'Insurgent' Review: This Simulation Isn't So Realistic

In "Insurgent," the book-adapted sequel to "Divergent," Shailene Woodley plays Tris, a girl who is subjected to realistic and mind-altering simulations in a dystopian, far-future Chicago. Unfortunately, the movie itself doesn't immerse you nearly as much as those simulations do Tris.

"Divergent" lacked a bit in story and played a bit too much like a teen movie: overly sappy moments and music choices took away from the gravity of the situation. However, strong emotional hits and good character moments elevated the movie to a watchable level.

"Insurgent" however lacks the emotional punch that "Divergent" had, without adding much in terms of story. As a result, the movie feels far too formulaic and empty to be truly engrossing.

On the positive side, "Insurgent" does make important changes to the story from the book that, while relying a little too heavily on a MacGuffin, do make for much better character motivations than the book. Here, the villainous Jeanine (Kate Winslet) continues to commit atrocities in order to unlock an artifact that the Abnegation faction had hidden for years.

Unfortunately, there are subtle ways of including a MacGuffin and this is not one of them. It follows that everything feels a bit too convenient as it plays out.

The true strength of "Insurgent" lies in its excellent cast: Woodley is phenomenal again, though the odds are stacked against her as she never looks completely comfortable as an action star; Theo James, who hit the scene in a big way thanks to "Divergent" is as brooding, heroic and handsome as ever; and Miles Teller, who blew up thanks to the Oscar-nominated "Whiplash," shines in his expanded role this time around.

If there's one flaw in the casting, it's only that there's a surprising lack of chemistry between Woodley and James. Tris and Four's relationship was cold through most of "Divergent," so perhaps it wasn't as easy to tell, but in "Insurgent" the two are a full-fledged couple and rarely spark together as well as Woodley did with, ironically, co-stars Miles Teller and Ansel Elgort in "The Specacular Now" and "The Fault in Our Stars" respectively.

Still, the action sequences and visuals in "Insurgent" are impressive enough to be entertaining and the body count is surprisingly high, adding some much-needed gravity to the proceedings. Fans of the book will want to catch "Insurgent" in theaters and possibly even shell out the extra cash for 3D, but others might want to wait until this one is a cheap rental.