THE DIVERGENT SERIES: INSURGENT

Part of a trilogy from "The Divergent Series", this second part "Insurgent" starring the same leads Shailene Woodley, Theo James and others such as Jai Courtney, Maggie Q, Naomi Watts and Kate Winslet.

The movie continued off from the last movie where Tris, Four, Caleb and Peter escaped from the Erudite faction leader Jeanine's clutches and were hiding in the Amity faction until Eric came along in search of a divergent who could be a perfect match to open up a mystery box, from the city's founders, that contained the symbols of all factions. 

Peter betrayed the others who fortunately managed to kill Eric and sought refuge in the Factionless territory instead. Jai Courtney played the ruthless Eric so convincingly that I would really miss his absence. There, Four was unhappily reunited with his mother Evelyn who was then the leader of the Factionless, and revealed his true name Tobias. Evelyn tried to persuade Tobias to accept her proposal to get both Dauntless and Factionless to combine forces to fight against Erudite.

Eventually, Tris was caught by Jeanine and on her own accord, managed to open up the box to reveal the secret behind the walls. The combined factions also managed to defeat Erudite and Jeanine was taken as prisoner, where she was shot in the head by Evelyn before the movie ended.

I didn't like Shailene and I still don't, but overall I do think this second part is better than the first.

Jeanine and Peter tested many divergents to open up the mystery box

Tris cut her hair

Eric had madness written all over his eyes

Eric confronting leader of the Amity faction

Tobias (Four), Peter and Tris

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2

I am really loving this Marvel Comics remake of the Spiderman movies although I must admit I didn't quite like it in the first movie. The chemistry between the leads Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone as Peter Parker aka spidey and Gwen Stacy really came through so genuinely that it made the movie believable. Every scene they were in were lit up with sparks and together they were so likable.

So the ending was really sad when the movie makers decided to kill Gwen off, as in the comics, due to a whiplash effect. Emma came a long way and I am starting to really like her since the first time I saw her in "The House Bunny" in 2008. It is almost as if Peter Parker is nothing without Gwen. I imagine her coming back as Mary Jane Watson with a different hairdo in the next movie but subsequently I read that Shailene Woodley took on the role of Mary Jane, to my great disappointment. Shailene may be good in "Divergent" but no way close is she going to replace Gwen. I am just glad that the producers did the right thing by not introducing Mary Jane's character in this movie soon after Gwen's passing, otherwise audiences like me would hate her since Emma set the bar so high for anyone else to reach. Mary Jane's character is best left to part 3 after everyone has calmed down.

Sally Field's character Aunt May looked almost in tears in every scene and I started to see her as just a sad and pitiful widow with nothing that could cheer her up since Ben Parker's death. The new Harry Osborn aka Green Goblin in this movie in the form of Dane DeHaan also couldn't replace the James Franco's portrayal in the previous remake. Jamie Foxx's character as Max Dillon aka Electro was kind of silly and shallow. The other characters Rhino and Norman Osborn were just plain boring and seemed like insignificant fillers to make the movie so long.

Something that stuck with me was the poignant valedictorian speech made by Gwen at her graduation ceremony:

"Hmm, I know that we all think we're immortal. We're supposed to feel that way, we're graduating. The future is and should be bright, but, like our brief four years in high school, what makes life valuable is that it doesn't last forever, what makes it precious is that it ends. I know that now more than ever. And I say it today of all days to remind us that time is luck. So don't waste it living someone else's life, make yours count for something. Fight for what matters to you, no matter what. Because even if you fall short, what better way is there to live?"

Strangely, the easter egg that followed after the movie was on X-Men's Mystique in an army camp, supposedly as a lead-up to the upcoming "X-Men: Days of Future Past" movie.

the chemistry is undeniable

can the real Sally Field stand up?

Peter and Harry Osborn with a sleek but flat hairdo

a hideous Green Goblin

Max's deluded behaviour is unconvincing as an electrical engineer

Max transformed into Electro after an industrial accident

Gwen at her last moments before she fell to her death

this is the comics version