The Divergent Series: Insurgent

The Divergent series is by no means unique  it’s just one of many hit young adult franchises to make its way onto the big screen, but just because it’s nothing new doesn’t mean it isn’t good fun.

In Divergent we were introduced to a new world where people were divided in to one of five factions, depending on their strengths and weaknesses. When Tris (Shailene Woodley), our action girl hero, attends her “choosing ceremony” she finds out that she defies categorisation, making her Divergent – someone to be feared.

Insurgent picks up a while after Divergent, with Tris and broody boyfriend Four (Theo James) in hiding, having been blamed by Jeanine, leader of the Erudite faction and our scheming villain, for the carnage at the end of the first film. But she can’t hide forever; Jeanine is obsessed with Divergents and seemingly nothing will stand in her way of finding them all – and for good reason. She’s found something, a box that only a Divergent can open, and Tris, unsurprisingly, is firmly in her sights.

Insurgent once more is visually stunning, with a great balance of techno and the haunting beauty of the ruined city. The soundtrack too is excellent, and the plot fast-paced: there’s action, romance, angst and a lot of lingering plot-related questions answered. Woodley gives a five-star performance, outshining almost everyone, and hopefully firmly placing Tris among the ranks of our favourite heroines.

There are a few gripes to be had, however. Janine’s plan is fairly flimsy and, as always with novels, a lot has had to be cut. While in the first movie this was smoothly done, in the second, as we get deeper into this world, it’s more noticeable. There are a few characters that are rather hurriedly introduced, and a few plot points left unexplored, but the mind-blowing special effects and action sequences more than make up for the occasional bumpy scene.

All in all, Insurgent is every bit as enjoyable as Divergent, but with a much more satisfying ending. It’s sure to leave you itching to find out what happens next.

Natasha Furlong

Insurgent is released nationwide on 20^th March 2015.

Watch the trailer for Insurgent here: