3. The Divergent Series: Allegiant
If aliens were to land on earth and visit a nearby movie theater, I would imagine their viewing experience would be similar to the one I had watching The Divergent Series: Allegiant. Lacking any emotional resonance, human connection or logic, it’s a soulless endeavor, priding itself on offering nothing worthwhile, memorable or engaging onto the screen. It’s a rushed, uninspired mess, a unwarranted chapter in a marginally-enjoyed franchise with no desire to excel or add anything new to the YA adaptation genre. If martians were to get their otherworldly hands on it, it would be understandable if they thought movies weren’t supposed to be fun.
Never carrying a pulse, Allegiant struts in monotone, expecting the audience to be engaged by the dystopian scenery more than any of the lifeless characters brought to the screen by a variety of puzzled, talented actors. Shailene Woodley, bless her heart, does what she can, but can’t do enough to engage us with our dull lead. Supporting cast members Miles Teller, Jeff Daniels, Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer and Ansel Elgort, similarly, can’t save this dull grind of a film, prattling along with nothing worthwhile to endear. It’s dystopian only in the sense that it’s appropriately the end of times, either for this lifeless subgenre or the future of blockbusters as we know them. If this is the best Hollywood has to offer, then there’s nothing really worth saving.
