Insurgent review

Based on the second book in the Divergent young adult trilogy, Insurgent picks up the story of young Tris (Woodley), now a fugitive along with her boyfriend Four (James) and her annoying brother Caleb (Elgort).

You see, they live in a dystopian future where everyone has been sorted into ‘factions’ based on their personalities – Dauntless are the brave army types, Amity are the peaceful, living off the land ones, Erudite are intellectual, Candor are honest, Abnegation are selfless – and Tris is ‘divergent’, meaning she doesn’t fall into just one category, which especially annoys Erudite leader Jeanine (Winslet).

If you can get past that rather odd Factions premise – and the fact that everyone lives surrounded by a big wall that’s been put up yet no one feels the urge to see what’s on the other side – this romps along as Tris and pals are forced to fight back when Jeanine and her army come after them against the rather impressive sci-fi backdrops. There are some impressive set pieces and a quality supporting cast (including Naomi Watts and Lost’s Daniel Dae Kim) but it is really Shailene’s show, and she carries the movie with skill and charm.

It’s all a bit serious and po-faced – the only humour comes from the terrific Miles Teller as sneaky Peter – and not as exciting as the first movie, but at least it doesn’t feel like the forgettable filling of a sandwich (holding the two good bits together) as some middle instalments of movie trilogies sometimes have done. Or could that be because, as with Twilight, Hunger Games and Harry Potter, the final book – Allegiant – has been split into two money-making movies, so this really isn’t the middle instalment at all? Hmmm.