If The Matrix and The Hunger Games had a two-year-old child, that would be Insurgent. What the film lacks in gritty film making, it makes up for with one character and a decent plot. Miles Teller steals the show in his limited role, showing up just in time to save the film.
Acting
What do you do if can’t tell if a person is a stiff actor or playing a stiff character…
That is the conundrum for several characters in this film until the climax and Kate Winslet’s character Jeanine Matthews starts acting. Tobias Eaton played by Theo James is your dime a dozen, teenage heart throb, but he looks good in a fight. Shailene Woodley has her hands full as Beatrice Prior, with the lead role as the divergent she has to play ever emotion. Woodley does a fair job at holding the main character spotlight, but the toughest battle Woodley faces is against Jennifer Lawrence and Woodley is no Katniss Everdeen. On the other hand Peeta Mellark is no Milles Teller.
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Plot
Nothing like a teen romance to wreck a perfectly good post-apocalyptic film. With that said, there were enough twists and turns to keep you entertained for almost two hours. My biggest issue with Insurgent is that the film is the second act of a three act play and the film wrapped up nicely to where the audience wasn’t clamoring for the third film (It’s an up hill battle because I judge all sequels to Empire Strikes Back.). If there was just two films in the series you wouldn’t be left with unanswered questions. The plot point either means really good writing or really poor planning.
Cinematography
There are several shots in this film that work well. One of them being the dried up Chicago river with all the bridges raised. As the camera flies low to the ground, you get a sense of how long its been since society has been normal. That is the best the film has to offer in this regard, as the CGI city cannot mesh with the live sets and becomes mildly distracting.
Getting ready for my appearance on @jimmyfallon before heading to Insurgent premiere! pic.twitter.com/8FYdKQp1xY
— Miles Teller (@Miles_Teller) March 16, 2015
THE DIVERGENT SERIES: INSURGENT RAISES THE STAKES FOR TRIS AS SHE SEARCHES FOR ALLIES AND ANSWERS IN THE RUINS OF A FUTURISTIC CHICAGO. TRIS (WOODLEY) AND FOUR (JAMES) ARE NOW FUGITIVES ON THE RUN, HUNTED BY JEANINE (WINSLET), THE LEADER OF THE POWER-HUNGRY ERUDITE ELITE. RACING AGAINST TIME, THEY MUST FIND OUT WHAT TRIS’S FAMILY SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES TO PROTECT, AND WHY THE ERUDITE LEADERS WILL DO ANYTHING TO STOP THEM. HAUNTED BY HER PAST CHOICES BUT DESPERATE TO PROTECT THE ONES SHE LOVES, TRIS, WITH FOUR AT HER SIDE, FACES ONE IMPOSSIBLE CHALLENGE AFTER ANOTHER AS THEY UNLOCK THE TRUTH ABOUT THE PAST AND ULTIMATELY THE FUTURE OF THEIR WORLD.
Stars
1 star- eh…
2 stars – average
3 stars – good
4 stars – great film
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