“Allegiant” (Divergent trilogy) (2016)

Allegiant from the third book in the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth. Like other final installments in YA adaptations, this is divided into two parts. The next part, Ascendent, is scheduled for June 2017.

I’ve always liked dystopic post-apocalyptic tales, and I’ve been enjoying this series as well as Hunger Games and Maze Runner. I like them even when they’re bad, like Divergent: Insurgent, and even when they’re really, really bad, like Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1.

Allegiant keeps up the pace from the get-go. It doesn’t feel padded, even though they’re puffing it up to fill two complete installments. And it stops at the perfect breaking point for the sequel. We get some triumph, some righteous anger, and a sense of wonder about what’s coming next.

I can sense the directors being influenced by each other. Allegiant makes a big deal out of the wall surrounding Chicago, as if telling the Maze Runner, “You want walls? We’ll give you walls!”

I think I like Divergent the most, followed by Maze Runner, then Hunger Games lagging far behind. But I tried to read the first Divergent book and couldn’t get past the second chapter.  Too much tweenage angst, with Beatrice Prior always trying to second-guess how she rates with everyone she meets. The self-obsession felt suffocating. But the movies are free of this internal dialogue and self-concern. The result is a wonderfully bleak dystopian bliss.