Insurgent

This review may contain spoilers!

A really disappointing sequel through and through. I would give Insurgent a 6/10.

The real highlight of Insurgent was the special effects; in fact the scene in which Tris fights herself was incredibly well made visuals. I also have to say that the cinematography was great, some really good shots both in action, in capturing dialogue or establishing. The score that came with this film was also really impressive; it gave the film a heightened sense of danger.

Jai Courtney, who played Eric, was really the best antagonist of the film; his raw drive as well as his portrayal of someone who'd become psychopathic under a regime was great to watch. Shailene Woodley, who played Tris, did a good job in her leading role again; this time her performance was really focussed around the psychology of her character which was interesting to watch unfold. Theo James, who played Four, really came into his own this film; we see him get pushed to the extremes of his emotional range and I think James did a good job in portraying that. Octavia Spencer, who played Johanna, had a very minor role that stood out in a big way; her passionate voice of reason and conscience was great to watch. Daniel Dae Kim, who played Jack Kang, was another minor role that really stole the show; his Kandor leader was this perfectly calm figure of law and order and a fantastic new addition to the series.

However the best performance within Insurgent was Miles Teller, who played Peter. Teller presented a performance that was a cut above the rest of the cast and that felt a lot more real. His presence was felt in every scene he was in, his natural comedy combining with a very cunning personality. Watching his character evolve from traitor to ally was a really great transition.

This film suffered from it's inability to deliver a great story in the way that the first film did. There wasn't a great sense of understanding the passing time or events that happened between films and many new plot points that were brought up within the film only made the confusion worse. The pacing was awful and this plot really dragged and was bogged down by a lack of action. You really felt suspended between events, like something exciting was about to happen but first this entire film had to happen first.

Kate Winslet, who played Jeanine, continued to remain this uninteresting antagonist; still she lacked backstory or depth in her character which made for a very stock standard performance. Mekhi Phifer, who played Max, was given a bigger role in this film but sadly felt like a back up to every major antagonist in the scenes he was in; he probably should have stuck with his background role. Ansel Elgort, who played Caleb, continues to annoy me as a performer; he seems incapable of playing up any degree of convincing emotion. Zoe Kravitz, who played Christina, was given a much smaller role in this film which I am so thankful for; her acting is wooden and she lacks chemistry with the cast. Ashley Judd, who played Natalie, was a much advertised return performance, but one that failed to impress or provide impact to the plot. Ray Stevenson, who played Marcus, was completely pushed to the side in this film; in fact he just feels like a plain unnecessary character. Naomi Watts, who played Evelyn, was a performance that felt wrong to watch; she looked to young for her part and lacked a strong screen presence. Maggie Q, who played Tori, was wasted in her return performance, her role was completely put on the sidelines.