The Divergent Series: Insurgent (***)
Directed by: Robert Schwentke
Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo
James, Miles Teller, Ansel Elgort, Kate Wisnlet, Mekhi Phifer, Octavia Spencer,
Daniel Dae Kim, Jai Courtney, Ray Stevenson, Ashley Judd, Zoë Kravitz, Maggie
Q, Naomi Watts
Seen: March 21st 2015
*** Out of ****
While the Divergent Series is good on
its own, one cannot help but compare it to the Hunger Games. Both feature a
strong young female character becoming the hope of many to redeem a totalitarian
future society, with a strong opposition character managing to get under the viewer’s
skin (I assume the reader too, but I’ve only read the Hunger Games novels). The
first book of the Divergent Series was published 8 months after the last book
of The Hunger Games, which I find to be quite the coincidence. The two stories contrast
enough for each to stand on their own, but they also share similarities that
are hard to ignore. That said, there is more than enough space for both of
these series to exist in the same world, and while I do enjoy the Hunger Games
series more, I find the Divergent series entertaining enough. Hunger Games has sectors
representing industries of that world, where Divergent has factions, where
members are allocated based on personality – Abnegation (the selfless), Amity
(the peaceful), Candor (the honest), Dauntless (the brave), and Erudite (the
intelligent).
Insurgent directly follows Divergent, a
mere three days since Erudite leader Jeanine (Winslet) tried wiping out the
entire Abnegation faction using a mind controlled Dauntless faction Army. Eric
(Courtney) finds a box imprinted with the symbols of all the factions in the
rubble of Abnegation’s homes, and Jeanine claims the box is their means to end
the Divergent problem. Only a Divergent (those who fit all factions, to differing
degrees) can open the box however, and Jeanine initiates the hunt. As
Divergents are captured, they’re scanned, and a percentage Divergence is displayed.
Wonder above wonder, there’s only one who is 100% divergent – Tris (Woodley).
The process of opening the box seems to kill anyone who isn’t completely
divergent, as it takes the subject through all the faction tests in sequence.
The visual effects are rather
impressive, as Tris is pulled into a bundle of virtual reality worlds where
things don’t necessarily adhere to our physical laws. Shailene Woodley plays a
very paranoid and damaged Tris, suffering because of things she’s been forced
into, and it can get a little too much if whining is something that upsets you
(I fought through, and it gets better). Kate Winslet seems like she’s either
having a little too much fun as the manipulative and evil Jeanine, or not
really enjoying being here at all, I can’t really decide which. Miles Teller
delivers a snarky Peter in his usual great way. The cast fills out the story
quite well, and I felt that everyone’s portrayal served the story.
The story here makes this movie
essentially a pause in the series – a go-between to link Divergent and
Allegiant (the next book, to be released as two movies) – as essentially only a
little bit of story is dealt out in the bigger scheme of things – a box needs
to be opened to direct events to what follows. The process of opening the box
is entertaining though, and the viewer can easily forget that this movie is
little more than a story stepping stone. Insurgent does little to advance the
story of the Divergent Series, but what little it does, it does relatively
well.
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