Insurgent
3/4
Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Miles Teller, Ansel Elgort, Jai Courtney, Mekhi Phifer, Ashley Judd
Rated PG-13 for Intense Violence and Action Throughout, Some Sensuality, Thematic Elements and Brief Language
As much as I dislike these tween franchises like "The Hunger Games" and "Twilight" (or would be tween franchises like "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones"), "Divergent" was unexpectedly entertaining. It was a little overlong and dully scripted, but anchored by two solid performances and Kate Winslet playing a villain, it was fun. So I admit that I was anticipating the second installment, "Insurgent." Much to my pleasure, it's just as entertaining.
At the end of the first film, Tris (Woodley), Four (James) and a few others have escaped a brutal crackdown engineered by Jeanine (Winslet). Jeanine has designs to consolidate the whole city, the last bastion of humanity, under her control, but to do so, she needs Tris to open a special box. Meanwhile, Tris and Co. are trying to regroup with the rest of the Dauntless to take down the whole system.
The plot isn't anything special, having been cobbled together from a number of different sci-fi and fantasy stories (including, believe it or not, the "Halo" video game franchise). Not that that's a bad thing...some of the best storytellers, from Quentin Tarantino to William Shakespeare, have taken others' ideas and incorporated them into their own. But it's effectively presented in one, two-hour long entertaining package.
Unlike in most other tween franchises, where physical appeal and marketing (I'm talking about you, "Twilight!") trump acting ability, the "Divergent" series has boasted strong performances all around. Shailene Woodley is a heroine that everyone can get behind: smart, tough, but concerned about those around her. Her co-star Theo James is equally good, doing surprisingly a lot with an underwritten character (Four is relegated to offering support and defending her). I like Shailene Woodley, but Theo James trumps her in terms of screen presence and appeal. But that's just my opinion.
The supporting cast is also good. Kate Winslet returns as the bitch in high heels. Winslet doesn't chew the scenery, but that doesn't mean that she's not a formidable adversary. On the contrary, Jeanine is powerful and ruthless. Winslet has come a long way from playing Rose DeWitt Bukater in "Titanic." Just as imposing is Jai Courtney, who plays Eric, the former Dauntless member turn Jeanine's attack dog. Miles Teller does an excellent job of making us question where his character's loyalties lie, adding layers of bite to many of his lines. Sadly, Ansel Elgort doesn't hold up his end, although his role is pretty small. New to the franchise is Naomi Watts, whose character is unpredictable. Watts hasn't played a character this edgy before, and she gets to face-off against Winslet.
German director Robert Schwentke has taken over the reigns from Neil Burger. Schwentke's resume doesn't really make one want to jump for joy, seeing as both "Flightplan" and "RED" were as bland as weak tea. Maybe because he had Burger's blueprint to work with, but the film impresses from a directorial point-of-view. The action scenes are thrilling, and with one exception, actually decipherable. And Schwentke doesn't tip his hand when it comes to choreographing the fates of certain characters. Just because they're a main character doesn't mean they will survive to see the end credits. Don't expect to see anything truly shocking, but the movie caught me by surprise a few times.
"Insurgent," like its predecessor, is not the next "Star Wars" or "Harry Potter." But for what it is, it's entertaining.
Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Miles Teller, Ansel Elgort, Jai Courtney, Mekhi Phifer, Ashley Judd
Rated PG-13 for Intense Violence and Action Throughout, Some Sensuality, Thematic Elements and Brief Language
As much as I dislike these tween franchises like "The Hunger Games" and "Twilight" (or would be tween franchises like "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones"), "Divergent" was unexpectedly entertaining. It was a little overlong and dully scripted, but anchored by two solid performances and Kate Winslet playing a villain, it was fun. So I admit that I was anticipating the second installment, "Insurgent." Much to my pleasure, it's just as entertaining.
At the end of the first film, Tris (Woodley), Four (James) and a few others have escaped a brutal crackdown engineered by Jeanine (Winslet). Jeanine has designs to consolidate the whole city, the last bastion of humanity, under her control, but to do so, she needs Tris to open a special box. Meanwhile, Tris and Co. are trying to regroup with the rest of the Dauntless to take down the whole system.
The plot isn't anything special, having been cobbled together from a number of different sci-fi and fantasy stories (including, believe it or not, the "Halo" video game franchise). Not that that's a bad thing...some of the best storytellers, from Quentin Tarantino to William Shakespeare, have taken others' ideas and incorporated them into their own. But it's effectively presented in one, two-hour long entertaining package.
Unlike in most other tween franchises, where physical appeal and marketing (I'm talking about you, "Twilight!") trump acting ability, the "Divergent" series has boasted strong performances all around. Shailene Woodley is a heroine that everyone can get behind: smart, tough, but concerned about those around her. Her co-star Theo James is equally good, doing surprisingly a lot with an underwritten character (Four is relegated to offering support and defending her). I like Shailene Woodley, but Theo James trumps her in terms of screen presence and appeal. But that's just my opinion.
The supporting cast is also good. Kate Winslet returns as the bitch in high heels. Winslet doesn't chew the scenery, but that doesn't mean that she's not a formidable adversary. On the contrary, Jeanine is powerful and ruthless. Winslet has come a long way from playing Rose DeWitt Bukater in "Titanic." Just as imposing is Jai Courtney, who plays Eric, the former Dauntless member turn Jeanine's attack dog. Miles Teller does an excellent job of making us question where his character's loyalties lie, adding layers of bite to many of his lines. Sadly, Ansel Elgort doesn't hold up his end, although his role is pretty small. New to the franchise is Naomi Watts, whose character is unpredictable. Watts hasn't played a character this edgy before, and she gets to face-off against Winslet.
German director Robert Schwentke has taken over the reigns from Neil Burger. Schwentke's resume doesn't really make one want to jump for joy, seeing as both "Flightplan" and "RED" were as bland as weak tea. Maybe because he had Burger's blueprint to work with, but the film impresses from a directorial point-of-view. The action scenes are thrilling, and with one exception, actually decipherable. And Schwentke doesn't tip his hand when it comes to choreographing the fates of certain characters. Just because they're a main character doesn't mean they will survive to see the end credits. Don't expect to see anything truly shocking, but the movie caught me by surprise a few times.
"Insurgent," like its predecessor, is not the next "Star Wars" or "Harry Potter." But for what it is, it's entertaining.
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