Allegiant is the third chapter of the highly successful Divergent series, yet another franchise based on some best-selling YA books. What can I say about this entry that probably hasn’t already been said? It’s dull, bland, pretentions, and aggressively silly. For a self-consciously serious film, it’s very funny, but how much of the humor is intended is up to open interpretation.
Shailene Woodley and Theo James are back as Tris and Four, the young lovers trying to survive in dystopian Chicago and bringing an end to the regime that runs it. At the beginning of this film, they manage to escape the gigantic walls surrounding the city and venture far out into the unknown which looks like the wasteland of Mad Max: Fury Road if it was designed by someone with a hangover.
They eventually discover a city ruled over by a man (Jeff Daniels) who tells Tris that she is the key to ending the war mainly due to her genetic modifications being different than others. Or something like that. Trust me. It’s not as exciting as it sounds.
At first, the new refuge seems like a hopeful stronghold, but then dark secrets are bubbling beneath the surface and Tris decides that maybe this place isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
If the Divergent series is shaping up to be nothing more than a Hunger Games knockoff and Woodley’s performance is a Jennifer Lawrence wannabe, well, I could’ve told you that from the beginning. For me, this series continues to be just like the Hunger Games minus the intelligence and imagination surgically removed.
The story is highly convoluted, the dialogue and performances are laughable, the romance is increasingly ludicrous and the visuals are only marginally interesting. The good news is that next year marks the conclusion of this franchise. The bad news? See good news.
Grade: C-
(Rated PG-13 for intense violence and action, thematic elements, and some partial nudity.)
This review is dedicated to the memories of Charles Theus and Brenda Miness Smith.
