5/10

Shailene Woodley and Theo James return to this post apocalyptic Chicago setting, in the sequel to the 2014 young adult novel adaptation. “Insurgent” continues five days after the events of “Divergent”. In this film, Tris (Woodley) and Four (James) are now fugitives on the run, hunted by Jeanine (Kate Winslet), the leader of the power-hungry Erudite elite. Racing against time, they must find out what Tris’s family sacrificed their lives to protect, and why the Erudite leaders will do anything to stop them. Haunted by her past choices but desperate to protect the ones she loves, Tris, with Four at her side, faces one impossible challenge after another as they unlock the truth about the past and ultimately the future of their world. The film for me was a tale of two halves. The first fifty minutes of the film severely impacts the pacing of the film with tired exposition that we have already been through in the first film. I understand helping the viewer who didn’t see the first film, but maybe a video review in the opening scene of the movie could satisfy all parties. I don’t feel like we need to retrace every single step of the over two hour original film. Nothing new is really presented until the final fifty minutes of the film, and that is where the film greatly improved for me. Truth be told, i have never read the novels, but i think the ending to this film could be satisfactory to closing everything up nicely. I can’t imagine what the third film will do, but i worry that after a fan friendly ending in this film, it has everything to lose and not much to gain. I saw the film in 3D, and i can safely say it was one of the biggest wastes in 3D venturing that i’ve ever done. With the exception of some light pixels flying at your face, the 3D is only used as a shading for our characters to pop out in front of a destroyed Chicago backdrop. The action for the most part is nicely done, but it’s structured so unevenly that a majority of it comes during that great third act i was talking about. When you saunter through the expositional reviewing scenes of the first act, you more than welcome the fast paced differences that the third act involves. What’s that? didn’t hear a second act from me? That’s because there isn’t one. The film reviews the current problems, and then shifts our protagonists back to the mission of trying to conquer the powerful regime. The acting is shot very well with a lot of long takes, and no shakey camera work, and that really made me happy. Only two people really stood out for the acting. Everyone else felt very wooden and two dimensional. Woodley as usual makes the most of any role she undertakes. As Tris, we feel a young woman transforming, a lot like Woodley in front of our very eyes. She’s perfect for the role, and has no problem reaching for the tears when the emotional scenes call for it. It was great to see Miles Teller get some more screen time in the sequel. He is getting a little too big for such a small role after his great turn in 2014’s “Whiplash”, but it’s his dry personality that creates for the best line readings of the movie. His interraction with Woodley feels like a brother and sister bickering, and with how straight forward the other scenes are, we welcome such immaturity. Theo James continues to do nothing for me. His one note male protagonist doesn’t bring anything to the character that we haven’t seen in other Young Adult novel adaptations, and there just isn’t enough romantic chemistry between he and Woodley to make the audience care. When comparing this to the original, i would have to say “Divergent” is a better made film, but if the final act of “Insurgent” is the peak for this series as a whole. My biggest problem with the film comes in a convoluted plot that feels very jumbled at times. There’s a lot going on, and the movie never really focuses enough time on the long list of problems it has accumulated for itself. After speaking with some fans of the novels, they told me that a lot happens in this film that wasn’t in the book. I’m curious to know how others accept these new changes. Overall, i don’t think my review will do anything to steer fans of the novel away from checking out the film and enjoying it. More times than not, people will enjoy a franchise in which they have invested so many of their precious hours into. For me, “Insurgent” was decent, but it just can’t compete (in my opinion) with it’s other YA competitors like “The Hunger Games”, or “The Maze Runner”. Those other films have a political commentary that i just can’t grasp from The Divergent Series. Either way, i’m curious to see what more they can add to a third film, but i really pray they don’t “Twilight” it with two films for the final part. Don’t drag this out any further than it needs to be. If you see it, do it without the 3D. Not worth it at all.