‘Insurgent’ fails to match up to other dystopian series

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suZcGoRLXkU

By ALEXA ALLEN

“Insurgent” starts off where its prequel, “Divergent,” left off, with a handful of Dauntless refugees, including main characters Tris (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James), taking refuge from the ruthless Erudite fraction.

Erudite members value knowledge above all else and believe that they are the only ones capable of running a functional society. There are two problems though: the Erudite does not have the manpower to start a war, and the divergent members of society are getting in their way.

Audiences fell in love with the well-rounded characters of the “Insurgent” book from which this movie was based on. The “Divergent” trilogy was expected to be the next big thing in the dystopian literature craze after “The Hunger Games.” While the books of the “Divergent” trilogy were well liked, the “Insurgent” box office sales fell short compared to other dystopian movies.

“Insurgent” grossed only $52.26 million during its opening weekend, less than half the opening sales for “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”

This installment follows Tris as she battles with guilt stemming from the death of her parents and her friends in the first movie. Four is an influential member from Dauntless and is emotionally torn between which group to side with in the war against the Erudite.

The relationship between Tris and Four is a theme throughout the movie. Their romance provides extra elements of suspense throughout the many action scenes in the movie. This tension also provides the basis for many of the important elements brought in from the book. Kate Winslet, who plays Jeanine, does an excellent job of playing the part of the main villain.

Unfortunately, the movie changes several of the major elements from the book and takes away many of the complexities and character interactions that many readers loved.

Changing some elements from a novel to fit the movie screen is very understandable. There are several secondary relationships that are just impossible to develop within a two-hour film.

However, the changes to the plot altered the entire ending of the movie. This left moviegoers who read the book confused and even irritated with the discrepancies. Overall, it is not a movie that I would see twice, but I did enjoy it once I separated my expectations for the movie from what I thought of the book.