The Divergent Series: Insurgent continues the story of a dystopian future divided into factions that was established in Divergent, the first film of the franchise released in 2014. The film series is based on the bestselling books by Veronica Roth and centers around Tris (played by Shailene Woodley) and Four (played by Theo James).
The first film established the factions – Abnegation, Erudite, Dauntless, Amity, and Candor – and revealed there are a small number of people who are Divergent (not clearly part of any one faction and possessing attributes of multiple factions). Divergents need to keep hidden as they are feared by those in charge, and in the first film, we learned Tris and Four are both Divergent and therefore hunted by the ruthless faction leader, Jeanine (Kate Winslet).
In Insurgent, we pick up the story as Tris and Four are on the run. Jeanine needs to find the one Divergent capable of opening a mysterious box, with her attempts at finding the perfect Divergent kills those incapable of performing the task. Only Tris is able to make it through the multiple faction simulations, and what she discovers at the end rocks this tightly controlled world.
Insurgent on Blu-ray Review:
The Divergent Series: Insurgent was released in a 3D Blu-ray Combo Pack, in a Blu-ray + Digital HD set, on DVD, and On Demand on August 4, 2015. The Blu-ray + Digital combo pack and the 3D Blu-ray combo pack contain more than four hours of bonus material including a commentary track by producers Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher, a marketing gallery, and an incredible assortment of extra features including “Insurgent Unlocked: The Ultimate Behind the Scenes Access.”
This seven-part featurette provides an extensive look at creating the world featured in the second film of the series. First up is an examination of all the factions and an explanation as to how they were designed. Part one also looks at the Factionless, the overall look of the film, the challenges of shooting Insurgent, and opening up the universe of the film.
Part two is a discussion of adapting Veronica Roth’s second book for the screen, keeping the fans of the books in mind while making the movie accessible to everyone. Part two also includes details on how and why the box became central to the plot, more on the set design, and staging the fight between Tris and Peter (Miles Teller).
Part three looks at Factionless and the design of the set and action scenes. Part four of “Insurgent Unlocked” further examines the Factionless as well as Candor. Part five is a featurette on the weapons, training, stunts, and action scenes. Part six is all about the music of Insurgent and how it helps to tell the story. And part seven concentrates on the film’s final act and the massive amount of work that went into setting up the critical fight scene.
The 3D Blu-ray Comb Pack and Blu-ray + Digital HD set also features “From Divergent to Insurgent” which is a behind-the-scenes look at the world as it evolved in the second film beginning with where we pick up with Tris. “The Others: Cast and Characters” focuses on Uriah (a fan favorite character who should have been in Divergent but didn’t show up on screen until Insurgent), Lynn, Hector, Marlene, and Edgar (a Factionless member who wasn’t in the books).
“Anatomy of a Scene: The Train Fight” provides details on the special effects, production design, and stunt team involved in the incredible fight on the train. And “The Peter Hayes Story” is a featurette spotlighting Peter. Is he an ally, an enemy, or simply a guy who will do whatever it takes and side with whoever he needs to in order to survive? Actor Miles Teller talks about the character and his understanding of Peter’s motivations.
The Bottom Line:
Overall, Insurgent‘s bonus features on the Blu-ray combo packs are well worth checking out. Nearly all of the main cast members participate in the behind-the-scenes videos which span the full length of the shoot. However, if your time is limited, the seven part “Insurgent Unlocked” featurette is the must-see of the batch, with the videos doing a terrific job of exploring every aspect of the filmmaking. They also include more details on why the box was made into such an integral part of the story which is of particular interest to those who’ve read Roth’s books.
