REVIEW: ‘The Divergent Series: Allegiant’ The Best of The Series (So Far!)

Thanks to the generosity of the awesome people at Lionsgate, all of us at TheTheologians.net, got the chance to watch The Divergent Series: Allegiant at both the premiere and early screenings. We thought it would be a good idea to review the movie from all three points of view and let you know our thoughts as fans of the series. Check out our thoughts below and feel free to share yours in the comments.

Review by Mel

Okay, I’ll admit it. I didn’t love “The Divergent Series: Insurgent.” Was it great seeing the book come to life? Yes! Was it worth it to see Theo James in a tight t-shirt or none at all? Well, duh! But the special effects and simulations were overwhelming and turned me off. The scene of Tris fighting herself, while symbolically interesting, ended up looking laughably cheesy. I found myself asking things like “Why is Tris’ mom flying around on a burning house?” It’s not just that the adaptation didn’t match the book. It didn’t, but that wasn’t what was bad about “Insurgent” to me. The problem was that the overuse of CGI technology took away from what was great about the story: the characters and their relationships. Even meeting Uriah and Johanna didn’t make up for it, although those were among the best parts of the film.

My excitement was high, if not my expectations when I went to see the third movie of this four part series, “The Divergent Series: Allegiant.” And then it blew me away! The things I’d longed to see in “Insurgent” were there: Tris and Christina being badass besties, Tris and Four being a badass couple, Caleb and Tris being brother and sister. (It’s what you do for family. Awe!) I could say more but I don’t want to give too much away. Oh, but did I mention lots and lots of Theo James? In the red rain, kicking ass, in the shower, getting hurt, fighting with Tris, making up with Tris…you get the picture. Trust me, Theologians, you will NOT be disappointed!

The things I didn’t like about the film were the same as the problems with “Insurgent.” The bubbles of goo the crew floated around in were laughable. (I mean it, the whole theater laughed!) And how did Mars get outside Chicago? Also, the symbolism once they get to the airport was a bit over the top: the double helix, Tris all in white. We get it, it’s about genetics and she’s pure.

But thankfully, the good far overshadowed the silly, including amazing performances by Shailene Woodley and Theo James. Great action sequences as well as deep, emotional scenes and plenty of romance that will keep FourTris lovers all heart-eyes emoji until the next installment. Miles Teller gave another amazing performance. I hated Peter in the books, but he has the best lines in the films and Miles’ delivery brings some much needed levity to the heavy content of the story. Naomi Watts and Octavia Spencer’s Oscar-caliber talents were used well this time. Keiynan Lonsdale as Uriah was sadly underused but Ansel Elgort, Zoe Kravitz, Daniel Dae Kim and Jonny Weston were back playing the characters you love (or loathe). Maggie Q, Mekhi Phifer and Ray Stevenson’s screen time was short but all had significant impact on the story. The new actors to join the cast included Bill Skarsgard as Matthew, Nadia Hilker as Nita and Andy Bean as Romit. It was nice to see the fresh faces join our favorites and they all gave wonderful performances. Jeff Daniels as the new bad guy, David gave off a Big Brother vibe and talk of walls and categorizing some people as “less than” seemed very timely.

Does “The Divergent Series: Allegiant” stay close to the book? No, but that could be a good thing. Some of the book, including the sometimes confusing dual narrators and the controversial ending, could be made simple and clear in this and the next installment. This third film in the series is fast-paced, tugs at your heartstrings and progresses the story with great performances all around and not too much of the gimmicky CGI that weighed “Insurgent” down. This is my favorite of the series so far and it gives me hope for what the fourth and final film, “The Divergent Series: Ascendant,” will bring when it’s released in June of 2017.

Thank you to Lionsgate and Cinemark at Valley View for the early screening!

Review by Ronni

When Allegiant began, I sat back, expecting to be entertained, and knowing I needed to suspend belief, as one does while watching a dystopian film with all kinds of technology and special effects. And speaking of effects, I waited with breathless anticipation for the wall scene. It had been talked about so much, I wanted to see if it lived up to the hype.

The wall scene totally lived up to the hype. It was beautifully shot and looked super cool on the big screen. In fact, the entire film looked gorgeous. I don’t claim to be an expert on cinematography, but I really enjoyed the aesthetic of this movie.

Besides the wall, my favorite part was watching Four’s (Theo James) journey unfold. He had his own story to tell, and seeing that made his character more than the brooding fighter of the two prior movies. His growth throughout the story was intriguing and inspiring to watch. He’s still a fighter, and still a brooder, and we knew there was more there…but now we can see it.

All in all, I found Allegiant to be enjoyable and fun to watch. Much better than Insurgent, but maybe not as fun as Divergent. I hope you enjoy it too.

Review by Johanna

As a long time fan of the Divergent Series books, and being content with the first movie adaptation, I was slightly disappointed with how Insurgent deviated so much from the source material, to the point that I didn’t recognize the story anymore. Allegiant, however, has made me a believer again. Still deviating from the book, but tying up loose ends left in Insurgent, I felt that Allegiant was a definite improvement and I loved everything about it.

Those of you that are Theologians (fans of Theo James) as well as Initiates (fans of the series), will be glad to know that this movie has more Theo James in it than Divergent and Insurgent combined. I was very impressed with how much Theo has grown in this role and was pleased to see that his talents were used more in this film. There is a particular scene in the film, that I shall not spoil for you, in which he pleads with Tris about something and you can truly feel the pain he is conveying in his eyes. Besides the emotional, the action is multiplied in this film and Theo as usual, doesn’t skip a beat with the stunts. Four never fought this much fight so much in any of the other two films, and at times I felt he was the “Jason Bourne” of the YS world.
Shailene Woodley is of course, brilliant as Tris, but not as the same Tris we came to know in the first two films. We see the badass Tris in the beginning and end of the movie, but all through the middle, she is “Pure” Tris, and neither Four or the audience are pleased with her during that time. Zoe Kravitz also impressed me as the dauntless best friend (Christina) who sticks with you through it all, she is that one character who I underestimated and surprised me in the end.

Recurring characters such as Caleb and Peter, were predictable at doing what they do best. The spineless young brother who can’t make up his mind about his loyalties, and the two-faced guy who is always around when it’s beneficial to him. The Peter jokes are there just as in the other films, but this time around, I didn’t find them as funny. I guess I’m just starting to see the character for who he truly is, a despicable person.

I absolutely loved the new characters. Bill Skarsgard (Matthew) and Nadia Hilker (Nita) were amazing on screen. Bill was commanding while at the same time endearing as the guy who is just doing his job but truly does have good intentions. Nadia made me actually like Nita! She was very sassy and at times, I wanted to make her my best friend. Jeff Daniels as David actually made me believe at first that his intentions were, pardon my own, “pure”.

Divergent will always hold a special place in my heart as the first film in the series, but Allegiant is definitely fighting for that place in my heart right now. I truly enjoyed this film a lot more than I had anticipated I would and I highly recommend it for fans of the books and action films alike. Can’t wait to see what Ascendant will bring to the table.