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Insurgent (2015)

thereviewers
May 4, 2015
2 min read

Insurgent follows on directly from the events of Divergent. Beatrice (Tris) Prior and Four are now fugitives on the run from the evil Janine Matthews, the leader of the power hungry Erudite faction. Racing against time and haunted by her past choices, Beatrice must find out the secret her family were willing to die to protect and stop it falling into the hands of Erudite.

Overall Review Score

6.5 out of 10

Review

Insurgent is based on the book of the same name by Veronica Roth and follows directly on from the 2014 film Divergent. Robert Schwentke takes over the directing of this trilogy and it shows very early on. The gentle pace that builds into a crescendo, seen in Divergent, has been replaced by swiftly moving camera shots, a slight reduction in on-screen chemistry and fluidity that seems, at times, uncoordinated. Insurgent, like the faction system, will divide opinion but ultimately it is a semi-decent film that was designed to explain the events of the first film while teasing the audience in anticipation for the third film.

Reviewer 1's score & comments:

Score: 6 out of 10

Comments:

While the visual effects used in the film’s simulation sequence were truly spectacular, the rest of the film fell short of being categorised as such. The acting at times was encapsulating but used the good guy, bad guy clichés way too much, and left many questions unanswered. Definitely not as good as the book, or the first film, but hopefully the third and final film will answer any burning questions that the audience may have and reinvigorate the Divergent trilogy.

Reviewer 2's score & comments:

Score: 7 out of 10

Comments:

After Divergent, I was expecting a lot from Insurgent. However, after watching it, I feel a bit disappointed. Yes, the special effects were good and Shailene Woodley did a good job of playing a tormented and awkward Tris Prior, but the rest of the cast let the film down. Whether this was because Insurgent was pitched as an adventure sci-fi thriller and Divergent was an action sci-fi thriller who knows. Overall, Insurgent marginally builds upon Divergent and serves as a stop-gap between the first and final film in this trilogy.