If you are not a Divergent series fan, don't watch 'Insurgent'!

I wouldn’t say Insurgent is a bad movie but it is just a clumsier sequel to Divergent.

Shafiq Ul Hasan April 04, 2015
Movie series like the Hunger GamesLord of the RingsHarry PotterTwilight and other young adult franchises are managing fairly well in terms of drawing viewers’ attention towards this genre and are also minting multiple folds of revenue at the box office.

Insurgent, the latest instalment of the Divergent series, follows the same path as other YA movies. The movie is based on Veronica Roth’s bestselling novel of the same name.



The story revolves around a plot where Americans are forcefully segmented on the basis of personality and trait-based blocs by the government. The governing head is Jeanine, which is beautifully played by Kate Winslet. Beatrice Prior aka Tris (Shailene Woodley) tries her best to bring Jeanine down in the previous part of this series, Divergent. However, this part is all about running away from the power hungry Erudites and Jeanine, in search of a better, prosperous and class-less tomorrow.

Tris is accompanied by Four (Theo James), who plays an integral part in the plot.

Photo: IMDb

Insurgent’s method of storytelling is more predictable than Divergent’s was. This, for many, killed the excitement and appreciation of the film. Performance wise, it is Kate Winslet who stands out in the entire movie. She deserves great applause. Woodley is the same as usual, only with less hair. She doesn’t offer anything new or different to her audience. Theo James is the eye candy of the movie – his looks woo the audience but his performance does little to complement.

Photo: Insurgent Facebook page

Octavia Spencer, on the other hand, disappointed greatly. Her performance was so mediocre that there is no use even discussing it.

If the movie had a better cast, or if the actors had put in some extra efforts to understand their roles, then it could have been a much better entertainer.

Also, the screenplay needed to be crispier and sharper for a thriller like this.

Photo: IMDb

The way Woodley’s character is projected was very weak. In this instalment, she has no impact at all. She doesn’t influence the plot the way Tris did in the first movie. If watched closely, she looks like just another element of the movie, not the main character. Even though Woodley is a decent performer, she could not manage to move the audience with her acting. Tris’s character should have been given more space to create an impact.

Photo: Insurgent Facebook page

Miles Teller as Peter should be credited for his sneering and decently equivocal performance. However, Director Robert Schwentke should have invested in a better cast rather than just demolishing sets.

Photo: Insurgent Facebook page

I wouldn’t say Insurgent is a bad movie but it is a just clumsier sequel to Divergent. It’s one of those examples when a movie has very high expectations but fails to rise to the occasion once it is released.

Despite this, there are many who found this movie interesting and entertaining. Those who want to watch a larger-than-life movie with an abundance of stunts and those who are Divergent fans should watch Insurgent. For everyone else, it is one of those movies which you can easily skip.

Photo: Insurgent Facebook page

I would give it a 3 on 5 rating.
WRITTEN BY:
Shafiq Ul Hasan The author is an avid movie lover and reviews films and dramas regularly. He is a professional digital inbound marketer. He has worked with a silicon valley-based social network as a content analyst. He blogs at www.shafiqsiddiqui.com and tweets as @shafiqulhasan81 (twitter.com/shafiqulhasan81)
The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (5)

Jagjit Singh | 8 years ago | Reply If you are not a Divergent Series Fan, don’t watch ‘Insurgent’, but i will watch this Movie from www.putlocker.club/
Sarah Uzair | 8 years ago | Reply Hunger Games FTW!!! Divergent is nonsense
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