Shailene Woodley returns as Tris Prior in her continuing battle against a strict faction-based system into which she is welcomed in none. Her initiation into this dystopian society didn't quite go as planned, as the hi-tech sorting hat failed to find her compatible with any of the five given houses.
We find the gang just a few days after their flee from Dauntless faction and the explosive shootout against the Dauntless army, as they now hold sanctuary in peace-loving Amity. Tris, her lover Four, part-time enemy Peter and Erudite runaway brother Caleb, are having a hard time trying to nail down their emotions in such a tranquil environment and soon find themselves on the run again as Divergent-hater Jeanine Matthews (Kate Winslet) closes in.
The movie, unlike its predecessor, does not follow the book's plot as well as before. Veronica Roth's successful trilogy is bound to have attained hardcore followers who may be left disappointed with Insurgent's somewhat lack of loyalty.
Some star-studded cameos feature in this movie also, Octavia Spencer (The Help) and Naomi Watts (The Impossible) are introduced by sadly don't stick around for long and neither play roles which reflect their respective abilities. This paired together with an overall storyline that fails to connect all of the dots, makes for some hard-to-follow filmmaking. Scenes lead to climaxes which are well-thought out but only to often are they predictable. Seldom did I find myself "ahh"-ing at a twist that I didn't see coming.
Although I don't like to, it is difficult not to compare The Divergent Series with The Hunger Games. Being released on the big screen first gives Jennifer Lawrence and co the upper hand. But this hasn't stopped Woodley and the gang from putting up a fight. The Hunger Games' district system is simpler and so flows better within a film, allowing more focus on characters and storyline. The Faction system is complex, and requires more film reel to get to grips with the society. As protagonists go, theres not much to complain about, both Lawrence and Woodley have now proven that they can carry a movie which would have otherwise struggled without them.
All this being said, I enjoyed it. The dynamic clash of Tris and Erudite leader Jeanine leads to some of the better sequences in the movie. Tris' constant dip into virtual reality shows off some impressive CGI and again gives Woodley the chance to blossom in an otherwise methodical journey. As good as the the first? Probably not. But it's not a bad build-up to what I have been told, is a pretty neat ending.
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