Insurgent – Blu-ray Movie Review

I admit I’m a fan of the young-hero genre. Thanks to JK Rowling, we now have many derivative works where young teens save an otherwise chaotic world from certain destruction. Even though movies like this, along with The Hunger Games and Maze Runner, are a bit formulaic, they’re still great entertainment. Thanks to some elaborate staging, super-creative CGI effects and solid performances from all the young actors, this is an excellent movie worthy of multiple viewings.

Unlike the first chapter, there’s not too much backstory to slow down the first act. Action kicks into high gear very quickly with a well-choreographed train fight sequence. The pace slows a bit when Tris and her group discover the factionless army but once she is captured by Jeanine, the simulations she endures are quite compelling and creative. My favorite part is the movie ends without a major cliffhanger. This chapter is tied up nicely but a new door is opened which leaves the viewer wanting more. I’m looking forward to the next installment. For now though, Insurgent comes highly recommended and I’m sure many fans will add it to their libraries.

The image is reference-quality from beginning to end. Contrast is superb and there is none of the dark murkiness that plagues so many modern films. Color is well-saturated when appropriate and detail is always first-rate. The indoor scenes in the lab are especially well-done with stark whites and deep blacks beautifully juxtaposed.

This release includes a Dolby Atmos track but I had to settle for the core Dolby TrueHD encode. The mix is best described as HUGE. You won’t necessarily reach for the volume control but everything happens in a big way and it’s pretty much in your face, and all around you at the same time. Bass is extremely tight and controlled while still providing tremendous slam. The first 20 minutes during the train fight sequence make for an ideal home theater demo.

Over four hours of special features are included. You get a making of feature that runs two hours and plays the film in a PIP window. You can also watch with audio commentary from the producers. There are several shorts which discuss the characters and the evolution of the story. Finally you get five theatrical trailers plus several sneak peaks hosted by the main actors.