By TRENTON JUDD & NATALIE SACKET
Columnists
Natalie: 1 out of 5
Wait, this series is still going?
In a cinematic world where novel adaptations and post-apocalyptic worlds dominate the box office, “Allegiant” falls short. This film is the third in the “Divergent” series … and hopefully the last. (Though I’m certain they intend to drag the series out for one more film).
So far, I’ve reviewed the first three films of the “Divergent” series. I enjoyed the first film, as its plot development was quite strong. Unfortunately, the series has been on a burning rollercoaster downward ever since. The second film was a huge disappointment, and honestly, I debated copying and pasting last year’s review for the third film. Both reviews were filled with disappointment and sassy critiques.
I’m not certain I can blame the poor acting on the actors. The characters are just too one-dimensional for any intrigue. Whether it is the original book series or the screen adaptation to blame, these characters are just one big snooze fest. Perhaps the snooziest of them all is Tris, played by Shalene Woodley. I appreciate a strong heroine, but Tris is just a less intense copy of Katniss from “The Hunger Games.”
I will say that if you intend on watching this film, you need to have watched the first two placements in the series. Otherwise you will be more lost and out of place than Tris in the company of strong female characters.
“Allegiant” relies way too heavily on CGI effects, most of which are not convincing or enticing. Overall, I was left with a sense of “blah” at the visual aspects of the film.
I’ve not read the book series, but based off of the responses of several friends who have, this film does not stay true to the original storyline in the slightest. Granted, Hollywood has rights to make changes, but the author’s original plot should stay intact. If you’re a fan of the novels, prepare to be underwhelmed.
Bottom Line: Allegiant? More like Alleg’aint’ gonna get those two hours of my life back.
Trenton: 3 out of 5
“Allegiant” continues the story of Tris, played by Shailene Woodley, as she looks for a way to escape a post-apocalyptic Chicago, which is currently crumbling under anarchy amongst the factions, that has been walled off from the rest of the world and Tris will discover that the grass is not greener on the other side.
“Allegiant’s” story is nothing new amongst today’s audiences due to the overflow of post-apocalyptic films and unfortunately for “Allegiant” it feels like a watered down version of many of these films, but it does have unique elements in the style of the film that somewhat separates it from other post-apocalyptic films. The design elements of the film are unique with how they chose to design a radioactive earth complete with bloodied rain and terrain that was red due to radiation and corrosion. The costume design for the military uniforms was visually interesting to look at, but many of the other costumes were basic and uninteresting. The CGI on the buildings was very well done and blended very well, but a majority of the CGI in this movie looks fake and out of place. The worst example of CGI gone bad are these orange bubbles and they look so out of place that it may pull you out of the movie with how distractingly bad they look. There are three great things about this movie and their names are Jeff Daniels, Octavia Spencer, and Jonny Weston. Jeff Daniels gives an excellent and diverse performance as the governing authority of Chicago. Octavia Spencer gives a few strong and memorable lines as the leader of the new allegiant faction. Finally Jonny Weston gives a great over the top performance as a minor antagonist, but it is clear he is having fun with the role. The worst actor in the movie is Ansel Elgort due to the way he forces emotions and it is very clear that he is not invested in his character at all.
Bottom Line: “Allegiant” was not a bad movie to watch, but it is definitely not a movie that could do well as a movie on its own so before seeing this movie it might help if you re-watch the previous “Divergent” movies in order to make this movie feel far more complete than it turned out to be.