INSURGENT - review

INSURGENT

Director: Robert Schwentke

Cast: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Miles Teller and Octavia Spencer

I shall preface this review by saying that I haven't read any of the books, so I can't comment on how well or not well it has been adapted. I can only comment on what I remember from the first film DIVERGENT, and what I saw on screen during INSURGENT. If, like me you haven't read the books, please be wary that there might be some spoilers, particularly if you haven't seen the first film. Now, all that being said, lets get on with the show (and by show I mean review).

Before I went in to see INSURGENT, I did go back and look at a few reviews of DIVERGENT so that I could remember what had happened because it's been 12 months since I'd seen it. I sometimes wish though that instalment films had a "previously..." at the beginning like some TV shows do, just to give the audience a little refresher!

INSURGENT is the second instalment of the DIVERGENT series directed by Robert Schwentke. If you don't know who he is then think back to R.I.P.D, and if you didn't see that (which you most likely didn't because it wasn't that great) think back to RED, and THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE (which were much better films that R.I.P.D). Unfortunately for him, INSURGENT tips more towards the R.I.P.D side of his talent spectrum than the RED side. It wasn't terribly done, but it certainly wasn't as well directed as Neil Burgers' DIVERGENT. There are a few reviews out there claiming that it's a complete train wreck and that it's a great cast wasted on a terrible movie. True, the cast is a little bit wasted on this film, but I wouldn't go quite so far as to call it a complete train wreck. Maybe a mild traffic accident, or a glass of wine spilled over the kitchen floor (actually wasted wine is quite horrific, so maybe that's too harsh?)

It has come a long way from DIVERGENT in the effects that are used throughout the film, and it does bring the story along quite nicely even though there are a few character arcs that aren't quite as complete and satisfying as they should be. I assume that if I read the books, I would get more of an understanding of these underlying arcs, but can I be bothered doing that? Most likely not. Should I feel like something is missing even though I haven't read the books? Probably not. That's a pretty big shortfall in my opinion - it doesn't quite have the stand alone power of some other book adaptations.

The main plot however, builds quite well on the storyline established in DIVERGENT, diving a little bit deeper into the factions, whilst still fleshing out some (but not enough) of the background details of the characters (Four in particular).

Here's a recap of the factions, just in case you can't remember them

INSURGENT finds our main characters Tris (Shailene Woodley), Four (Theo James), Peter (Miles Teller) and Caleb (Ansel Elgort) living in exile with the Amity faction. I don't remember them seeking refuge with the Amity faction at the end of DIVERGENT, but as I mentioned, there's a lot I don't remember from that film, so I'm somehow not surprised about that. There was also a brief moment when I thought "why is the guy from THE FAULT IN OUR STARS in this film?!" til I clicked on who he was and what his relevance to the story line was (Tris' brother Caleb).

At the end of DIVERGENT the head of the Erudite faction Jeanine (Kate Winslet) staged an attack on the Abnegation faction looking for something. We see that something (a magical box that is somehow linked to the Founders from 200 years ago) being found by her Dauntless army in the house of Tris' parents - note to self, this is clearly going to be of significance later in the film.

Jeanine works out that only a Divergent can open the box by completing the simulations, or sims set out for each faction. This in turn leads to a man hunt through all the factions for Divergents. Uh oh, Tris is a Divergent, that can only mean bad news for her.

here she is with the mysterious box (thanks Summit Entertainment)

Tris is already struggling with her guilt at getting her parents killed and for killing her friend Will and lying to her boyfriend (Four) about how fine she is. In this case fine really does stand for 'freaked out insecure, neurotic and emotional'. Now, people are getting attacked and killed for helping her (although they are helping all Divergents and not just her) and that's sending her on a massive downward spiral. These other Divergents and Divergent sympathisers really help move the story along, let us get a bit of back story on some of the other characters (namely Four's family background), and help draw out the background of the Founders and the five factions.

Sadly though Shailene Woodley's talents are a little bit wasted - I get the impression that the character arc of Tris in the book would be well detailed and easy to follow along, but there is so much happening in the Divergent world in 119 minutes that there really isn't time for her to play this out well. I don't think that's her fault, I just think it's a case of too much happening in too little time and it gets left by the wayside as something slightly less important. There is very little nuanced drama relating to Tris' pain and subsequent emotional healing - Schwentke really doesn't make use of the incredibly talented lead that he has been given.

The supporting cast who had quite important parts to play in the first film have been cast aside and have little more than cameo appearances, which doesn't give you any indication of how other people are coping with the collapse of the faction system.

Keiynan Lonsdale as Uriah who has a brief moment with Tris that I wanted to see more of

As an adaptation of a YA novel, Schwentke has ticked all of the boxes I guess - great special effects, super talented cast, and a cliffhanger at the end, but somehow it doesn't quite measure up as a stand alone film. As someone who hasn't read the books I was easily able to anticipate the storyline and pick the plot twists (with the exception of one), but what INSURGENT lacks in hidden twists and turns it makes up for in SFX, something that fell a little short in DIVERGENT.

***************SPOILER ALERT**************

Unsurprisingly Tris can't stand the thought of people dying or suffering to protect her, so she hands herself in, completes all the sims (solving all her emotional issues in about 3 minutes) and opens the box which contains a message from the Founders, telling everyone that Divergents are the answer to all their problems, that they are not the sole survivors of humanity, and that now they can join them outside the wall. We end with everyone rushing towards the wall.

So, here's a few things I was left wondering at the end of INSURGENT:

* Why is everyone rushing towards the wall now they know they can go out there? It's been 200 years since the Founders left that message. They don't know what's out there?

* What's outside the wall? I mean seriously, it's been 200 years, anything could be happening out there people, don't all just stampede from the safety of your homes - send out a damn search party!

* Who are the Founders and what were they trying to achieve by dividing up the "remaining" people into factions?

* What happened to Four's dad? Another underdeveloped character arc, he gets smashed in the face with a gun at the beginning of the film and is never heard from again.

* Can we trust Four's mother Evelyn? She had a bad ass one liner at the end of the film and I don't think she's in it for the greater good.

* What will happen when they all get outside the wall? Is there anyone that is going to stay inside the wall? Who's going to be in charge anyway once they get out there?

* Being Divergent doesn't really seem that important now that the box has been opened? Or is it? Are the Divergents going to rise up and be the leaders of this new world?

* Will Tris ever forgive Caleb who basically sat back to watch her die after she saved his ass? I mean in light of how things turned out, he must feel like such a dick.

* Am I going to have to read the books now? It's another 12 months until Allegiance Pt 1 comes out (March 2016) and I don't know if I can wait that long!!

****************END SPOILER***************

Tris, Four and Peter

So, in summary INSURGENT isn't a train wreck, but it isn't a great film either. It felt underdeveloped and rushed and I wanted more of the underlying stories and characters arcs. The SFX are good, the dialogue is a little soap opera-y at times, and the talent of the cast is a little wasted.

I won't say that I didn't enjoy it though, because I did. For a YA adaptation it wasn't the worst (I think TWILIGHT holds that title), so if you can take it for what it is, you might like me enjoy it. I would be interested to hear what you think of it if you have read the books. Did the adapt it well? Were there crucial plot points missing or have they kept it basically on point? And more importantly, should I read them? Will the unsatisfactory character developments that have left me hanging all be explained?

Unless you're a die hard fan, I wouldn't recommend paying 20-something dollars for this at the cinema. You can probably wait until you can get it on iTunes, or from your local DVD store (because I honestly believe that you all do the right thing and obtain copies of your films legally and help support the industry that I love so dearly).

INSURGENT - 2.5 out of 5

xoxo
The Blonde Bombshell