Talkie Tuesday: Insurgent

"I'm factionless because I don't fit in any one faction. And you're Divergent because you belong to too many."

Hello everyone!

So, I have a confession to make.

Well, it shouldn't be too weird to some of you who know me, because sometimes, this is just how I get. I wanted to see Insurgent as soon as was humanly possible once it was released, because, well, I love the Divergent series and I am definitely a big fan. Also, the first movie was quite amazing as far as everything goes. 

But then I'm not exactly sure what happened.

Friends kept asking me if I'd seen Insurgent already or what, and all the time, my answer would be 'No, not yet', 'Working on it' or 'I'm getting there'.

What happened?

I really have no idea.

For some odd reason, once I got the chance to actually see the movie, I was hesitant. Maybe it was a sixth sense telling me all about it.

But anyway, I digress.

I did, eventually, FINALLY sit down to watch it - I even bought the DVD, which is something that doesn't happen too often unless I'm invested in a series, which I am in this. The books, to me, were fantastic and I need to reread them soon.

But it's been a while, though, so I don't exactly remember details from the book Insurgent.

I have, however, read and seen reviews that aren't as happy-go-lucky about the movie.

Apparently, there were changes made that really shouldn't have happened, and it made fans angry. Me, I can't honestly say I'm in that camp as, since the Hobbit, I've refrained from rereading source material right before seeing the movie. It's just better for my sanity.

So I don't know and can't compare, but I mean, if a lot of people are crying out about it, then it's got to be true. And I'm beginning to wonder if Hollywood directors have some sort of allergy to source material (aka books, in most cases).

In the movie, we pick up where Divergent left off, which is on a train headed towards Amity with our fugitives, Tris, Four, Caleb, etc. This, as far as I remember, is true to the book. They are given sanctuary there and they could, ideally, live out their lives in the community and be happy, but they're too Dauntless - violence is in their blood.

Before this can even be resolved though, Dauntless working for the Erudite leader looking for Divergents arrive, and our group has to flee. Now short-hair Tris (she says she wants something different) holds them back while Four displays his amazing running-and-jumping skills to not get splattered in front of a train.

Once boarding it, however, they encounter Factionless, and at this point we are introduced to their leader - Four's mother, played by Naomi Watts.

/Side-note here: she was an okay choice, but she looks much too young for a son like Theo James portrays. End aside./

We see that mommy dearest has wanted to get her son on her side for a while now, but Four is having none of it - and I don't blame him, considering the fact that he basically has parents issues (one abused him, one faked her death).

The Dauntless don't stop here, however, as they have a plan to head to Candor - which is an iffy thing as those people only speak the truth. But they have the rest of the Dauntless there, so that's a plus, as far as it goes. And for me, I get to enjoy Daniel Dae Kim some more, because there's no such thing as too much of that actor.

Here ... Tris gets into a predicament, as she hadn't told Christina that she killed her brother Will, and it comes out under the truth serum, so that's a big doo-doo. No time for wallowing as the bad Dauntless attack though, aiming to take Divergents back to Erudite headquarters where they all try to open this weird box thing hidden by Tris' parents with apparently rules about how to fix the situation now.

Only, Divergents keep dying - and before Tris is grabbed, Four saves the day and takes her back to Factionless. Enter a sex scene for our heroes (and this I know for sure that was bumped up from Allegiant), and Tris sneaking off to go to Erudite herself.

There, she needs to open the box by completing symulations for all factions, and she only has one left before she's exhausted. Despite a rescue wagon, she determines to do it and opens the box, which contains a message from one of her ancestors about just what happened with Chicago - and that there's a world out there waiting for them.

This almost doesn't get shown, but of course, Factionless save the day, the message is broadcast through the city, and people begin an exodus to the fence that has always kept them 'safe' - or so they believed.

I don't think I missed any vitally important information in this review. As a movie, I actually enjoyed it, although maybe I would have felt different if I could remember the book a bit more. Still, it was nicely paced in my opinion, and I alwayy enjoy watching Theo and Shailene on screen. It also felt a lot more like the newcomers, not Kate Winslet or Daniel or Naomi were holding down the fort well, so that's a plus.

But like I said, having no good memory of the book, as second books are vont to go, I can't vouch for differences and be anrgy about them.

I may still be in the future, though.

xx

*images and video not mine