4) Insurgent
No YA-targeted, post-apocalyptic franchise has ever made me detest the existence of the entire subgenre so much as The Divergent Series. The first was the definition of passable, cribbing the best elements of its predecessors while only offering one or two truly interesting moments. And this sequel continues the not-so-thrilling saga in the worst ways possible, sidelining the movie’s main star (Shailene Woodley, sleepwalking through the role of heroine Tris Prior) in order to prioritize her buff Abercrombie model boyfriend (Theo James, potentially a cardboard cutout here).
I’ve written about the problems with Insurgent at length, so I won’t do it again here, but suffice to say, it’s an embarrassment for all involved, a stale and stagnant sequel that cares more about junky special effects and setup for a (get your groans ready) two-film finale than holding together as its own product.
Published: Jan 4, 2016 06:37 pm