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AUGUST 3-9, 2016 UCW 17 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Another Year, Another Purge The Purge: Election Year(Rated R) by HEATHER GRIFFITHS Back in 2013, when the first Purge movie was released, I found it mildly diverting. During one of my high school class discussions later that year, we were talking about population pressures when things got creepy. "Let's have a purge to solve overpopulation!" they all enthusiastically shouted. Most of them were enjoying a joke, but some of them took this very seriously and began plotting out in gleeful detail who they would kill. I guess what I'm trying to say is, teenagers are scary sometimes. Purge: Election Year (105 minutes) continues to erode my sympathy for those who voluntarily live in the United States of Murder. The only possible explanation is that the New Founding Fathers who created The Purge made emigration illegal … although apparently, murder tourism, where people travel to the USM from other parts of the world to legally kill people for fun, is a thing. And the fact that there are so many wealthy people left alive reflects a distinct middle-class bias on the part of the screenwriters. In these movies, the impoverished are always hiding from other low-income people, or being targeted by organized units — I find it very hard to believe that no organized underground ever got ahold of something especially explode-y and set it off at one of the rich people hideouts. If I remember correctly, weapons of mass destruction aren't legal during the Purge, but why that would make a difference I have no idea. Two days before Purge Night, the 12 hours in which all crime, including murder, will be legal, Senator Charlie "Hey, It's That Chick From Lost!" Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell) participates in a presidential debate. At least, I think that's what it is. Nobody compares their opponent to Hitler, so it's unlike most presidential debates I've ever seen. In any case, she sexily rocks her sexy librarian glasses, rather like a young Elizabeth Warren. During the course of the debate she promises to end Purge Night if she is elected, painting a huge target on her back to the annoyance of Head Security Guy Barnes (Frank Grillo). You might remember him from The Purge: Anarchy as the guy with a mission to kill that kept getting sidetracked by helping people. Now that he knows murder is definitely 100 percent wrong, he will only kill the bad guys. Over in the "B" plot Joe (Mykelti Williamson) owns a delicatessen. He is friends with Laney (Betty Gabriel), an EMT who will spend Purge Night cruising the streets in search of people to save. His story begins when he catches a couple of caricatures shoplifting some crackers to go with the cheesy delivery of their lines. They are clearly going to come back and tear him apart while wearing the bizarre masks that featured so prominently in the previous two films, so we have that to look forward to. The masks keep getting awesomer, actually. I especially like the homemade ones. Eventually, the "A" and "B" plot collide, and our heroes are on the move. Scenes of violence, shown as brief moments of clarity while the protagonists move from scene to scene, occur very effectively. This is a great time to place your final bets in the death pool, because not everybody is going to survive until the end. The latest film in the franchise is making money hand over fist, outperforming its predecessors at the box office and ensuring the release of The Purge: What If Donald Trump Got Elected. I will admit that there could be a bit more internal logic to the set-up, but Election Year is no worse than most science fiction, and better than some, in a lot of ways. It's nice to see a truly diverse cast, major roles for female characters, and enough horrific moments to hold my attention. Now showing at Patriot 14 + IMAX. HEATHER GRIFFITHS, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@ upandcomingweekly.com. 910.484.6200. Hours: 9am-6pm Mon-Fri 3006 Bragg Blvd. 910.323.1791 Personalize your SUMMER FUN with monogrammed pool & beach accessories! Personalize your SUMMER FUN with monogrammed pool & beach accessories! Accredited by the North Carolina Local Health Department Accreditation Board If you would like more information about the Cumberland County Department of Public Health's programs and services, health-related data, or community resources, please call 910-433-3600 or visit with someone at the information desk or visit our website at co.cumberland.nc.us/health.aspx#. 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