Insurgent – A really good action movie

It has been ages since I last posted. So many things to care about. Family. Work. Travel plans. I know they are not good excuses, so here I am, stealing some quiet time in between work, family, sleep, rest and other stuffs to catch up on my blogging and back to my writing hobby.

Insurgent, the second movie based on the best selling book series, came more than 1 year after the much loved Divergent. The whole cast was back, and the chemistry was pumped up a notch, as well as the action and tempo. It was a fast paced, action filled movie that kept you glued to your seat and entertained the whole 2.5 hours. Trust me, not many movies can space out the actions, the details, the twists and turns and the plots substantial enough to keep you from being bored, yet thin enough not too choke you or confuse you towards the end. Insurgent achieved that delicate balance, and the right mix for an entertaining view.

Shailene Woodley was back, and she proved to be the true star. If she keeps up with this kind of performance, she will be a top star in no time. She has the charisma and the acting chop, she has the look and she has a pair of talking eyes. Her beauty is even more delicate than Jennifer Lawrence, and her acting is a notch above Kirsten Stewards. By the end of the fourth movie in the series, it will be no surprise if she is officially an A-lister 🙂

Back to the movie, it continued after the events set in the first instalment, with Tris and Four having to run and hide to avoid being captured by the evil dictator. There was more at stake, as divergent were hunted like a disease that had to be eradicated from the whole society. In order to turn the tide and fight back, they had to take refuge within the factions, prove their innocence and strike unpopular alliance. The chain of events then pushed themselves to hard choices, and forced them to face their hard truths and bitter past that they wanted to bury deep down below.

For Tris, the obstacle was ever higher, and the once sweet care free girl had to grow up quickly, faced the hard truth of the deaths of her family members, overcame the guilt of killing her friend and fulfilled her destiny of savaging the fate for all divergent.

The chemistry between Tris and Four was pushed up further this time, as they had to help each other and protect each other against the whole army that was hot on their heels and chasing after them wherever they went. No longer stranger, their budding love from the first movie has blossomed into a deeper love and relationship that was built on trust, need, shared secrets and reliance. It was a deep kind of love, fuelled by passion and care for each other, the kind of love that made them willing to do everything for each other, even sacrificing themselves so that the other can have hope. As the Scripture said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lays down his life for his friend”, the love that Kris had for Four was strong enough for her to sacrifice herself and surrender to her enemy so that she could save the lives of those she loved, and that made the whole movie all the more meaningful.

 Although this is a movie adaptation of a book, credit must be given to the writers who adapted the story. They have done a marvellous job, managing to keep the spirit and the soul of the plot while cutting off the unnecessary details that might have thinned out the flow. The final product was a thickened plot that fit in nicely the 2.5 hours, and made the time spent in cinemas flow so fast with actions and details from the first minutes to the last. Subsequent screen time was devoted to character building, so the audience had time to see the love between the characters grow, and the change of emotions within Tris, from regret to anger to forgiveness. That made the difference between the movie and those action packs that only focus on blowing things up in meaningless mega explosions.

All in all, a movie worth watching. It may not be shown in cinemas anymore, so for those who have not watched it yet, don’t worry, the DVD version should be coming out really soon. And for those who want to watch again, go ahead, immerse in the tough love again and have another 2.5 hour well spent.

The last thing to talk about this movie is the much awaited love scene between Tris and Four, and it turned out really beautiful. It was a short scene, just around a minute, but it was leaving a great impression. It showed all the love between the two, the emotions that have been caged and constraint for so long, now released and set free as they followed their desire and let go of all their control. It was even more meaningful as it might be the last encounter between Four and Tris, since he woke up the next morning finding himself alone and her beloved Tris gone, apparently made up her mind to sacrifice herself to protect others. There must be an excruciating pain in her heart when she initiated the sex, knowing it might be their first and last. And that helped her overcome all her barriers to do whatever she wanted to do, and give Four a great parting gift that he would never forget.

Movie trailer, to whet your appetite or refresh your memory before the DVD comes out:

As usual, there are more photos for your enjoyment below.[AMAZONPRODUCTS asin=”0062024051″]