Divergente 2 : L'Insurrection

My brother and I are fans of the books and we generally enjoyed the first film. However, this film doesn't amount to either. Sure, the visuals aren't bad, I especially like the look of the film and the action wasn't bad. The big problem with this is mostly just the storyline. It just seems quite bland.

That's really all I can say. This film is just bland.

"Insurgent" continues shortly after the events of the first movie, having Jeanine finding a box that can only be opened by a Divergent and searching for all the Divergents (Which was previously shown in the trailers.) and also discovering that not all Divergents are equal as some Divergents are better than the others and obviously, the latter was Tris.

Honestly, I was surprised that I liked this better than the first since I knew that I had lower my expectations for it because I knew that the first one was horrible and also because I had no faith for the new director "Robert Schwentke" who's known for R.I.P.D which was absolutely awful. This movie had good moments, but the movie was mostly a bore. The cinematography was okay, acting was good but wasn't enough to feel attached to the characters. (I didn't feel like connecting with the protagonist.)

VERDICT: I'm not saying that I didn't like the movie, but it really could've been better. I didn't like it that MUCH because everything was too surreal. Everything was too coincidental.

This film pretty much picks right up where the last one ended with very little time lapse. Jeanine's (Kate Winslet) has issued an order that all divergents need to be killed until her soldiers find a box that was kept in Tris (Shailene Woodley) parents' house and she has discovers that she will need a divergent to open it. Tris, Four (Theo James), Caleb (Ansel Elgort) and Peter (Miles Teller) have found refuge in a little village governed by Johanna (Octavia Spencer) until the hunting begins. Eric (Jai Courtney) and Max (Mekhi Phifer) have retained their blind loyalty to Jeanine; however I think that Eric has gotten even nastier whereas Max is just trying to do his job. I have to say that loyalty is a big element in this film….. you just never know. This film actually kept up a good pace and there was very little lull time. They said that there would be a lot more action in this film. I don't know about "a lot" more, but there was definitely more than the last one. I was also glad to see that Tris was no longer wimpy when it came down to fighting, however emotionally she was feeling pretty guilty. They really beat that dead horse throughout the film. I did not see this film in 3D, but because of all the special effect, that might have been a mistake. Man, computer generated imagery has sure come along way. It really makes me look forward to some of the upcoming films this summer like Jurassic World and Terminator. I am happy for my fellow German director Robert Schwentke who has successfully bounced back from that armpit of a film, Rest in Peace Department, RIPD for short, that he directed back in 2013. You can only go up from that one. Anyway, I think that this film will do well especially with the "tween" crowd; and once you've invested in the series it's kind of hard to not find out what happens next. Do I think that this film was one of the best films I've seen this year……. Nope, but it was entertaining and didn't suck. I don't recommend that you see this film if you haven't seen Divergent. This one holds its own, but you'll enjoy it more if you've seen the first one.

This is not a bad sequel, I quite enjoyed it, but I think I liked 'Divergent' better. The story continued a very short after where it ended in the first. In this part, it was all about power hungry where many try to get that top post. On the other side, there will be an attempt to open a mystery box that found which might reveal some important detail about them.

Looked like a very good storyline, unpredictable stuffs, but not utilised to its full potential. Though the actors were good, especially Shailene was sexy in her short hairs. I think she came straight out of 'The Fault in Our Stars' to take up this role where her brother in this film was a boyfriend in that.

Visually as well very captivating with those great graphics and it is first digital 3D film in the series. It has numerous small twists, especially during decrypting the mystery box. So I felt the middle parts were the best part of the film.

I thought this film would take place outside the wall, but a new story was developed and still kept the mystery about the rest of the world. I don't know the book, but that's my disappointment. I hope the next film in the series would go beyond the wall and explore some new things. So I'm looking forward for the 'Allegiant'.

6/10

"The Divergent Series" has always been compared to the likes of "Hunger Games" and "Harry Potter". While the concept is a bit alike, the story got its' own backbone. Continuing "Divergent", "Insurgent" isn't really like its' predecessor. It's faster and more action-packed than ever, filled with thrilling chases and inventive visuals.

"Insurgent" follows Tris (Shailene Woodley), Four (Theo James), and the others on the run from Jeanine Matthews (Kate Winslet) who is hunting divergents (you'll need to see the first one to know more). There's a plot includes a mystery box that only divergents could open it, through simulations.

Doubting it would be good, it turns out to be better than expected. Not only the pace is faster, the stakes are higher and it creates a darker tone. The actors were as fine as the first part. It is the change of director that marked an improvement from the last one. Robert Shwenke gives more tension to the audience with enough visuals that could make your heart pound.

Not saying the movie doesn't have any flaws. There's a bit of problem with the script which is either the movie's strength and weakness. Some scenes are not very well executed. But, that doesn't really matter to the experience as a whole. Thankfully, the action scenes overcome its' flaws.

If you love "Divergent", there's no doubt you're going to love this. Overall, a satisfying experience.