Michelle’s Movie Musings ~ Book to Movie ~ Insurgent Spoiler-Free Review

Insurgent (Movie) Series: Divergent #2
on March 19, 2015
Genres: Dystopian, Fantasy, Romance
Goodreads

Now on the run from Jeanine (Kate Winslet) and the rest of the power-hungry Erudites, Tris (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James) search for allies and answers in the ruins of Chicago. They must find out what Tris' family sacrificed their lives to protect and why the Erudites will do anything to stop them. Side by side, Tris and Four face one seemingly insurmountable challenge after another, as they unravel the secrets of the past and -- ultimately -- the future of their world.

 

 

I’ve been counting down the days until Insurgent was released, and I could spend more time with Theo James.  (Yes, I’m a bit obsessed with that man.)  What made this even better is that my 19-year-old daughter Danielle had come home from college for two nights and wanted to see Insurgent with me.  She is the one responsible for introducing me to these movies and the series written by Veronica Roth.

You see, Danielle is an avid reader and read the entire series.  When the movie Divergent came out, she re-read the first book and I agreed to go to the movie with her.  I was absolutely lost and kept asking her what was going on, all the while keeping my eyes on a handsome man named Theo James aka Four (aka my Christian Grey)!  My gosh, that man is so masculine and simply enjoyable to look at.  But I really enjoyed the movie and ended up seeing it again with my then 15-year-old-son, and it made so much more sense to me (especially after reading Wikipedia and understanding the whole faction system).  And that began my obsession with the entire Divergent series.  (Keep in mind I never had any intentions of reading the series and know exactly what happens in Allegience, and I still haven’t read the series.)

So today we attended the 4:00 PM 3D showing of Insurgent at the Regal Theater, which features luxury, king-size recliners and digital projection, which means a larger-than-life Theo James.   Insurgent picks up right where Divergent left off.  And all of our friends, family, and enemies are back including Eric, Peter, Caleb, Marcus, Janine, and Christina, and some new friends and family.

I would be remiss if I didn’t say what an incredible actress Shailene Woodley has become.  I remember watching her as Amy in The Secret Life of the American Teenager and thought her acting was horrible.  She was very monotone and just boring to watch, and I was completely shocked when she was cast for this series.  Well, let me be the first to say that she has come a long, long way since those days because this “women” has taken the role of Tris and made it her own.  She is Tris, and I’m a forever fan of Sheilene as Tris.  She has become one hell of an actress.

Insurgent is mostly about Tris and how she feels that anyone who gets close to her will die because she can’t protect them, which carries over into daily nightmares.  She watched both of her parents die trying to save her, and she can’t forgive herself.  And, of course, she is feeling guilt over killing Will, even though he was going to kill her first (that happened in Divergent).

Once again, my hatred towards Eric rears its ugly head!  That man gets under my skin and not in a good way.  One quote that really stuck with me from the movie was when Four pointed a gun directly at Eric, and Eric glared right at Four and said, “I’ve found a way to live with the blood on my hands, but can you?”  I just wanted to rip that eyebrow ring right out of his temple! 🙂

And, I was so excited for Tris and Four to make love for the first time but a little disappointed when the scene was “fade to black.”  Sigh, I’m a hopeless romantic, what can I say?

 

 

The cinematography is incredible and just breathtaking.   I was so glad I spent the extra money to see the 3D version, especially towards the end of the movie when Tris has to pass a series of five “sims” (hallucinatory simulations that test her ability to puzzle her way out of tight situations).  The most memorable was the first sim involving Tris’s mom (see both photos below).  At times Tris reminded me of Spiderman, as she was swinging from building to building.  She is one kick-ass heroine.

 

 

Most of Insurgent was filmed around the Atlanta area, so I’m not sure why I never took the time to pay Mr. Theo James a personal visit since I live 40 minutes north of Atlanta.  Atlanta’s High Museum of Art (Erudite’s headquarters),  Serenbe Community (Amity compound), the Peachtree Center (zip lining scenes) are just a few of the filming locations that were used.

Without a doubt I would give this dystopian/action/adventure/romance movie 4.5 stars and will no doubt see it again.  There is a PG-13 rating for a reason.  There is a lot of intense violence in this movie, and I think younger children can become frightened by all the shooting and loud noises.

The third book, Allegiant, will be split into two movies.  Allegiant: Part 1 will release on March 18, 2016, and Allegiant:  Part 2 will release on March 24, 2017.

Special Offer: Fandango VIPs get a FREE eBOOK DOWNLOAD of Divergent on NOOK Reading Apps when you buy Insurgent’ tickets now. Limited time. Subject to availability. Terms apply.

 

Divergent DVD / Divergent Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD

Divergent Series Complete Boxed Set

Divergent Book #1

Insurgent Book #2

Allegiant Book #3

Divergent Series Ultimate Four Book Set
(includes Four, a companion volume told from the perspective of Tobias)

All you have to do to enter, is comment on this blog post.  Have you read Divergent?  Have you seen the movie Insurgent?  Is Four hot or what?  Three winners will be chosen using Random.org.  Must live in the United States to be eligible to enter and win one of the prizes.

Terms & Conditions:  Giveaway ends March 27, 2015, at 9:00 PM EST.  limited to residents of the United States. Prizes cannot be shipped to PO Boxes. Winner will be notified by email and will have 72 hours to respond before a new winner is selected. By providing your information in this form, you are providing your information to us and us alone.  We do not share or sell information and will use any information only for the purpose of contacting the winner.  Must be 18 years of age to enter.  Void where prohibited by law.  Winners will be chosen in the same order as the prizes are listed, from left to right.