Insurgent – Film Review

Following Divergent, Insurgent is the second installment of the trilogy about a group of rebels fighting against a totalitarian system. After a riot broke out years ago, citizens were split into factions according to their abilities. This has been done to ensure peace and stability in the city. The ‘divergents’ are enemies and a threat to the city because they have the ability to fit into more than one faction.

Tris (Shailene Woodley) belongs to the Dauntless faction; those who pursue bravery above all else. It also turns out that Tris is a divergent; this discovery and her pursuit to break free from the system incites a second riot in the city.
Insurgent begins not long after the dauntless group manages to slip away from the grasp of the ruling power. They are now hunted down by Jeanine (Kate Winslet), who is the leader of Erudite, the intellectual faction that took over government after the first riot. Knowing that there are divergents in the Dauntless faction, Jeanine is determined to hunt down all the members of Dauntless, who are threatening her plans to rule the state.
One thing you notice from the beginning of the movie is that the cinematography is on point. Seeing that the city is imaginary, the graphics are a testimony of how modern cinematographic technology has advanced to be able to illustrate such realistic landscapes with flawless detail and smooth movement.
The lighting is engineered well according to the moods of the varying scenes; there is no doubt that the realism of the graphics and lighting are a successful effort in making Insurgent a mellow, yet aesthetically pleasing film. The budget of both the first and second film totals just under U$200 million; I’m quite sure the filmmaking team were pretty excited with the process of making both movies.
However, for a film that takes nearly two hours to get through, boy, is the story incredibly boring. Much like the first film, the story is dragged along by one gimmicky sentiment and basic character development. The subplot is just as weak as it relies on the chemistry between the two main characters, Tris and Four (Theo James); her mentor and lover who is conveniently also a divergent. Whether the fault lies in the lack of chemistry between the actors, or whether it is between the characters in the script, their battle and journey is a struggle to get oneself attached to.
It is as if the aim of the plot is to stop time altogether because it hardly moves. When the story finally does move, it is not elevated toward much, apart from some stunts and a few waterless trials that the characters have to face.
Throughout the film, we are well aware that these divergents are enemies and a threat to the state because they can fit into more than one faction. However, we do not know why being this multi-skilled, would be such a bad thing at all until we reach the very end of Insurgent. I figure the real action will only be felt after watching the final film.
With so much time between the beginning and the end of the film, so much babble can be excluded. In my opinion, all three parts of the story may just as well be compressed into one, two-hour film. If you intend to use up your free time to watch this film, the development of the story will barely be enough to inspire you to finish it in one go. And if you ask me, time is far too precious to be lulled into sleep by a U$200 million budget.