Film Review: Insurgent

‪ 

Insurgent. Rated M (science fiction themes and violence). 119 minutes. Directed by Robert Schwentke. Screenplay by Brian Duffield and Mark Bomback. Based on the novel by Veronica Roth.

Verdict: A series of spectacular sequences almost save this long, bloated sequel.

For the plethora of films that focus on young adults fighting to survive in a post-apocalyptic world, the challenge is to create enough points of difference to ensure we remain interested. Like The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014), Insurgent’s padded-out story could have been told in half the time, which is a major disappointment because when Insurgent is good, it is very good.

Picking up where Divergent (2014) left us, Tris (Shailene Woodley), Four (Theo James), Peter (Miles Teller) and Caleb (Ansel Elgort) are on the run from Eric (Jai Courtney) and his gang of mercenaries. Jeanine (Kate Winslet) wants Tris captured and brought to the Erudite faction, where Jeanine is desperate to identify the contents of a mysterious box that she believes will provide her with more power over the population. Only a Divergent can solve the riddle of how the box is opened, and Jeanine is convinced that Tris will be her best chance of success.

Woodley has settled into the role of the reluctant heroine beautifully, and Schwentke is absolutely right to ensure that she is the star attraction as often as possible.

But where Insurgent really works is in the spectacular sequences involving the simulations that Tris is subjected to in order to solve the riddle of the box. Plugged in to an octopus-like cluster of cables, she is plunged into virtual worlds where she must endure life-threatening challenges. While the visual effects and Joseph Trapanese’s score are superb to experience in these sequences, they also serve to reveal just how many moments of genuine intrigue and engagement are completely absent from the rest of the film.

This review was commissioned by the West Australian Newspaper Group.