Movie review: The Divergent Series: Insurgent

The factions are uneasy and it appears war may be on the horizon but Tris hasn't lost hope yet, continuing to resist with others. But Jeanine believes she may have found a solution that will avoid war. The problem is, it requires a special Divergent leading to Tris once again being hunted.

Kate Winslet (Jeanine), Jai Courtney (Eric), Shailene Woodley (Tris), Mekhi Phifer (Max), Theo James (Four), Ansel Elgort (Caleb), Miles Teller (Peter), Zoe Kravitz (Christina), Tony Goldwyn (Andrew), Ashley Judd (Natalie), Naomi Watts (Evelyn).

Tris and the team are back, struggling still against the social design which defines them all. Except for Divergents of course. Gearing up for war, Tris suddenly finds herself, and all other Divergents, hunted when Jeanine discovers an object she believes may be able to end the faction conflicts. The rest of the film is a lot of action, and some drama, along with slow plot development of the easily expected storyline. There just aren't a lot of surprises here and without much plot, things slow down despite the action.

Acting was decent with Winslet once again doing a fine job as antagonist. Courtney stirs things up well and plays a thug quite nicely. Woodley has an updated look, but her talent hasn't changed much and continues to feel a bit out of character at times. James was solid, as was Teller who brought some good depth to things. Judd was very good, as was Watts.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds are good but really what you are watching here is a lot of CGI. Thankfully, it is pretty well done despite several beyond belief scenes. That said, the CGI fit incredibly well with dream sequences and exhibited very good quality. Dialogue was good, though quite serious through the whole film. Sound and soundtrack were nicely done.

Overall The Divergent Series: Insurgent is a flick teens will probably enjoy. The film has action, suspense, romance, and violence but for more mature viewers this may not be enough. The plot doesn't have a lot of depth and takes its sweet time presenting. Fans of the books may enjoy this one but those who are watching the film expecting a lot to happen may be disappointed.

With plenty of violence and some brief sexuality this should be fine for teens and above.

Released: 2015
Reviewed: 11.4.15
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Genre: Sci-Fi, Sci-Fi Fantasy, Sci-Fi Adventure, Fantasy, Adventure

copyright ©2015 Dave Riedel