THE DIVERGENT SERIES: INSURGENT Blu-ray Review

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: 'The Divergent Series: Insurgent' on Blogcritics.

This week, the second film in the Divergent Series, Insurgent, is released on 3-D Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD.  Divergent is set in a post-apocalyptic Chicago, where the remaining humans have been sorted into castes based on their abilities. One girl defies the framework and challenges those who wish to manipulate it for their own gain. Picking up just a few days after where the last Divergent movie ends, Tris (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James) must bring the fight to Jeanine (Kate Winslet) before she destroys their society, pinning death and chaos on the pair. Jeanine’s tool to do so happens to require Tris, and the trippy adventure to get there is action-packed and visually impressive.

The story behind Insurgent is interesting, if a little underdeveloped. The plot rockets through four different groups of people in two hours, while still trying to grant some character development to the leads. This means little insight into the various factions and their leadership structures, even as each new corner of the world begs to be explored. And it’s a fascinating world.

Most of the action is focused on Tris, the emotional entrance to the film’s heart, and I understand the desire to maintain the focus there, but it feels like there are wasted possibilities constantly plucked and then discarded.

As a result, those plot threads are neglected, minimizing the roles of terrific actors, new to the sequel, including Octavia Spencer (The Help), Naomi Watts (The Impossible), and Daniel Dae Kim (Lost). I find myself wishing for more story in each of their zones. The talented new cast members, join the already impressive cast from the first movie (which, alongside Winslet, includes Ashley Judd, Mekhi Phifer, Jai Courtney, Ray Stevenson, Miles Teller, Maggie Q, and more).

The overall story arcs feel a bit weak at times. For instance, Tris is able to resist the mind-controlling serum in the first movie because she is Divergent, but quickly succumbs to Candor’s truth juice? The powers of a Divergent aren’t quite clear. And why does Candor have its own guards? It also seems like Jeanine has a lot of power, but then has no idea what is going on in other parts of the city, though the soldiers that work for her always seem to show up when the movie requires another shot of adrenaline.

Insurgent is not a bad film. What it lacks in plot, it makes up for in some really neat shots. I wish I’d been sent the 3-D version of this film to review because I am sure it would be cool to see all of the visual effects with depth. As it stands, even the  Blu-ray version is pretty good looking. Some wide shots and crowd scenes are identifiable as computer-generated, but everything that happens to Tris, and there’s a lot of mind-confounding stuff for her to go through that isn’t set in reality, is very well done. As a blockbuster-type movie, Insurgent delivers on the expectation for big, flashy scenes.

The special features on this set are also much better than most recent releases I’ve seen. “The Ultimate Behind-the-Scenes Access” is the entire length of the movie, often showing the film in a small box while talking about different aspects. This is more than just fluff, giving real insight into a variety of pieces of the production. There’s also a separate audio commentary, and several featurettes about adapting the book, the cast in general, a break down on a scene, and a look at perhaps the most interesting character, Peter Hayes (Teller). Most of these are not on the straight DVD, so that means blu-ray is recommended, though I’d imagine 3D is the best way to go if you have a 3D television and player.

In short, while Insurgent has some flaws, the package has a lot of value to it. It may not be as good as some other recent entries in the genre, but there is a lot of clever, original material here, too, which will give the savvy viewer much to ponder long after the film is over. Combined with a great array of extras, I’m glad to add this to my collection.

The Divergent Series: Insurgent will is available August 4th.

Golden Boy tarnished by network's reputation

Article first published as GOLDEN BOY Review at Seat42F.

Grade: 85%

At first glance, CBS’s GOLDEN BOY, premiering this week, may seem like more than your typical cop drama. After an intense opening, the story moves seven years into the future, where we see Walter William Clark Jr. (Theo James, Bedlam) being interviewed by a reporter (Richard Kind, Luck, Spin City) about how he has become the youngest police commissioner of New York City, ever.

This is a great draw. We know that the older Walter looks quite a bit aged, pointing to a hard journey. There is regret in his tone as he talks about the price he paid to rise so quickly, so we know there will be tragedy. The fact that he is now police commissioner means that the series may move away from solving murders on the street, eventually, as we do have seven years of story to get through first.

Clark is terrific, really letting the pathos play on his face, and his American accent is pretty good. His character is an egomaniacal, overconfident jerk, so we need these future scenes to show us that he has grown, and eventually gotten beyond the arrogance of his youth. Probably. And knowing there will be movement built in is nice.

But then we get to the meat of the plot, beginning when Walter, after heroic actions, chooses to be on the homicide squad. He isn’t accepted at first because he’s young and hasn’t earned his bones. But because he really is as good as he thinks he is, he proves himself in a single hour to his co-workers.

I keep expecting Walter to screw up in the “Pilot,” as we so often see in such main characters, the drama being that they really aren’t as ready as they think they are. Walter is special, though, so GOLDEN BOY chooses the alternate tack, building him up, rather than tearing him down. Because we’ve seen where he is in seven years, we know fall will never seriously come, at least not professionally, though perhaps personally.

The problem is, if he never screws up, how will he learn? Walter’s assigned partner, Detective Don Owen (Chi McBride, Pushing Daisies, Boston Public), two years away from his retirement, is the only one who sees this, and while Don is a patient man, one wonders how long his patience with the upstart might last.

Don is set up to be a finite character. With only a couple of years left on the force, this means we are told that Don may not stick around for the long haul, even though we see his picture on future Walter’s desk.

However, because this is CBS, I strongly suspect that these hints of a great, sweeping story of a genius who does great things will be reduced to a formula. Until that day, seven years in the future, when Walter takes the big office, he will be solving a case every week. They could even stretch it longer than seven years, should the show prove popular, or make Walter the first commissioner to be out catching the bad guys himself. Don could put off retirement, sticking around for the duration, which is what I expect to see, given CBS’s track record.

Is it fair to pigeon hole what, on the face, appears to be a somewhat compelling series just because of the network it is on? I think so. Blue Bloods and Hawaii Five-0 looked like they could break the mold, but have been reduced back to the typical CBS fare. I have little confidence that GOLDEN BOY will be any different.

Part of my worry stems from the fact that the rest of the cast is pretty much what one would expect from such a series. There’s the hotshot jerk, Christian Arroyo (Kevin Alejandro, True Blood, Southland), the popular guy who Walter wants to be, even though viewers know he’ll be better off listening to Don. Christian has a softer partner in Deborah McKenzie (Bonnie Somerville, Cashmere Mafia), a pretty woman we are told is tough, but who is nice to Walter, and could even be a love interest. Another detective, Joe Diaco (Holt McCallany, Lights Out), is the likeable rogue, who will probably get in trouble because of all the rules he breaks in skimming connections. And finally, the obligatory troubled family member, Walter’s drug-addicted sister Agnes (Stella Maeve, The Runaways), who is supposed to show the human side of Walter, and provide a distraction form the casework.

If the supporting cast weren’t such a predictable lineup of personalities, I might hold out hope for GOLDEN BOY. As it is, I appreciate the “Pilot,” but will probably not become a regular watcher. The audience that will love it is those that eat up CBS’s cop shows, as this one will probably be more of the same. This is regrettable, because the cast is full of amazing actors who deserve better, but won’t get it while locked into a long-term contract.

 GOLDEN BOY premieres Tuesday, February 26th at 10 p.m. ET.

Bedlam Season One on DVD

     Bedlam Heights is a mental institution that has been in Kate Bettany's (Charlotte Salt, The Tudors, Wildfire) family for three hundred years. Now her father, Warren (Hugo Speer, Bleak House) has turned it into upscale apartments, making Kate the manage in charge of renting it out. This proves difficult, even before the ghosts of the building's former patients begin haunting the residents. Luckily, Kate's cousin, Jed (Theo James, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger), who has seen his own share of institutions, shows up, and has the ability to see the ghosts. Jed proves invaluable to Kate, helping the dead find peace, though Warren isn't happy to see him. The result of all this drama is Bedlam, and Season One of the series is out on DVD today.

     Jed crashes on Kate's couch, for lack of money and a better place. This makes things a little crowded, as Kate already has two flatmates. Molly (Ashley Madekwe, Revenge, Secret Diary of a Call Girl) is a childhood friend of Jed and Kate's, who harbors a bit of a crush on Ryan (Will Young, Mrs. Henderson Presents). Ryan is a nerdy, oblivious young man, still grieving over the murder of his brother.

     Each of the six season one episodes features a different ghost haunting the halls of Bedlam. But rarely do the stories stop with a stand alone tale from the past. Several of the visitors tie into people in the real world, including a patient living in the basement, and Kate's family history. As the series goes on, there is even discovery of some secrets about Jed's past, which he doesn't even know about. As such, there is a lot of mythology present, and not just standard procedural stuff. Oh, and lots of spooky moments that will make viewers jump.

     Also, there is a lot of sex in Bedlam. From a roommate hookup in episode one, to Kate's affair with a married man named Sean (Sean Maguire, The Class, Eve), more than one person jumps into bed with another. Is this because the cast is young and attractive, as well as reasonably talented? Or does fear and attraction just go hand in hand? After all, most thriller films have some element of the nasty going on. Why not a scary show, too?

     For a reference folks on the side of the pond will get, Bedlam may most resemble FX's American Horror Story, though is inferior in a number of ways. Bedlam's cast is good, but not as much so as the American series. Also, the back story and effects aren't explored as nicely, but a lower budget may explain that. Overall, though, Bedlam is definitely one of the more successful attempts at the genre (see: TV movies the SyFy channel makes), and worth a look, if one enjoys this type of story. There isn't likely to be much cross-audience appeal for those not already into being frightened.

     The packaging of Bedlam is interesting because it says "Season One," instead of the more British-friendly "Series One." As it airs on BBC America in the states, and is made by the British, one can only assume the packaging reflects marketing specific to Americans. Also, a second series has not yet been ordered, although apparently the writing on it has begun, so it's unclear if this is the complete series, or just the first installment.

     Either way, a scary little ghostly adventure. If you like the genre, check it out. Buy Bedlam Season One today.

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