Going into the theater to see the Insurgent movie, based off the novel of the same name by Veronica Roth, I pretty much knew what to expect. I’d already seen the movie’s prequel, Divergent, and was disappointed to say the least.

Being a fan of the books, I knew the storyline quite well and was upset about the movie before I’d even seen it, noticing that certain characters  such Uriah and Marlene, who were vital to the books wouldn’t even have a part in the movie. And while some admittedly smaller characters from the books did have a part, their story lines were cut so much that you didn’t get the sense of appreciation for the characters that you might if you had read the book, and they had so few lines they seemed nearly pointless.

Don’t get me wrong, I realize that making a book into a movie is hard because if you added every single detail from the text it would end up being about four hours long, but some of my favorite parts of the story were lost during the film. This includes the sense of community you got from a large portion of the book where the protagonists, Tris and Four, find shelter with the factionless (homeless) people in the dystopian, run-down Chicago where the story is set.

The film felt rushed to me, and it seemed that they focused too much on Tris and her struggles, without worrying about anyone else. They portrayed her as if if she was completely alone in her mission to fight the leader of the Erudite faction, Jeanine Matthews, as she tried to exterminate Tris and other divergents like her. However, in the book, she had a strong band of followers in the factionless who she working with to develop a plan to take down Jeanine. Also, later in the story she finds a group of friends to help her break into the Erudite compound. These people were never really shown throughout the movie.

Now that my rant of ridicule is over, I’ll tell you what I did appreciate of the film. The set of the movie, which was filmed in Atlanta, GA, was spectacular. Sleek, modern towers and crumbling buildings were mixed together to form a perfectly futuristic and dystopian city. The soundtrack of the movie, created by composer Joseph Trapanese, was another high point in the movie, adding a fast-paced, bold beat which went well with the adventure and dangerous situations the characters get themselves into.

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend seeing this movie, or at least I’d advise you to wait until it’s available for rent rather than waste your money on tickets and popcorn for a movie that was only given a 30 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. With very few high points, this movie was definitely not worth my personal time, and I think you’d agree.