This second sequel to a movie nobody really liked actually offers fairly good acting (by Frank Grillo, Elizabeth Mitchell and Mykelti Williamson) and production values, but as with the first two, it’s sunk by its loopy premise.

In a future world, you see, one night a year, all laws are suspended, including murder (okay, especially murder). Proponents of this only-in-the-movies scheme claim it dramatically reduces crime the other 364 nights. What it really does, apparently, is make the rich richer (don’t ask).

This time a presidential candidate vowing to end this “Purge” and her bodyguard must overcome lethal obstacles to survive the night. The film engages in a bit of soapbox rhetoric about false religiosity, class inequalities and predatory capitalism, but mainly it’s a vehicle for the fetishistic ultraviolence that, sadly, gets a rise out of its target audience of mouth-breathing sub-teens.

If there’s another sequel, I’ll be skipping it. (109 min)