The Divergent Series: Insurgent

Theatrical Release Date: 2015 03 20 (USA)

UPC: 031398224037

Studio: Lionsgate

Summary: Directed by Robert Schwentke, the second film in the Divergent series find Tris (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James) on the run from Jeanine Matthews (Kate Winslet) while trying to figure out the secret that will help the rebels build a new and better future. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Category: Action

The Divergent Series: Insurgent

Format: DVD

Release Date: 08/04/2015

Daniel Gelb

Young Adult dystopian films are apparently here to stay. Divergent, the first book in author Veronica Roth's best-selling YA trilogy, was adapted for the big screen in 2014, and the series is back almost exactly a year later with the sequel. The Divergent Series: Insurgent picks up immediately after the events of the previous movie, as the series' teen heroes Tris (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James) flee a walled-in and bombed-out future Chicago.

Insurgent jumps straight into the action, and assumes the viewer has seen the first film -- very little ancillary exposition is provided. While Divergent seemed bogged down by the need to explain every detail of its far-fetched world, Insurgent bypasses that for a more driven story. Tris, Four, and the other Divergents are fugitives from the oppressive faction system, which segregates society according to individual character traits. The society's leader, Jeanine Matthews (Kate Winslet), is hunting down Divergents with a vengeance, believing that one of them possesses the ability to open a mysterious box that has been passed down by the founders of the faction system. Teaming up with other societal outcasts, the Divergents fight back against the oppressive regime.

There's a considerable amount of depth to Woodley's performance as Tris this time around -- much more so than the rather one-dimensional character she inhabited in the prior installment. Tris is haunted by the decisions she made at the end of Divergent, including playing a large role in the deaths of numerous people close to her. A reoccurring image throughout Insurgent is the simulation-induced appearance of her mother (Ashley Judd), who was killed in the first film. Tris is burdened with guilt, but still has the ability to express love, empathy, and honesty -- which is fitting, given her class-system-defying status of being Divergent.

A notable trend in these YA film adaptations is the presence of accomplished older actors playing authority figures (think Donald Sutherland in The Hunger Games or Patricia Clarkson in The Maze Runner). Insurgent is no different, and benefits greatly from performances by Kate Winslet and Naomi Watts. Winslet is a holdover from the first movie, and her role as the relentless despot Jeanine Matthews remains an important cog in the overarching story. Watts appears as Four's assumed dead, but actually alive mother, who turns out to be the leader of the underground "faction-less" clan.

Despite the ensemble cast and some inspiring performances, Insurgent treads water for the majority of its 119 minutes. The action scenes are well-crafted and frequent, but the near-ridiculous concept of the story tends to invalidate the best aspects of the film. The majority of Tris' hand-to-hand combat scenes take place inside simulations, with the character unconscious from a serum. The bulk of the movie is an awkward dance between reality and replication, but surprisingly, it pulls itself together for an effective (albeit convoluted) ending. Teens will love the defiant lead characters and the shoot-'em-up action, but critics should pay special attention to Woodley. She's a tremendous young talent, and while she's tied to the Divergent series for another two films, she seems ready to explode into superstardom soon. ~ Daniel Gelb, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Barry H. Waldman  Executive Producer 
Doug Wick  Producer 
Akiva Goldsman  Screenwriter 
David Hoberman  Executive Producer 
Neil Burger  Executive Producer 
Robert Schwentke  Director 
Lucy Fisher  Producer 
Todd Lieberman  Executive Producer 
Mark Bomback  Screenwriter 
Brian Duffield  Screenwriter 
Pouya Shahbazian  Producer 
Shailene Woodley  Actor 
Theo James  Actor 
Miles Teller  Actor 
Jai Courtney  Actor 
Ansel Elgort  Actor 
Daniel Dae Kim  Actor 
Kate Winslet  Actor 
Jonny Weston  Actor 
Octavia L. Spencer  Actor 
Zo� Kravitz  Actor 
Emjay Anthony  Actor 
Suki Waterhouse  Actor 
Rosa Salazar  Actor 
Ray Stevenson  Actor 
Maggie Q  Actor 
Mekhi Phifer  Actor 
Naomi Watts  Actor 

Country: USA