Jen and I were treated to the pre-screening of the third installment of The Divergent Series: Allegiant.
Let me preface this pseduo-review with this: I have not yet read the books so I’m basing my opinions on the film alone.
*** WARNING: YOU ARE NOW ENTERING THE SPOILER ZONE***
Prior to walking into the theatre, Jen and I discussed what factions we would be in. Clearly Camp Candor (but always #FactionFour).
Oh where do I even begin. Okay, so I knew from the get go that Allegiant is essentially Part I of the final book in the trilogy (of course the studios wanted to Harry Potter/Twilight/Hunger Games/Hobbit this series). Even though it’s not the final film, Allegiant was in a word unsatisfying.
There were no real surprises in the film. Everything felt cloyingly predictable. Even the scene where badass Tori (Maggie Q) was killed, it wasn’t shocking to the audience. It was all setup letting us know before she was shot that she was going to die. And the new baddie, David (Jeff Daniels) was so obviously the villain (which they kind of gave away in the trailer), yet our heroine Tris (Shailene Woodley) blindly trusted him anyway.
There was also a lot of exposition (like in the previous two films) that added nothing to the plot and moments that just seemed incredibly awkward. Exhibit A: Tris and Four (Theo James) making out… In front of Christina (Zoe Kravitz)… While they still had the world to save. Priorities, kids.
Also can we please talk about the “advanced technology” weapons and the hand signals to control them? Whoopty doo. I mean when Four went through the training module for it, pretty badass. But the finger twirling? Way to make the futuristic weaponry uncool.
I felt like the entire movie undid everything that was laid out in the first two films. In Allegiant we find out that Chicago was simply an experiment supervised by David and the Bureau of Genetic Warfare (kind of the perfect name for an eugenics agency). And the thing that bothered me the most was that there were many times where David could have intervened earlier in order to thwart Tris and her ragtag team only he waited. Why?
There was one redeeming aspect of the movie. And that surprisingly was Peter (Miles Teller). While I was annoyed with him in the first two films, Peter actually sparkled in Allegiant with some quippy one liners. And you knew exactly where his loyalties lie. With himself. He’s a self-preservationist. We’re not supposed to like him, but he was one of the reasons I didn’t get up and walk out of the theatre. The other reason, Johanna (Octavia Spencer), who didn’t get enough screen time.
***EXITING THE SPOILER ZONE***
I wanted to enjoy the film but with the gaping plot holes and lackluster plot, I honestly couldn’t. And that broke my heart because I actually adore this cast. I’m hoping for redemption with the final installment of the series, Ascendant.
Our rating for Allegiant:
Rach – two finger twirls and a fear landscape test
Jen – one long extended facepalm (plus an “Oh Peter”)
Big thank you once again to our dear friend Kevin (@djkastle) for getting us these screening passes. The Divergent Series: Allegiant opens tomorrow Friday March 18. If you do see it, let us know what you thought.
‘Til next time,
Rach
