'Insurgent' Review: A vivacious cast that fails to live up to expectations

Director: Robert Schwentke
Cast: Shailene Woodley, Kate Winslet, Theo James, Ansel Egort, Miles Teller, Jai Courtney, Ashley Judd
Rating: **1/2

What it's about: It's the second part in the Divergent franchise, which follows the exploits of Tris Prior, her life after being discovered as someone who is different (plainspeak for "divergent") in a society where everything is ordered and the citizens compliant. After seeking refuge with the Amity faction and later the Factionless, Tris does a lot of soul-searching in this one.

What's hot: Pretty slim pickings here. The unexpected ending, for sure. The simulations that Tris goes through all at once. Teller for just being himself even as Peter. The darker tone of this film, Insurgent wears it well, probably even better than the first film.

What's not: If you have watched the first film, there would be many things you liked about Tris. The foremost being Tris as a viable alternative to Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games. Second would be a story that, while not being unheard of, had a good thing going with a young, vivacious cast. The edgy trailers built up anticipation about the film itself, but one does find Tris treading familiar territory here. And while that might be an unfortunate reality about the tropes that exist in this genre, it does breed some contempt. I was not too blown away by that message in the box. Just saying.

What to do: Think of this as an inbetweener you have to get through to get to the final two films in this series. Tedious, but necessary.