The Review at a Glance:
(max score: 5 )

Film:
Extras:
Audio/3D Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )

92
Details:

Studio and Year: Lionsgate - 2015
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Feature running time: 119 minutes
Genre: Action/Thriller

Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC/MVC
Video Aspect: 2.40:1
Resolution: 1080p/24

Audio Format(s): English Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish
Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Jai Courtney, Mekhi Phifer, Naomi Watts, Ray Stevenson, Zoe Kravitz, Miles Teller, Ansel Elgort, Octavia Spencer, Maggie Q, Kate Winslet
Directed by: Robert Schwentke
Music by: Joseph Trapanese
Written by: Brian Duffield, Akiva Goldsman, Mark Bomback based on the novel by Veronica Roth
Region Code: A

Blu-ray Disc release Date: August 4, 2015
"One choice can destroy you"
My Take:

For those that may be unfamiliar with the basis for the storyline in The Divergent Series here is a synopsis of the plot in the initial installment:

The Divergent series takes place in a post-apocalyptic version of Chicago in which survivors are divided into five factions based on their dispositions: Abnegation, for the selfless; Amity, for the peaceful; Candor, for the honest; Dauntless, for the brave; and Erudite, for the intelligent. Each year, all sixteen-year-olds take a drug induced aptitude test that reveals the faction for which they are most suited. After receiving the results, they take place in a ceremony where they can decide whether to remain with their family's faction or transfer to one of the other factions. Upon entry into a faction other than their predetermined one they must complete and pass an initiation. Those who do not complete the initiation become "Factionless", and are forced to live in poverty on the streets of the city.

The story’s primary plot surrounds a young heroine named Beatrice "Tris" Prior as she undergoes this process only to find out that she is among a select few who are Divergent, capable of multiple dispositions, that allows them to have elements of each. This is viewed by the establishment as a danger since Divergents can be unpredictable and not easily controlled. Tris keeps her Divergence a secret and choses Dauntless as her faction. Upon entry she begins the initiation process which proves difficult as she struggles to fit in, copes with keeping her ability hidden and suddenly finding herself caught up in a plot to overflow the faction that runs the government which places her family in danger.

Tris soon discovers she has an ally in “Four”, one of her trainers within Dauntless. With the search for Divergents closing in and the impending coup about to unfold Tris’ options become few forcing her to open up to Four, leaving her exposed. What she finds is that secrets aren’t unique to her and survival comes at a price…

Based on Veronica Roth’s #1 New York Times best-selling novel The Divergent Series: Insurgent raises the stakes for Tris as she searches for allies and answers in the ruins of a futuristic Chicago. Tris (Woodley) and Four (James) are now fugitives on the run, hunted by Jeanine (Winslet), the leader of the power-hungry Erudite elite. Racing against time, they must find out what Tris's family sacrificed their lives to protect, and why the Erudite leaders will do anything to stop them. Haunted by her past choices but desperate to protect the ones she loves, Tris, with Four at her side, faces one impossible challenge after another as they unlock the truth about the past and ultimately the future of their world.

I didn’t bother to catch Insurgent during its theatrical run. I liked, but wasn’t blown away by its predecessor, and my son saw Insurgent when it was released and felt it wasn’t as good as Divergent, so I opted to wait. Having seen the other young adult, dystopian future themed, action adventure films, I find they are all essentially easy enough to watch and mildly entertaining. My feelings about this film are very similar to those of its predecessor. The narrative setup, character base and thematic feel are exactly what you’d expect from the genre but with a slightly less interesting spin. Its innate social commentary is on display but not in your face which is fine.

The pacing here picks up and I thought the action was more in line but not especially engaging save for a couple of sequences. Once again I found the romantic (seemingly designed to appease the target audience more than contributing to the strength of the source) chemistry between Shailene Woodley and Theo James to be lacking but enjoyed their performances otherwise. As for the remaining members of the cast, some being names worthy of note (Kate Winslett, Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer Jai Courtney, Ray Stevenson, and Maggie Q), I didn’t feel they garnered enough screen time to make an impact. I liked that we get to see a deeper side to Tris as she struggles with self-realization and appreciated the edgier action and well-crafted production elements.

For me, The Divergent Series: Insurgent like its predecessor, is just okay and falls into the realm of a mildly entertaining popcorn flick. I do look forward to seeing how things will end in the third installment. Perhaps that will be the series defining moment.

Parental Guide:

The rating is for intense violence and action throughout, some sensuality, thematic elements and brief language.

AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:REFERENCE= 92-100/EXCELLENT= 83-91/GOOD= 74-82/AVERAGE= 65-73/BELOW AVERAGE= under 65

**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**

Audio: 100
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)

  • Dynamics:
  • Low frequency effects:
  • Surround Sound presentation:
  • Clarity/Detail:
  • Dialogue Reproduction:
  • Low frequency extension * (non-rated element):
3D Presentation: 84
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
  • Depth (Onscreen):
  • Dimension (Beyond the screen):
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Dolby Atmos Rating: 90
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
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The Divergent Series: Insurgent 3D comes to Blu-ray Disc from Lionsgate Home Entertainment featuring 1080p MVC encoded video and lossless Dolby Atmos/TrueHD 7.1 sound that has an average bitrate of 5.3 Mbps.

This film wasn’t shot natively in 3D but was converted in post- production. The film was largely shot against green screens and the reproduction of the digital effects and wide angle background elements translates positively here. Depth is appreciable as evidenced by separation of objects and/or people layered in the foreground/background which creates a visual sense of virtual space. High definition dimensionality and apparent resolution is rarely questionable in close ups and brightly lit exterior sequences but it varies some in the limited lighting. Comparing white/black levels, color and skin tone reproduction to the 2D presentation I found them to essentially be identical. There is a distinct lack of 3D effects that transcend the boundaries of the screen which makes for a somewhat less involving experience especially during the action based segments. I will say that I didn’t find that this detracted from my enjoyment of the overall presentation which like the 2D version looks terrific on Blu-ray . I didn’t notice any distracting instances of crosstalk or other video related anomalies. The end result is a satisfying but unremarkable 3D video presentation.

The 7.1 Dolby TrueHD surround mix does a great job presenting the track’s recorded elements. This soundtrack runs the gamut between subtle passages of spoken dialogue and soft music to engaging sequences that deliver enriching surround sound. Dialogue rendering is terrific as it holds sway over the front soundstage. Dynamic range is excellent as the active elements within the surround mix resound with superior clarity and palpable deep bass transients. Tris entry into the first Sim world (Dauntless) during chapter 12 is the first sequence that brings everything together but it’s the Amity Sim world in chapter 13 that shows off the soundtracks chops. There are some kick ass low frequency sweeps that are sure to raise the pulse of bass fans.

The music score is carefully integrated into the sound design and is wonderfully detailed, acoustically transparent and three dimensional. Detail is first rate which brings out the finely articulated nuance of background elements within the mix. Surround use is prevalent and achieves a high level of envelopment that is appreciably involving as effects are seamlessly blended to create a stable and detail rich sound field. There is an exchange that occurs between Jeanine and Tris while Tris is in the Sim chamber and Jeanine is in the control room, with the rooms separated by a see through enclosure. As the aural perspective switches between Jeanine in the control and Tris’s vantage point of Jeanine looking through the glass, the camera remains on Jeanine but the sound of her voice changes between the two. The sound staging effect as it moves back and forth is excellent. I had a great time with this soundtrack and appreciated the attention to detail that went into its design.

In listening to the Dolby Atmos surround mix I found it to be of the moderately active variety that made steady use of the platform. Its use of audio objects placed above is a mix of atmospherics and discrete effects. This is done to very good effect and creates a tangible level of immersion that coincides with the onscreen events nicely. Right at the film’s opening there is a video broadcast of Jeanine while the search for Tris and company is underway. As the camera pans and follows multiple subjects the sound of Jeanine’s voice rotates around the soundstage depending on the vantage point. The effect is quite cool and realistic. Over the course of the film there are various environmental sounds and music cues that are mixed to differing locations in the sound field . Some are more pronounced than others but the overall effect is excellent.

Everything really comes together for the first time when Tris enters the Dauntless Sim, (followed later by the Amity Sim world) as flying debris, atmospherics and near field objects swirl, explode and pass through the room placing you inside the action as sounds rotate and revolve around the soundstage from both above and at ear level. While this isn’t what I would regard as an aggressive Atmos mix I enjoyed the balance of atmosphere and integration of discrete object placement. I think that it complimented the source material and made for an entertaining listening experience.

2D Video Quality:

Video: 94
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
  • Resolution/Clarity:
  • Black Level/Shadow Detail:
  • Color Reproduction:
  • Fleshtones:
  • Compression:
The Divergent Series: Insurgent comes to Blu-ray Disc from Lionsgate Home Entertainment featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 24 Mbps.

This is an excellent video
presentation that boasts image quality that is indicative of a newer release film. Resolution is generally strong as images have crisp definition and lucid clarity. Objects onscreen appear dimensionally strong with exquisite rendering that discloses subtle minutia captured by the camera’s lens during close ups. The level of sharpness fluctuates some however this is attributable the extensive CGI used and it doesn’t adversely affect the quality of the video. The color palette isn’t particularly extensive as sepia tones, grays and other neutral colors are heavily utilized. Primary colors come in various shades that when coupled along with sequences containing bright/dynamic highlights gives images enriching tonal warmth. Fleshtones are naturally rendered with warm accents that give them lifelike tonality. Blacks are inky and noise free with discernibly deep gradations that enhance the films many dark sequences. The deep shadows, multi-staged grays, delineated colors, and inky blacks looked terrific on my large screen. I didn’t see any overt signs of video degrading artifacts or extraneous compression related noise.

Bonus Features:
  • Disc 1: 3D Blu-ray The Divergent Series: Insurgent
    Disc 2: 2D Blu-ray The Divergent Series: Insurgent (plus bonus features)
  • Audio Commentary with Producers Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher
  • (HD)“Insurgent Unlocked: The Ultimate Behind-the-Scenes Access (7 segments):
    1. Building a bigger world
    2. Creating the big screen experience
    3. Exploring the factionless
    4. From factionless to Candor
    5. A new landscape of weapons and stunts
    6. Composers and simulators
    7. A fight to the finish
  • (HD) “Diverging: Adapting Insurgent to the Screen” - 4 minute featurette
  • (HD) “From Divergent to Insurgent” - 5 minute featurette
  • (HD) “The Others: Cast and Characters” - 3 minute featurette
  • (HD) Anatomy of a scene: The Train Fight – 4 minute featurette
  • (HD) The Peter Hayes Story” – 2 minute featurette
  • (HD) Marketing Gallery – HBO First Look, 5 trailers, Sneak Peek and more
  • Bonus DVD
  • Digital HD Copy
Final Thoughts:

Based on the bestselling novel by Veronica Roth The Divergent Series: Insurgent is the second installment in the film series. Like its predecessor Divergent I found it to be a mildly entertaining young adult action thriller that fails to stand out among the pack. It comes to Blu-ray from Lionsgate Home Entertainment in this 3DBlu-ray Combo pack that features excellent high definition video, terrific lossless surround sound from both the Dolby Atmos and TrueHD 7.1 mixes, passable 3D rendering and a solid supplemental package that looks behind the scenes at the production. The Divergent Series: Insurgent is probably best left to fans of the series however for home theater enthusiasts looking to give their new Dolby Atmos or multichannel audio systems something to chew on, this Blu-ray release is just the ticket.

Reference Review System:

JVC DLA-RS4910 3D Ready 1080p High Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Calman 5 & C6 Meter from Spectracal )
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen
Carada Masquerade Horizontal Masking System
Marantz AV8802A 13.2 Channel Audio/Video Processor
Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
B&K Reference 200.7 Series 2 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo BDP-103D Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player (With Darbee video processing)
Panasonic DMP-BDT310 3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule Pro HD Universal Remote Control
Canton "Ergo" and In-Ceiling series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SVS PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
SVS PC12-NSD
Panamax M5400-PM Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Wireworld, Better Cables (Silver Serpent) - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package