Number one right off the bat Hollywood has a new action star people. His name is Frank Grillo. You all may know him from "Prison Break" but soap fans know him as 'Hart Jessup' from the CBS soap "Guiding Light." Before becoming an actor Frank was a stockbroker on Wall Street, then he got GL, met the love of his life co-star Wendy Moniz, they married in 2000, had a child, and moved to Hollywood have slowly been blowing up! Frank was just in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Frank has wisely been paying his dues taking smaller roles, and I am very certain his small role in CA:TWS convinced producers he could play lead in this movie.
In this installment we follow multiple characters. Frank as the lead is on a mission to kill the man that killed his young son last year (2022). And the other characters include a down-on-her-luck single mom with a teenage daughter and a young couple on the verge of breaking up. Right off the bat you like Frank's character, I'm not saying this out of favoritism, but it's because the other characters are SO UNLIKEABLE! Legit I've never wanted characters killed in a movie since Jeepers Creepers. The four other characters don't make me stop hating them until their final scenes. Seriously throughout the movie they were annoying typical horror movie characters which aggravated me. This is SUCH an original movie idea so to have these stock characters was frustrating. And that is where the 1 point is taken. I also have a thing about writers making villains pissed off their friends were killed. WHAT?! So you kill ALL THESE INNOCENT PEOPLE and you get pissed when people FIGHT back? UGH drives me bonkers. The part of the movie that got me even more mad was Frank's character saved these people and they have the CAJONES to question him. WHAT?! I was THAT BLACK PERSON screaming at the movie. "He saved yo lives assholes." I didn't realize I said it outloud till people in the theater laughed. This is one movie I GOT INTO! The direction and storyline made me feel I was there. LEGIT!!!!!!
Speaking on the script they did an amazing job contrasting the first movie. The Purge was set inside a house the entire time. Proving itself to be dangerous, but this was set on the streets of downtown LA. Proving to be even MORE dangerous. Five characters legit had everyone after them, and the thing is ANYONE can be an enemy because it's Purge night. There were a couple of "convenient" save moments, but I will say I loved how the story and characters progressed. Even though they were annoying as FCUK they did grow towards the end...except the teenage daughter. Kallie is the most annoying character in both movies ever. Even moreso than the son in the first one who let the black guy in the house. (I detest every character that actor plays; his agent must stereotype him for annoying characters in Hollywood). I will say they used actors not well known except for Frank, cutie pie Zach Gilford, and his real-life wife Kiele Sanchez. These "unknown" actors can ACT especially Carmen Ejogo who plays the single mom. This woman can outact some of these Oscar winners. She can cry at the drop of a dime, but then be very strong at the snap of her fingers. WOWSA! JHo, there's a new LATINA in town. (snaps) Ps did a search for her: She's Emmy Winner Jeffrey Wright's wife. WHERE HAS SHE BEEN HIDING? She's not Latina she's Nigerian and Scottish. Whatever I still want her to oust JHo from roles. She can PLAY Latina :)
Definitely recommend you seeing it. You don't have to watch the first, but it prepares you for this if you do; so good. And what kills me is the movie was produced for $9million. It'll make $100million EASILY! The direction, cinematography, acting were amazeballz USA!
Again 4 stars out of 5. And as a bonus I got to see my Nicholas Gonzalez for a split second. He turned to the side and saw that fabu Puerto Rican bubble butt in khakis. (fans self) One last note speaking of hotties. I dunno if they meant to but Brandon Keener plays the man who killed Frank's son. In trying to make him look like an everyday man I dunno they made him SO FRIGGIN HOT! Hot like the killer from the first Purge. It was like Jeremy Meeks all over again (rooting for a criminal just cuz he's hot).