The Divergent Series: Allegiant

THE GIST: Unhappy with how things are run in Chicago after Jeanine's fall from power, Tris & Co. decide to take their chances outside the city. What they find out there, however, is even more disturbing than anything they've witness to date.

Allegiant is the third and final chapter in the Divergent series. It manages to answer some of the most pressing questions while also spinning its own new web of intrigues. In the endgame, it even leaves the door open for further installments, just in case the financial outlook looks promising enough for the studio I guess.

Just like in the previous installments, the production values are altogether good, as is the acting, but even that isn't enough to make the movie really soar.

THE BOTTOM LINE: If you've watched the previous two chapters, then you should probably watch this one too, just so you can get some closure and some answers. Just don't expect too much. It's silly and light entertainment, but it manages to be exiting enough to make it worth your time.

Grade: 6

The Divergent Series: Insurgent

THE GIST: Chased away from the safety of their refuge by Jeanine's hounds, Tris & Co. end up in the midst of the resistance. But Jeanine has found a mysterious box that only a Divergent can unlock, and she believes Tris is the key she needs. The contents of the box, however, turn out to be somewhat unexpected.

The talented Shailene Woodley is back as our heroine Tris, together with her beau Four (the absurdly handsome Theo James) and it seems like they're always running, the poor things.

I like the fact that Insurgent picks up right where Divergent left off, and the two share the same amount of interesting plot twists, aided along by fairly good production values (visual effects and set designs are good and original).

Unfortunately, they also share the flawed premise upon which the series is based, which does little to aid the audience's buy-in goodwill.

THE BOTTOM LINE: If you enjoyed the first chapter in the saga, I'd say you can safely go for a second ride, especially if you want some more questions answered.

Grade: 6

St. Patrick's Cathedral

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Zinnia

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Divergent

THE GIST: A great war has left Chicago, and seemingly the world, in ruins. Humanity's survivors have divided themselves up into five different factions, based on virtues, to maintain order. One day, Tris realizes she doesn't fit the established mold and this puts her life in danger.

After the massive success enjoyed by The Hunger Games franchise, it's no surprise that Hollywood rushed to put into production another movie based on a YA (Young Adult) novel.

Unfortunately, while sufficiently entertaining, Divergent doesn't really bear the same cachet, and right from the get-go one can see why. Both feature dystopian futuristic societies, but while Games pits geographical districts against one another (think the modern day equivalent of nations), Divergent asks us to believe that people have accepted to be divided up into factions based on a personality trait.

That's hard to fathom in and of itself, but it gets worse when you consider that the faction you're in determines your duties/job in society and that the choice is made when you're a teenager and lasts for the rest of your life. As in, there's no changing your mind when you're 45 because all of a sudden you're sick of being a soldier and would like to become a teacher.

That said, if you buy into the premise (and remember, it's based on a Young Adult book, keyword here being young...), then you'll likely enjoy the end result. The cityscape is perfectly rendered and the post-war society has its intriguing aspects.

Shailene Woodley, a very talented young actress, does her best within the constraints of the script, as do Kate Winslet, Tony Goldwyn, and Ashley Judd. Theo James, Jai Courtney, Ray Stevenson, Miles Teller, Ansel Elgort, and Zoë Kravitz all hold their own.

THE BOTTOM LINE: While it clearly suffers in comparison to its older (and better) cousin series, Divergent can be entertaining even if its message feels flimsier.

Grade: 6

In Memoriam

Luke Perry (Oct 11, 1966 - Mar 04, 2019)

Luke Perry died suddenly of a massive stroke and it made me sad even though I never really followed his work. He was in some movies (I found one I saw among his filmography, The Fifth Element), but he mostly worked on television.

He broke big in the '90s with a starring role in Beverly Hills 90210.

I guess a sudden death at 52 makes us all take stock of the fragility of life.

American Gasoline

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