"The Divergent Series: Allegiant" brings us a step closer to the end of the film adaptations of the popular YA novels by Veronica Roth. And for critics, it can'tcome soon enough.The franchise headed by Shailene Woodley set in a dystopian future is crawling to the finish line with nowhere near the popularity, among critics or audiences,of Lionsgate's other YA franchise, "The Hunger Games."In "Allegiant," Tris (Woodley) goes beyond the giant wall encircling Chicago to see what's out there.With only an 11% rating on Rotten Tomatoes as of this writing and hitting a franchise low for Thursday box office (weekend projections has it makingaround$30 million), "Allegiant" is already a certified dud. Few seem interested in going over the wall with Tris.Here's what critics are saying about it.SEE ALSO:Burt Reynolds turned down these iconic roles including James Bond ' an now says he regrets itThe franchise's storytelling has gone out the window."A story that kicked off two years ago at a reasonable gallop has now slowed to barely a limp," notes the New York Times in itsreview, which sums up the franchise's unoriginal storytelling.Time Out London pinpointed the problem by writing, "As internal logic goes out of the window and the plot contrivances pile up (Ive got a machine that can see through walls! or I know how to fly a plane without ever having seen one before!), the film becomes increasingly trying."Variety believes that "asking audiences to turn off their brains basically reduces 'The Divergent Series' to just another sci-fi action franchiseand not a very good one at that."Why it can't hold a candle to "Hunger Games."Turns out Lionsgate is 1 for 2 in sci-fi YA franchises. While "Hunger Games" had an impressive run, and will likely continue with spin-offs, the "Divergent" series hasn't had the same luck. The critics have a few reasons why:"Unlike the Panem of 'The Hunger Games' saga, which takes real historical tyrannies as an inspiration, there's no getting around the fact that 'Divergent' is a clunky apparatus built around a trendy 'Chosen One' type," NPRwrites."'Games' created complex characters with psychological depth and emotional heft, and put them at risk while tackling bleak futuristic narrative themes," says theSan Jose Mercury News. "'Divergent,' on the other hand, gets snarled up in the threads of an overly complicated vision, stranding its rather one-note characters in the process."Miles Teller's talent is wasted.It's been a knock on the franchise from the beginning: Miles Teller's talents are just not being used to their potential."These movies really enjoy denying their characters forward momentum," according to the A.V. Club, which points out Teller specifically. "For the third movie in a row, his character Peter tags along with the heroes before turning duplicitous and selfish."And according to the Chicago Tribune: "The only wild card remains Miles Teller, stuck in supporting-underminer duty but extracting a laugh or two simply by turning his boredom with the material into sly commentary conducted in the margins."See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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