"The Divergent Series: Allegiant" Review

The official title of this film is The Divergent Series: Allegiant. Originally, there was supposed to be a Part 1 in there, but last September, Summit Entertainment and Lionsgate changed the titles, renaming part two, The Divergent Series: Ascendant.

The Hollywood Reporter said it was "likely" the change was because the films would expand on Veronica Roth's novel. Be honest. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay as a two-parter didn't bring in the profit Lionsgate wanted, so by changing the name, moviegoers are to think Allegiant is a stand-alone installment.

Don't be fooled. Not only isn't this its own story, it's barely half of one.

Jeanine (Kate Winslet) is dead, and Evelyn (Naomi Watts) has taken over. She orders the gates closed, to the dismay of Four (Theo James) and Tris (Shailene Woodley), who wish to find the Founders who set up the Chicago experiment. Evelyn holds trials for Jeanine's supporters, which devolve into mob-mandated executions (I got some chuckles out of the more enthusiastic extras, who screamed everything but "Give us Barrabbas!")

Tris and Four rescue Caleb, and along with Peter (Miles Teller), Christina (Zoe Kravitz), and Tori (Maggie Q) make a break for the gate, escaping to the Fringe, a radioactive wasteland so polluted, the rain is colored red (Raining Blood!)

They find the Founders, named the Bureau of Genetic Welfare. Their leader, David (Jeff Daniels), says Chicago's been monitored for centuries - the local kids ogle Four like a TV star - and finally, the experiment has produced a genetically "Pure" divergent person, a.k.a. Tris. 

So Chicagoans were divided into groups based on arbitrarily chosen moral traits. The hope was the factions would keep order (dubious at best), and they'd cross-breed to produce a perfectly divergent person. How does one empirically measure bravery or honesty to know if someone's a perfect blend? According to Allegiant, it's in the genes. Never mind that David doesn't explain any of this beyond his assertion. With all the pointless action, subplots, and characters, one would think this could be addressed. Guess we really had to find out if Four was going to get along with his new hard-ass commanding officer.

Where Jennifer Lawrence looks bored in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2, Shailene Woodley's still energized. It's just a shame she has little to do. Most of her scenes consist of awkward, one-sided conversations with Four or David. There's barely any development outside of her being "the only one" who can fulfill the experiment/goal/prophecy.

Allegiant feels like busy work. We're watching characters run from soldiers, trek through desert, hack surveillance, hunt down rogues - a plethora of plot with little impact. The movie differs from other "Part Ones"in that it's filled with action, but is somehow more dull. It's not a matter of turning Allegiant and Ascendant into one two-hour movie, but boiling the plot to its essentials. With an Alex Garland or David Cronenberg - storytellers who've explored technology's relationship with sociology (Ex Machina and Videodrome, respectively) - at the helm, we'd have a tighter, more focused film.

As it stands, the movie's bogged down by a cluttered script, and Schwentke's direction, while glossy at times, reminds me too much of last year's Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials or Transformers (the cinematography, especially) to feel fresh.

This film's two hours, and it's a slog to sit through. This, and Hollywood's continued resistance to tell a trilogy in three movies leaves me unwilling to stick around for Ascendant. Consider this my jump-off point. If you're only a fan of the movies, just pick up the last book.

It'll be less expensive and less disappointing.

Thank you all for reading. I'm the Man Without a Plan, signing off.