Well here we are. I thought we would be wrapping up another Young Adult trilogy (is there any other kind?) but discovered that a fourth (!) chapter is in production, so now we have Parts 1 & 2. Most of the faces and names are familiar to fans, so it won't take much additional information to set the stage. With the big surprises revealed in "Insurgent" so after Tris and Four perilously escape beyond the wall that encircles Chicago, our heroic band has its work cut out for it.
Returning from his "Insurgent" duties, director Robert Schwentke once again takes the helm for this non-stop actioner. Unfortunately, that's all there is: Action. Gunfire and blowie uppie stuff. The story is flimsy and convoluted, the locations are Computer Generated Imaging, and we in the audience are jaded. To me, the only interesting exceptions are a derelict O'Hare Airport and those gauzy translucent bags that envelope our principals once in awhile. Incidentally, Schwentke will not be returning to direct Part 2; maybe he too, is weary.
Here is part of the cast:
This is rated PG-13, so you can expect very little profanity, no sweaty bodies and only partial nudity. Unfortunately, this movie lasts for 121 minutes, that leaves almost two hours of fisticuffs, running, shooting and blowing stuff up. Oh! and some icky orange smoke... Aarghhh!
These Young Adult series ("Twilight," "The Hunger Games," and "Divergent") have brought us some outstanding young actresses (Kristen Stewart, Jennifer Lawrence and Shailene Woodley), who have managed to anchor their series, survive the rigors of super-stardom and, despite being saddled with twaddle like this, have begun to create respectable bodies of work that will hold up over the long haul. Kudos!