THE DIVERGENT SERIES: ALLEGIANT [2016]

The third (and last theatrical) film in the Divergent series, Allegiant, is the first part of the final book in the YA novel trilogy by Veronica Roth and coincidentally the final outing for director Robert Schwentke.
Get all that?  Do you care?  No?  Me neither.
Pretty young adults with expensive hair products fight against the heavy-handed government authority in dystop--...I smell catshit.
While the second film left off with some interesting character twists that would have made for some great conflicts, it's all quickly resolved in a matter of minutes and we're back to square one.  There's absolutely no character progression making the simple story all the more boring.  With the exception of few mildly exciting action sequences, the film is drawn-out, horribly paced and piled over on fancy camera-work over a large abundance of bad CGI.
The final film is in talks for a TV movie because of a poor box office performance but word-of-mouth is nobody cares anymore.

1 gas leak out of 5

THE DIVERGENT SERIES: INSURGENT [2015]

Director Robert Schwentke takes over as director for Insurgent, the second film in the Divergent series, loosely based off of dystopian YA trilogy of novels (and in this day and age means we'll get four films).
Tris & her friends (and their amazing hair) are all back, now on the run, must chose sides as their society is on the brink of a full-fledged war that threatens...well...you know the rest.  The genre has been done to death by now and there isn't a whole lot that differs from film-to-film.  Fortunately, this second film is brought to life with some nifty set-pieces, imaginative action sequences and stronger confidence in itself that relieves the viewer from the bore that was the first film.    It doesn't do anything to distinguish itself from it's peers but with a bolder sense of direction it doesn't feels as aimless.

3 sleepy suicides out of 5

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS [2014]

Usually when a film adaptation is rushed into production after the success of the book it's based on it normally means bad news bears.
Fortunately Stuck In Love director Josh Boone's adaptation of John Green's youth-oriented novel The Fault In Our Stars is actually quite good.
It tells the story of a couple of young cancer patients, delicately played by Shailene Woodley & Ansel Egort (yes, the brother & sister in Divergent :erm:) who live and learn about life & death and everything around it as a relationship begins blossoming between them.
Like it's source material, the film is witty, humorous and heart-breaking all while it graces us with some superb performances, simple yet elegant photography and enough here to be enjoyed by both mainstream and indie-film lovers.

4 shitty people & shitty writers out of 5

DIVERGENT [2014]

Neil Burger directs the youth oriented sci-fi fluff Divergent, the first part of a trilogy based off the novels of the same name.
In yet another dystopian future with great hair, folks are divided into separate factions based on their virtues, thus romance is born, enemies are made and once again it's time to overthrow that nasty ol' authority.  It seems to think it's more unique and wittier than it really is and instead comes off as a boring and predictable answer to the much more superior Hunger Games series.  It drags it's feet at a snail's pace to actually get anywhere which is insanely frustrating when you've figured out the entire story 5 minutes in.  If not for Shailene Woodley & Theo James' intriguing performances I might not have made it 30 minutes into this snoozefest which seems to be heading into far more interesting territory in the future instalments.

2 greatest fears out of 5

The Descendants (2011)

Alexander Payne (Sideways, About Schmidt) directs George Clooney (looking more and more like Cary Grant as he grows older) in this dramedy about a man coming to terms with his wife's imminent death. Faced with the prospect of being taken off life support (as per her will), it sends him on a journey across Hawaii, dealing with the emotions of friends and family and digging up buried secrets along the way. Even though the subject matter can be heavy at times, there are enough moments of well-placed levity to take you away from it all.

4.5 cold-cocked black eyes out of 5