real world may very well be headed, whether this be a cautionary tale or an alarm bell. Universal's Blu-ray is fine, lacking much supplementally content but offering up good video and audio. Recommended.