With the faction system thrown out of balance, Jeanine Matthews(Kate Winslet) the leader of Erudite needs to find someone who can open a box with the answer to fix it all. Unfortunately, only a special Divergent can open the box, and Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) is that one. Based on Veronica Roth’s bestselling book Insurgent comes second installment of The Divergent Series: Insurgent.
With Tris, Four (Theo James), Peter (Miles Teller) and Caleb (Ansel Elgort) on the run from Eric (Jai Courtney) and other members of the Dauntless who follow Erudite. Now being blamed for the attack on Abnegation Tris and the others must fight to stay alive; to do so they seek refuge with Amity. From that point on Tris and Four realize they must find the rest of the Dauntless to stop Jeanine from slaughtering anymore innocent lives. With betrayal, alliances, and having to face the truth; Tris struggles to forgive herself for the events that happened in Divergent. Will the truth set her free or will she get herself killed?
The second installment of the Divergent franchise brings a strong focus to plot progression and more so action. With the main characters on the run the pace of the movie is fast and keeps the viewer entertained. Be warned though, the 3D is kind of a pain; since a lot of the scenes having running or speedy shots the glasses definitely took away from the experience. If I were to go see it again it would be 2D for me. The acting between the two stars Shailene Woodley and Theo James is a homerun; the chemistry from the first movie did not fade in the second! However, one problem I had with this film is the soundtrack; I feel the first movie had such a dynamic background track. Unfortunately, this film’s soundtrack really did not stand out as must as the first one.
I would recommend this movie to anyone who loved the first one, but to the fans of the books I would take it with a grain of salt. It’s not exactly like the book, but as a fan of the books and the first movie I thought it was a great adaptation.
4 stars out of 5
Second Review by
By Sasha Glenn
Quite often sequels fail to live up to the expectations of fans. However rare an occurrence, “Insurgent” actually far surpasses the quality of the first film in the series. Having come out in theaters just last year, “Divergent” did succeed in building a fan following. However, as a whole the film seemed to try too hard to be cool.
In “Insurgent” the plot continues to be underdeveloped and shallow. Although, the execution is a bit less on the hokey side this time around.
The series is set in a dystopian future, where society has been broken into four separate factions (or cult-like groups) with specific roles. The system is meant to maintain a peaceful society, but is thought to be put at risk by rare individuals deemed Divergents.
The Divergents are not only suited for a single faction but instead could fit into any of them, making them capable of rebellion and leadership. This is truly where the plot breaks down, and it’s right at the center.
It portrays people as generally one-sided, except for a special few who have multiple talents or perspectives.
The sequel picks up directly after the first film ended, following Beatrice Prior (Shailene Woodley), a divergent, and her friends who are on the run from a government ordered campaign to hunt down all Divergents.
In a way, the slightly underdeveloped feeling of the plot adds a nightmarish (or dreamlike) feeling to the film.
Another surreal aspect is the fascinating and futuristic integration of virtual reality. When captured, the Divergents are put through a simulation to see how many factions they could belong to. Some of the simulations present deadly challenges, and others test mental limits.
This is a great movie to see in theaters because of the high quality special effects. From start to finish it’s full of action, fight scenes, and emotional moments. Overall it’s highly entertaining to watch.
The characters have depth, and their individual stories continue to be developed in ways that make the audience connect and care for them.
Woodley in her role as Beatrice Prior is very believable during emotional scenes. However, in fight scenes her toughness doesn’t translate as completely believable.
On the other hand, her counterpart Tobias Eaton, played by Theo James, seems made for action films. James’ body type, facial expression and features exude toughness. But, he is also able to pull off playing a character who has an emotional past.
Much better than the first film, I give “Insurgent” 3.5 out of 5 stars.
