The Purge: Election Year (2016)
Genre: Action horror
Certification: 15
Duration: 109 minutes
Directed by: James DeMonaco
Starring: Frank Grillo, Elizabeth Mitchell, Mykelti Williamson, Edwin Hodge, Betty Gabriel, Joseph Julia Soria
KRS Releasing Ltd

The dystopian action horror film is the third instalment in The Purge series after 2014’s The Purge: Anarchy. It is directed and written by James DeMonaco, who was behind the previous movies too.

The film opens in the year 2022, the same year as the events of the first film when a young girl survived the annual night of lawlessness that took the lives of herfamily members. Now, as a presidential candidate, Senator Charlene ‘Charlie’ Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell) is determined to end the yearly tradition of blood lust once and for all.

When her opponents hatch a deadly scheme, she finds herself trapped on the streets of Washington, DC, just as the latest Purge gets under way. Now, it's up to Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo), her head of security, to keep her alive during the next 12 hours of mayhem.

The film was greeted with tepid reviews. Chris Agar of Screen Rant wrote: “The Purge: Election Year is an OK sequel for die-hard fans of the series, but it won’t win any new converts.”

Wendy Ide of The Guardian wasn’t full of praise either, saying “the dystopian crime-frenzy horror franchise seems to have run a little short of new ideas”.

A.O. Scott of The New York Times made more positive comments: “The Purge: Election Year takes itself just seriously enough to provide the expected measure of fun – a blend of aggression, release and relief. A lot of people die, but no one really gets hurt.”

And the critics consensus on Rotten Tomatoes reads: “It isn’t particularly subtle, but The Purge: Election Year’s blend of potent jolts and timely themes still add up to a nastily effective diversion.”

Nathan Whitehead composed the score once again, having done the music for the first two Purge films.

The $10 million budget horror picture did quite well since its release on July 1, grossing $105.6 million worldwide.

Ratings
IMDB: 6.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 54%
Empire Magazine: 3 stars

Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn have the time of their life in Bad Moms.

Bad Moms (2016)
Genre: Comedy
Certification: 15
Duration: 100 minutes
Directed by: Dan Mazer
Starring: Mila Kunis, Christina Applegate, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, Jada Pinkett Smith
KRS Releasing Ltd

Amy (Mila Kunis) has a seemingly perfect life – a great marriage, over-achieving children, a beautiful home and a career. However, she's over-worked, over-committed and exhausted to the point that she is about to snap.

Fed up, she joins forces with two other over-stressed mothers on a quest to liberate themselves from conventional responsibilities – going on a wild binge of long overdue freedom, fun and self-indulgence. This puts them on a collision course with  Gwendolyn (Christina Applegate) and her clique of devoted perfect mothers.

The film, written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore who delivered the 2009 hit comedy The Hangover, earned generally positive reviews.

Most of the female cast was showered with praise.

Jordan Hoffman of The Guardian wrote: “Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn and Kristen Bell shine in this lewd but safe comedy that sees what happens when stressed-out mothers cut loose.”

Owen Gleiberman of Variety said: “The laughter this movie offers could provide cathartic medicine for the middle-class mom blues.”

Other critics said that this picture could have offered more insight into the modern world of mothers.

Helen O’ Hara of Empire Magazine, in fact, noted: “Silly and inconsequential but occasionally insightful, this is fun but feels like a missed opportunity for a really biting satire on modern motherhood.”

Made on a $20 million budget, the film has earned around $124 million since its release  on July 29.

Ratings
IMDB: 6.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 60%
Empire Magazine: 3 stars

Jason Statham is deceived back into action in Mechanic: Resurrection.

Mechanic: Resurrection (2016)
Genre: Action
Certification: 15
Duration: 99 minutes
Directed by: Dennis Gansel
Starring: Jason Statham, Jessica Alba, Tommy Lee Jones, MIchelle Yeoh, Sam Hazeldine, John Cenatiempo
KRS Releasing Ltd

Dennis Gansel directs the sequel to the 2011 cult hit The Mechanic, which was a remake of the 1970s film of the same name.

In the new film, the deceitful actions of a cunning but beautiful woman force Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) to return to the life he left behind. But soon he  is in danger as he has to complete an impossible list of assassinations of the most dangerous men in the world.

Critics said Statham was the film’s saving grace, as otherwise it does not have much substance. Stephen Whitty of the New York Daily News wrote: “Jason Statham looks like a knuckle. Which is great, because his movies come at you like fists.”

And Paul Asay of Plugged In commented: “Mechanic: Resurrection is the Donkey Kong of the cinematic world. There's not much of a plot, and what there is doesn't make a lot of sense. But there is a girl to save, a bad guy to beat.”

The Lionsgate film earned $7.5 million in box office receipts.

Ratings
IMDB: 6.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 21%
Empire Magazine: N/A