‘Allegiant’ film uses twists, turns in plot

Actors Ansel Elgor (left) and Shailene Woodley play Caleb and Tris Prior in the new Divergent series film, “Allegiant.”

By Jay Ibarra

The Divergent series’ third film “Allegiant” debuted Friday and takes viewers on a journey into the future.

The third installment of Veronica Roth’s popular franchise takes a slight turn from it’s usual freedom- fighting, faction-hating fake family moments to finally wrap up the series in two parts. The movie’s star, Shailene Woodley, plays Tris Prior, a girl who learns that she is Divergent, a person who doesn’t fit into just one faction in a society but can fit into all of them. This dystopian film takes place in Chicago and has an all-star cast — much of which has fallen due to the film’s crime-filled storyline.

“Allegiant” splits up into one of two movies — one takes viewers back to the burnt-down and damaged dystopian city of Chicago and the other takes viewers to the distant future, which is built upon the remains of the O’Hare International Airport.

Actor Jeff Daniels joins the cast as David, the new villain to tie up loose ends to the trilogy’s plot line. David runs the Bureau of Genetic Welfare, along with a slew of other genetically modified “pure” individuals. The plot thickens as Tris learns she is pure, while her friends and allies are not, as David plans to rid the city of the unpure.

The movie did an OK job at setting viewers up for one epic ending, that is, if viewers knew it was only part one. Part two, “Ascendant,” is not a part of the book series and that makes it very confusing for the audience. Book-to-movie adaptations are notorious for splitting up the final book into two movies just to keep the audience’s attention for just a little longer, like we’ve seen in the “Harry Potter” series and “Twilight” saga. If you saw the movie based on the title of the final book, you were likely disappointed to learn that the cast was ready to fight for one final movie.

Peter, played by Miles Teller, stepped it up as the ultimate comic relief for this dark movie where Tris pretty much failed as the heroine. Caleb, played by Ansel Elgort, could be the new found hero. This movie certainly questions everybody’s allegiance.

This movie is worth seeing because it’s not what one would expect. Its twists and turns keep viewers on their toes and the characters sure do surprise in a satisfying way. Those who are not fans of the franchise, could watch the film to see what Chicago could look like in the distant future.