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The Purifiers

  • 2004
  • R
  • 1h 25m
IMDb RATING
3.3/10
787
YOUR RATING
Dominic Monaghan and Rachel Grant in The Purifiers (2004)
Home Video Trailer from New Line Home Entertainment
Play trailer2:28
1 Video
3 Photos
Action

The story of martial arts clubs who have created their own city infrastructure after tiring of government initiatives. Responding to the greed and corruption creeping into the other clubs, h... Read allThe story of martial arts clubs who have created their own city infrastructure after tiring of government initiatives. Responding to the greed and corruption creeping into the other clubs, headed by capitalist-wannabe Moses, The Purifiers battle to maintain the successful system ... Read allThe story of martial arts clubs who have created their own city infrastructure after tiring of government initiatives. Responding to the greed and corruption creeping into the other clubs, headed by capitalist-wannabe Moses, The Purifiers battle to maintain the successful system which has rid the city of crime and violence.

  • Director
    • Richard Jobson
  • Writer
    • Richard Jobson
  • Stars
    • Kevin McKidd
    • Gordon Alexander
    • Rachel Grant
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    3.3/10
    787
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Richard Jobson
    • Writer
      • Richard Jobson
    • Stars
      • Kevin McKidd
      • Gordon Alexander
      • Rachel Grant
    • 33User reviews
    • 7Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    The Purifiers
    Trailer 2:28
    The Purifiers

    Photos2

    View Poster
    View Poster

    Top Cast58

    Edit
    Kevin McKidd
    Kevin McKidd
    • Moses
    Gordon Alexander
    Gordon Alexander
    • John
    Rachel Grant
    Rachel Grant
    • Li
    Dominic Monaghan
    Dominic Monaghan
    • Sol
    Amber Sainsbury
    Amber Sainsbury
    • Frances
    Robyn Kerr
    • Sam
    Jamie Cho
    Jamie Cho
    • Raz
    Fraser James
    Fraser James
    • Angel Leader
    Rico Pillai
    • Angel
    Luke Sharaz
    • Angel
    Patrick Ng
    • Angel
    Atesh Salih
    • Angel
    John Edwards
    • Angel
    Shiraz Hussain
    • Angel
    Chris Johnstone
    • Angel
    Fiona MacMillan
    • Black Suit
    Sarah Riddel
    • Black Suit
    Karen Parr
    • Black Suit
    • Director
      • Richard Jobson
    • Writer
      • Richard Jobson
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews33

    3.3787
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    Featured reviews

    1LunarPoise

    So bad

    I really wanted to like this film. On one hand, the idea of a 'Glasgow kung fu film' had the alarm bells ringing, but Jobson's enthusiastic introduction and plea for more genre movies in Scottish film- making assuaged my fears, albeit temporarily, as he went on to say 'story isn't so important' (it's EVERYTHING, imho). I've read the other reviews to try and find the positives, to see if I missed anything. Apart from Dom's sexual magnetism, I don't think I have missed anything. The story, when it appears, is a rip-off of The Warriors, the dialogue is stilted (McKidd's Moses spouting the most clichéd guff), the fight scenes hackneyed (far too much slow- motion). It wouldn't be fair to comment on the acting as the writing gave the actors nothing to work with. There are some scenes where the director is tipping his hat to famous kung-fu movies (e.g. the fight in the restaurant), but instead of the intended tribute, they smack of insults.

    I know this was low budget, but with a script as bad as this it should never have been made in the first place. I like Jobson and I want to get behind Scottish filmmakers; I'm hoping 'Sixteen Years of Alcohol' will be a better film. It can't be worse.
    2sweatcheeks

    Not The Best UK Action Movie This Year...

    I don't normally DO action or martial arts films. I'm a girly girl. But every so often you have to relent and let the boyfriend watch something HE wants.

    The Purifiers was it. He followed the production of this in magazines in the UK like Impact and Combat along with another UK action feature. We had a double bill of this and Richard Jobson's 'Purifiers'.

    Comparing the two is like chalk and cheese (although they both share similar actors and stunt men and where made around the same time). One is interesting. Enjoyable. Fun. And exciting. The other is The Purifiers.

    If you have the choice of watching one or the other Left For Dead is the one to go with.

    This film is just dull, pointless and badly acted toss. Alexander should be shot for crimes against acting. Oh well could be worse... at least I had the momory of Left For Dead to erase this!
    2dave-paley

    I would advise AGAINST watching this...

    I would advise AGAINST watching this...there's better things to do with your time and/or money. If, for some reason, you ARE gonna be subjected to this, don't expect ANY elements of many sci-fi/action films - no realistic martial arts; no gore; no sex, no logic - virtually no attempts to string together something that is a passable movie. So, it's a no-no, all the way. Rigid acting; illogical continuity (a girl goes off to find a phone box to make an emergency call, telling the guy who see has just seen using his mobile phone), inexplicable jump cuts are common (why did one guy just teleport on to the middle of an ice rink, in another example a girl surrounded by a biker gang suddenly appears on the outside of their ring?). The plot is simple: Copy 'The Warriors', just add a bid of poor martial arts (i.e. four glow sticks are thrashed around in a otherwise black screen to represent a fight, absolute childish crap!) and no one will know the difference, nah! The films title doesn't seem to make any real sense until after watching this movie you'd wish your mind could be purified of the memory of it! I WILLED it to end... from the 90 mins of the Purifiers, you easily have 30 mins of characters running around the place with annoying bad music, including the director singing with his almost forgotten pop band the Skids. That leaves, say, 60 mins of attempting to clone 'The Warriors', but done so badly your jaw will remain hanging throughout this sorry affair. This is not a movie. This is not an essay about a movie. This does not bear any resemblance with entertainment or cheesy fun or anything connected with the movie business. There are some movies which are so bad you can find them amusing, fun, easy to follow because of their badness... well, fascinating stuff. The only fascinating thing here is the will of the director to show us how badly he can try to rip off a classic which he wrongly believes people have forgotten, total boredom is the honest result. This is probably one of the only movies in all movie history where a blank screen can be a better spectacle...Yes it really is that bad!
    1kingdio

    Horrible, horrible movie.

    This movie is so horrible, it makes Rollerball with Dean Cain look like a masterpiece. In an over-stylized and underacted martial arts debacle, Richard Jobson manages to torture the audience for an hour and twenty minutes with slow motion fight sequences nobody cares about but him. I won't get into the plot since it speaks for itself. Not a lot of thought went into it and can be summarized as follows: in some city run by rival karate gangs, only one gang has the guts and morality to stand up to the evil Moses, the gang boss bent on uniting the gangs for evil purposes. I don't exaggerate when I say that's as deep movie went into it as well.

    With some of the worst martial sequences ever defecate onto film, this movie is sure to leave you kicking the DVD out of your player long before the final credits. The fight sequences are at times shown on a split a screen, with so much cutting and slow motion, you can't tell who's fighting who. Luckily, you don't really care. There is actually narratives by the main character, an inside look into his philosophical musings, that are actually so cheezy and out of place, it's sadly comical. I think SOMEBODY takes themselves too serious. Definitely not worth using a free rental for.
    1aeon_static

    Absolute piece of trash.

    Wow. Just . . . Wow. It's movies like this that make me wonder how some people even began to think they could get anywhere in the business.

    This is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Ever. The way this movie was directed has "omg, I think I'm a freaking genius" splotched all over it, but sadly, nobody but this lame director will agree with that.

    The absolute *worst* part of this film is the editing. It's atrocious. Shots that should be longer are WAY too short, and shots that should be shorter are WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY too long. I mean... I'm seriously astonished here. What were they thinking? The second worst part of this film is the fighting - if you call it fighting. It's sad. Really. It will make you depressed.

    Man, and to think I wasted almost an hour and a half of my precious time on this. Reader, do yourself a favor and don't even go near this... This "film", as it claims to be.

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    Related interests

    Bruce Willis and Taniel in Die Hard (1988)
    Action

    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Connections
      References The Warriors (1979)
    • Soundtracks
      Words
      by Doves

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • August 30, 2005 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Чистильщики
    • Filming locations
      • Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland, UK
    • Production companies
      • Bill Kenwright Films
      • S2S Post
      • Vestry Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 25m(85 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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