Imogen Farris, Staff Writer
“Insurgent,” the second movie inspired by the “Divergent” book series written by Veronica Roth, hit theaters Friday, March 20. One very positive thing I will say about this movie is the special effects. From exploding buildings to the decaying ruins of Chicago, this film is visually stunning. Shailene Woodley returns as Tris Prior and does a great job transforming her character from a naïve young girl to a strong woman. In one of the first scenes in the film, Tris cuts off her long blonde hair and opts for a short, bold pixie cut. While I don’t like to compare books to films, this small change did irk me for the first half of the film. In the book, Tris cuts her hair to a collarbone length, not a pixie. However, throughout the movie the hairstyle definitely grew on me and Shailene rocked the look. Kate Winslet did a great job portraying the icy Erudite leader Jeanine, who continually puts divergents through a painful simulator. In “Insurgent,” Winslet had a much larger role and was a very convincing villain.
Two surprise additions to the second film were that of Octavia Spencer, who played Amity leader Johanna, and Naomi Watts, the leader of the Factionless. The one very positive member of the cast was Miles Teller, who played the role of arrogant and self-serving Peter. Teller served as a very welcomed comic relief to the more serious scenes.
Overall, the movie was action-packed with decent acting, and visually satisfying to watch. If you have read the books, I don’t think you will be disappointed in this recent adaptation. Viewers who have not read the books will be constantly surprised by the turn of events as each scene unfolds.
