Movie Review – The Divergent Series: Allegiant

Veronica Roth, author of the Divergent Trilogy novels, has seen much success with the popularity of her young adult book series. There’s no denying that. When it comes to the film adaption however, things become a tad bit muddled. The first movie, Divergent (2014), saw a decent return on its investment as both fans and critics alike seemed to be entertained by the story and how it was portrayed on the screen. The following year The Divergent Series: Insurgent (2015) was released but failed reach the same plateau as its predecessor. That being said, it did enough to warrant a continuation of the series which brings us to the present. Robert Schwentke who also directed the last movie is back behind the camera to helm The Divergent Series: Allegiant. Can Schwentke avoid the trap that several other sagas have fallen into? Being the second to last movie of the series, a final film is a virtual guarantee. So where’s the motivation to go above and beyond? Let’s dive into that question and more.
The Divergent Series: Allegiant returns all of its stars as the story of Tris (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James) continues to unfold. Following the liberating events of Insurgent, viewers learn that the scope of what has been going on in Chicago is part of a much larger picture. Tris and a handful of her faithful followers look to make a break for it in order to find out what’s on the side of the wall that they’ve lived behind their entire lives. Spoiler alert (not really): they do make it beyond the wall only to discover that, in retrospect, maybe life was better on the side of the wall that they were already familiar with. The group comes into contact with an entirely new society of people, and it is here that perspectives begin to change as information is revealed.
In case anyone is unaware, the movie industry strikes again with self-serving greed by extending a series by breaking the final novel into two parts. This all but guarantees an exit from anything resembling a quick pace. And typically this also means that there will not be as much closer as one might hope for at the end of a movie. Both of these assumptions are absolutely true. There are more than a couple moments where audiences might feel their consciousness requesting a brief siesta. Quick, take a sip of your caffeinated beverage! It shouldn’t come as any big surprise that the conclusion of The Divergent Series: Allegiant falls short of a fulfilling end. The latter isn’t a deal breaker because a) it’s pretty much a given and b) you’ll only have to wait one year to get the rest of the story. Releasing movies in consecutive years is definitely a feather in Lionsgate’s hat in my opinion. Strike those coals while they’re hot and don’t give the masses time to become totally uninterested.
In addition to the parade of returning actors, two new faces that have an impact on the events of The Divergent Series: Allegiant are Jeff Daniels and Bill Skarsgård. Both see a decent amount of screen time with Jeff Daniels getting the most time since his role is integral to the events leading to the final film of the franchise, The Divergent Series: Ascendant due out in 2017. Acting performances have never been a strong point of the series up this point and that trend does not change. Now that we’re onto the third movie there are just so many characters to keep track of so there’s less screen time for many of the actors. This also means less time for them to shine…or stumble.
Listen, if you’ve watched the first two and were mildly entertained, The Divergent Series: Allegiant will more than likely be serviceable in your eyes. There’s nothing great about that will make you push others to go see it. By the same token there’s nothing terrible about that should cause you to give it two thumbs down. There are funny moments, enlightening moments and cheesy “teen movie” moments. It’s obviously a must-see if you’ve watched the first two which also makes next year’s finale a necessity. You see this is how these movie studios sucker us in. You can see more of Tris’ story in theaters right now or you can just sit tight and wait for it on video a few months down the road. Arguments can be made for either route. Just don’t expect to be floored by amazing reveals and breathtaking action sequences.