You may recall, I didn't particularly like the first iteration of this franchise. This series really borrows too much from the Hunger Games, and the things it does to try and set itself apart ultimately make it less of an enjoyable experience. The simplistic five category separations of personality that this world has created and relies on is cumbersome at best. But that's just the setup for this movie, and we have to give Insurgent its own chance.One of my friends from college responded to that last review, and he made some good points in favor of the series. The problem is, I think he was more informed by the books then he was by the movie. It's entirely possible the books are vastly superior to the movie franchise, but I'm only going off of the movie. Maybe the books explain away the fact that these divergents are seemingly very commonplace – to the point that they could probably be their own sect – and yet are still persecuted by the ruling class.
It seems like the whole goal of this movie (at least from lead bad person Kate Winslet's point of view) is to open up a box that was left for them by the founders that only a divergent can open. If only we knew of a divergent. Hey! Good news! Shailene Woodley is still in this movie, and we know from the last movie that she's a divergent! Yes, there seem to be divergents all over the place, but why not go after the one that his proven to be incredibly difficult to control?Also, why is it that modern technology can never overcome the infinite wisdom of the past? They seriously can't figure a way to break the sucker open? Seriously? That's what your going with?
From there, this is a chase movie with significant political intrigue. I'm not saying it's particularly interesting intrigue, but that's what we get. We watch Shailene and her boyfriend Four bounce from one safe house to another safe house trying to avoid the impending doom of Kate's wrath. They encounter people who will help them, people they feel that they can trust, people they're not sure about, and people who will ultimately betray them. If they were smarter, they have come up with better plans.
What Shailene has to do to look inside the box is to go through a series of tests much like the ones that she had to go through in order to be judged and divergent in the first place. So, she bounces around from one CG landscape to another CG landscape fighting whoever she encounters or trying to outsmart them or whatever is required from that particular test. Really, she's battling her own inner demons. That's kinda hammered home really strong when she's literally fighting another version of herself.This is not the last of these movies. This is based on a book series that is a trilogy which means - of course - that there will be four movies. Why four movies? Because that's the stupid, stupid thing that these young adult series do. Well, I say it's stupid, but it clearly makes them more money. Who suffers? Just the audience, and why should they matter?
Acting was okay, I guess
Direction was okay
Story was weak
Effects were overused
Dialogue was terrible
Bottom Line: Another "me too" YA series gets even more drawn out.
1.75/5
