“The Purge: Anarchy” is bigger and more ambitious than its predecessor, but it never manages to get above being a fun action thriller rather than the deep comment on society it wants to be.

Instead of focusing solely on one family in its home like the disappointing first film, “The Purge: Anarchy” shows random people who find themselves outside during the purge. A couple are stranded downtown with car troubles while a mother and her daughter are rescued from death by a man on a mission of revenge. Through circumstance the five group together to find safety and survive the mayhem of the purge.

The best thing about this film is the action scenes. Director James DeMonaco does a good job capturing the insanity of a night of lawlessness. The action is vastly elevated over the first film, and the shootouts are really intense. At 104 minutes, the film is paced very well and seems to fly by.

Where the film falters is its attempted deeper themes about class and wealth. The purge itself doesn’t really make sense. Who voted for it to be law? How did it lower unemployment and crime? Who is policing the use of restricted weapons and explosives? The concept falls apart after a little thought, but it works as a frame for some pretty crazy action sequences.

On the subject of acting, the cast of this film delivers for the most part. Frank Grillo is great as Sergeant and I would love to see him do more lead roles. Zach Gilford still isn’t great and he’s mostly an annoying distraction who for some reason likes to make bad decisions on murder night. Most of the rest of the cast has bit roles, but they all do a fine job of creating the atmosphere of the purge.

“The Purge: Anarchy” isn’t as smart as it tries to be, but it’s still a fun movie. The action is better than the original film, and it actually explores what goes on in a world without laws. I hope another film is made that goes deeper into the government that created the purge, but in the meantime “The Purge: Anarchy” is a solid watch.

4 out of 5 Stars