The Divergent Series: Insurgent (UK Rating: 12A)
Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but it’s just as likely to be a case of jumping on a successful bandwagon. It can’t be a coincidence, then, that the second instalment of the Divergent series, The Divergent Series: Insurgent, has arrived in cinemas this week at the same time as the DVD of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 goes on sale. The similarities between the two are all too obvious – but so are the differences, as Lights, Camera, Action! divulges in this latest review.
In a post-apocalyptic Chicago, where society is split into factions according to personality traits, Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) is Divergent, making her an outcast. She’s hiding out with the Amity community but, with the ruthless Jeanine (Kate Winslet) and her Erudite faction on her tail, peace is going to be short lived. War between the various groups is brewing and Tris finds herself having to complete a series of challenges to unlock the secrets of the past, and find out what the future holds for the whole community.
A young woman, then, becomes the figurehead of a rebellion against a repressive regime in a dystopian setting. She’s suffered personal loss, yet this doesn’t prevent her doing what she believes is right. It’s all desperately familiar. In fact, the similarities between the two franchises, and their most recent instalments, would make a very, very long list. However, there’s one crucial difference: The Divergent Series: Insurgent is nowhere near as good as Mockingjay.
It’s full of niggling incongruities, Tris’ wardrobe being just one. For a girl who travels with no luggage, she has remarkably frequent costume changes and every single garment fits perfectly. Winslet doesn’t fare much better, with her stick thin stilettoes that allow for very little movement – and, when she does take a step or two, she totters. Not the most dignified look for a dictator. Her bandaged hand is another irritation. Those who saw Divergent will know that it’s the result of her battle with Tris. Those who didn’t will be left wondering if she’s a Keith Lemon fan!
Worse still are the obstacles that are miraculously overcome in the blink of an eye. When Tris’ allies are all shot, they are on the receiving end of devices that send them to sleep, but also have the added advantage of enabling the Erudite faction to control their minds at will. Further investigation shows they can’t be removed as they wrap themselves around the nearest artery. Then, out of the blue, somebody finds a way to extract them. How did they do it? “They just did.” Ah, so that’s okay then
Visually, The Divergent Series: Insurgent gets stuck in a rut of big, sweeping aerial shots. Initially, they have plenty of impact, especially on an IMAX screen, but the film leans on them far too heavily, to the extent that they soon become repetitive. The same goes for the special effects, with the bulk of them coming into play during Tris’ simulation sessions, which involve a lot of jumping from building to building. These also soon become much of a muchness and more than a little tiresome.
Even the quality cast is sadly under-used. Actresses of the calibre of Octavia Spencer and Naomi Watts play faction leaders, meaning they exemplify the characteristics of their group, and that’s all they have to do. The saving grace is Whiplash‘s Miles Teller as the wise-cracking Peter, hero one minute, traitor the next. He gives the whole proceeding a much needed lift, stealing just about every scene he’s in. It’s a pity he’s not in more.
