Just this time last year, I was sitting down to review the critically bashed Divergent. I use the term ‘bashed’ lightly, as most were citing the many parallels between this and, of course The Hunger Games. I never read Veronica Roth’s best selling novels, so I couldn’t tell you where I fall on this spectrum. However, it was easy for me to find cohesiveness in the former.

Insurgent brings back the top-notch cast, featuring Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ansel Elgort, and Miles Teller. With supporting work from Jai Courtney and Kate Winslet – throw in the newbies, Octavia Spencer and Naomi Watts – I’d say you have an ensemble worth writing home about.

The so simplistic yet righteous confusing backdrop of a dystopian social structure returns for Insurgent and its five personality-based factions: Dauntless (tough), Erudite (smart, but schemish), Amity (peace), Candor (honesty is the best policy), and Abnegation (selfless). Of course, there are folks who fit into too many factions, Divergents, and then ones who can’t seem to fit into any, factionless…Confusing? A little. This system was pretty well-enamored into our skulls in the previous entry, so there is not much for the film to explain or rely on. Thankfully, this works in the film’s favor, as there isn’t much exposition to delve into and it gets the junctions flowing at a steady pace. The specifics of the plot are simple: Tris (Woodley) and Four (James) are on the run from Jeanine (Winslet), or they just want to murder her. This is the extent of what is happening.

Taken like a dose of medicine provided by your local physician, Insurgent doesn’t necessarily move mountains to step further in boundaries than its predecessor. Sure, you can find all the distinctions you need in order to establish credit to the filmmakers; this time, Neil Burger has relinquished directing duties over to Robert Schwentke, who aids in areas of stunt-flight sequences and taking advantage of a bigger budget with 3D IMAX surcharges. The dialogue scenes never outstay their welcome, as we are usually thrusted into an action set piece every ten minutes, where motivations are raised that adhere to the onslaught.

Woodley has proved herself to me over the past year, especially with her exceptionally noteworthy performance in last summer’s The Fault In Our Stars (a film that found its way onto my best films of 2014 – honorable mentions). Insurgent is basically much of the same when discussing terms of rendition and findings ways to distinguish itself from the predecessor. Yet, beneath all the silly baddie dialogue that is forced upon Kate Winslet’s hitleresque Jeannine, along with a very open-ended conclusion, maybe – JUST maybe – this series is going somewhere. Grade: B