Review: Insurgent is the follow-up only Divergent fans will crave

REVIEW: Insurgent reminds us that the Divergent series is the cheaper, dumber, moodier and not-so-hot cousin of The Hunger Games.

The Divergent Series : Insurgent (M)

Director : Robert Schwentke (Flightplan)

Starring : Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ansel Elgort, Kate Winslet, Miles Teller.

Rating : **1/2

More running, more gunning, less stunning.

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In young-adult movie terms, the Divergent series is the cheaper, dumber, moodier and not-so-hot cousin of The Hunger Games.

Nothing wrong with that, mind you. After all, the $300-million-plus global box-office gross generated by the first Divergent outing last year established there is a huge following that will surely stick with the franchise for the long haul.

However, with the pressure now off - and plans now firmly in place for the obligatory two-part finale in 2016 - Insurgent is very much an exercise in holding captive territory, as opposed to expanding the appeal of the Divergent phenomenon.

A fans-only affair, then? Absolutely. So let’s just cut to the chase(s), shall we?

The action kicks off inside the compound of the peace-loving Amity faction, where series heroine Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) is taking a breather before resuming hostilities with the villainous Erudite leader Jeanine (Kate Winslet).

Latest installment ... Evelyn (Naomi Watts) and Edgar (Jonny Weston).

Once her cover is blown, Tris goes on the run once more with her main squeeze Four (Theo James), her brother Caleb (Ansel Elgort) and her lifelong frenemy Peter (Miles Teller).

After jumping a train and surviving a few pitched battles amidst the ruins of the former Chicago, the quartet is halved in size.

With Caleb and Peter now under the influence of the Erudites, Tris and Four must fend for themselves, and also keep their focus on mounting a valid resistance to Jeanine’s ever-intensifying oppression.

The latter becomes particularly difficult once Tris and Four cross paths with the Candor faction.

A rightly suspicious Candor leader (Daniel Dae Kim) demands the pair prove their innocence against charges of treason by agreeing to a trial under the influence of a powerful truth serum.

Later, all roads will lead to yet another showdown between the underdogs and the overlords.

Touch of evil ... Kate Winslet plays the villainous Erudite leader Jeanine.

Only this time, Jeanine appears to hold a dominant upper hand, after Tris turns herself into the Erudites and becomes a guinea pig for a terrifying medical experiment.

While there is no real problem with the pacing of Insurgent, there is a repetition of devices fixed to its scripting that limits any potential for sustained excitement.

Too many life-or-death situations are reversed by the sudden brandishing of weapons. Or people bursting into rooms and saving the day at the exact moment all hope is lost. They’re always carrying weapons as well. (Take the guns out of the Divergent saga, and the whole thing would totally misfire.)

Of the featured cast, only Woodley really achieves any lasting impact in this episode, although the ham-fisted writing sometimes leaves her a little too exposed.

*** for more reviews, news and updates, follow Leigh Paatsch on Twitter at @leighpaatsch and on Instagram at leighpaatsch ***

Originally published as Review: Insurgent is the follow-up only Divergent fans will crave