Review of Insurgent (2015) by David J — 10 Jan 2016

This movie was a pitiful follow-up to Divergent, which wasn't a pretty release in itself. However, while Divergent was at least intriguing, Insurgent was just tedious. Stuffed full of slow-motion action sequences, or sections of disintegrating illusions that simply left me and many others disoriented and confused, it was a 2-hour visual showcase. In addition, the plot was just as messy, as it feels like the director assumed that everyone who sees the film read the (underwhelming) books beforehand, as many of the protagonist's logical decisions are generally unexplained, and a few plot twists just "happened," though I had a dozen questions how each one of them could have viably occurred.

The acting duo of Theo James and Shailene Woodley has taken a turn for the worse, and the supporting cast has no one to help bolster the underwhelming effort. Daniel Dae Kim is the best bet, delivering his few lines as a Candor official with precision. If that's the best acting job, then this film is in trouble.

Do not pay to see Insurgent, instead, wait for it to be available at a local library. Its too uneven and boring at times to warrant a rental.