Thursday, March 19, 2015

Review of INSURGENT: Satisfyingly Spectacular Sequel

March 18, 2015


"Insurgent" picks up right where the first film of this series "Divergent" left off. The tense peace inside the walls of dystopian Chicago is shattered when the Abnegation faction was invaded and destroyed. Tris and Four are rebels on the run, seeking refuge among the other factions. Ruthless Erudite leader Jeanine needs a perfect Divergent in order to unlock a certain box which contains an important message about their current existence, which Jeanine wants to suppress. This special Divergent is, of course, is Tris.

The first film "Divergent" was a pretty good film interpretation of the book. I found this second film to be even better than the first film. I did not get to read the second book so I could not assess its faithfulness to the original material. We get to see better the rest of the other factions, like Amity (with Octavia Spencer as their leader Johanna), Candor (with Daniel Dae Kim as their leader Jack Kang), and the Factionless (with Naomi Watts as their leader Evelyn). I can see the same limitations of the first book here, especially with the unusual behavior and decisions of Tris. But hey, she is a special girl, the chosen one. 

I thought Shailene Woodley did very well to play Tris, with her guilty conscience, disturbing nightmares and the reluctance as a heroine. Theo James though is less noticeable here than before, as Four is seemingly relegated to be Tris' consort in this installment. Ansel Elgort looked very ill at ease and awkward in his scenes as Tris' confused younger brother Caleb. Making more of an impact were Miles Teller as the snake-like turncoat Peter and Jai Courtney as the vicious Dauntless officer Eric. Kate Winslet owns every scene she is in with her strong screen presence.

A new director Robert Schwentke (known for previous mainstream hits like "Flightplan" and "RED") took over from Neil Burger (who directed "Divergent"). Schwentke guides us through the criss-crossing web of events, building up effectively to the climactic five Faction simulation that Tris had to hurdle. The simulations in this film looked more sophisticated and complicated, with over-the-top visual effects, especially in that exciting Dauntless "sim" where Tris had to rescue her mom from a burning house hurtling in the air. 

This film is rated PG, but there are pretty intense violent scenes, including point-blank shooting of defenseless people, imperilled small kids, and a character pointing a gun directly at his temple. There was also a scene showing prolonged kissing between the leads, with clothes being removed. This had the young kids around me squirming uncomfortably, covering their eyes 

I thought this film fully satisfied expectations for the second episode of this Victoria Roth book/film franchise. It was thematically and visually grand, with mind-blowing computer-generated action effects. It stands very well on its own, even if you have not yet seen the first film. It tells a complete story, with a defined resolution of events. It ends with a cliffhanger which makes you anticipate the next film. The last book in the series "Allegiant", in true Hollywood style, will again be split into two parts to make more money. Schwentke is already on board to direct Part 1, due out next year already. 8/10.


18 comments:

  1. I watched this on their first day of showing. I haven't read the book so for me, it was just average.

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  2. Same here...I didn't read the book but tagged along a few friends for the movie..not really my cup of tea but as you mentioned, some scenes can get pretty violent!

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  3. Added to my list,would love to watch it.Thanks for this.

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  4. Hey, that's not fair... Why did you guys get to watch it before us... Boohooo... I'm still waiting for it to be out!

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  5. Great review! I am sure its going to be a great movie and just looking forward to see it on a big screen.

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  6. This is a probably a good movie to watch. I could imagine the terrific sound effects it could offer for it is being enhanced by a good visual theme and generated with appropriate effect for the sound. Let's watch this when it's already on threater.

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  7. I haven't read the book BUT I have been waiting for the second installment of the series. I enjoyed and loved Divergent so much and I just need to know what's going to happen next. I must say though that I have very high expectations with this movie and I hope Insurgent does not disappoint.

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  8. It's really irritating when they split the last installment. Sounds like all Ka-ching to me!

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  9. I saw the very first one and wasn't entirely impressed. It's what kept me from going to see this second one but I've been hearing that it's so much better so I might reconsider.

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  10. I'll keep an eye on this movie when they release on dvd. I love crime and violent movies.

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  11. Love to watch movies if I have time and "Divergent" watched it before. This one still planning to watch as I read your review.

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  12. Watch it already and your right it is better to see the movie INSURGENT(2nd film), actually, if you read the book, you cannot appreciate it when it become a film because what's in your mind is what you have read, it is difficult to know ahead, or have an idea what's next.

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  13. Wow! a sequel to a film I did enjoyed watching months ago. Rated PG, baka dapat Rated 18. You again gave insight about the film through your honest review. More please.

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  14. I can't wait for this series. The first one is my favorite I hope this second film would be much more thrilling and action pack. Thank you for the review.

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  15. I need to catch up on both movies. It's becoming an excellent movie franchise.

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  16. I've seen and read so much about this movie that I'm sure the studio is behind it. Hahaha! :-) Sounds good but doubt I'll see it.

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  17. I read the books, and I'm actually very impressed with how they did it. There were a lot of deviations, but everything worked out just well. I agree too that peter and Eric stole most of the show.

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  18. Ah I always get lost when people talk about this movie. I haven't seen divergent nor this one. I feel the need even more to watch both. :-(

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