Entertainment
Film Review: ‘The Divergent Series: Insurgent’
By Dwight Brown
Syndication Film Critic
(NNPA) – Up until now, The Divergent Series couldn’t hold a candle to The Hunger Games franchise, though they are both cut from the same cloth: teen girl hero, sci fi adventure, mean overlords and hunky boyfriends. The Divergent Series: Insurgent doesn’t change that dynamic much, but during its final minutes, it ups the visuals to a level that almost compensates for a weak beginning.
The rehash: The world, 200 years from now has been neatly divided into five classifications or “factions.” The “Divergent” group doesn’t neatly fit into any of the other sectors. They are hunted like deer by the very jealous Erudite faction, which is run by the evil Jeanine (Kate Winslet). The mean queen, who looks like she has swallowed a whole lemon, has confiscated a magic box with unknown powers. Evidently the only way to open it and reveal its treasures is to get a Divergent to go through a treacherous five-stage simulation, which often results in death at stage three.
Jeanine has sent her army out to capture the perfect victim. Meanwhile Tris (Shailene Woodley) and her man Four (Theo James), who are Divergents, are dodging the mean queen’s soldiers, led by Max (Mekhi Phifer). They try to talk other factions into joining them to overthrow Jeanine. Will they be successful?
The first half of this installment doesn’t bode well. The sets, feigning Chicago, look like Legos, the costumes look like hand-me-downs from a high school production of Les Miz and the cast seems bored.
Octavia Spencer plays Johanna, the leader of the peaceful faction Amity, where Tris, Four, her meek brother Caleb (Ansel Elgort) and their duplicitous friend Peter (Miles Teller, Whiplash) have taken refuge. Johanna, as interpreted by Spencer, stares vacantly like a Charles Manson follower. Woodley has two emotions, cry and fight. And watching her fight grown men takes a huge leap of faith, as her arms are the size of pencils. Elgort is so wimpy you want him to join the Marines. And Teller is way too obviously untrustworthy; you wonder why the other three would trust him with their rent money, much less their lives.
As the film progresses, the chase scenes, action sequences and weak subplots—turns out Four has a missing mom (Naomi Watts) that he can’t trust—unload like debris falling off a slow moving truck. Brian Duffield, Akiva Goldsman and Mark Bomback’s ho-hum screenplay feels like it is leading nowhere. Robert Schwentke’s direction makes the fight scenes look over-choreographed and under his guidance the actors are about as animated as robots. For this installment, the writers and director are new. Which begs the question: “Why did the producers pick them?” They are not up to the task.
Fortunately for all concerned, director of photography Florian Ballhaus (The Book Thief) and production designer Alec Hammond (RED) have a deep bag of tricks, which they unleash in the last third of the movie. The visions they conjure are amazing. The decor in the closed glass room where the magic box sits and Divergents are tortured is sleek and artsy. The simulation sequences are mesmerizing to watch: Buildings disintegrate. People too. Tris is haunted by her mom and will do anything to save her; that spirit drives her to be courageous in unique ways. She swings from a rope attached to a burning cinder block room that inflames her mother as it floats in the air above an eerie city skyline. Nice image.
Yes, there is the silly adventure stuff and chest-heaving emotional romantic scenes for the teen girl audience. That’s the first act. The second act is only slightly better as plans for a revolution are made. The visually pleasing third act saves this movie from oblivion, as it progresses to a surprisingly fulfilling ending.
The Divergent Series still lacks the va-va-voom of The Hunger Games. But eventually, it may find its own cannon.
Visit NNPA Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com.
#NNPA BlackPress
IN MEMORIAM: Legendary Funk Pioneer Sly Stone Dies at 82
Sly Stone’s musical approach radically reshaped popular music. He transcended genre boundaries and empowered a new generation of artists. The band’s socially conscious message and infectious rhythms sparked a wave of influence, reaching artists as diverse as Miles Davis, George Clinton, Prince, Dr. Dre, and the Roots.

By Stacy M. Brown
BlackPressUSA.com Newswire
Sylvester “Sly” Stewart—known to the world as Sly Stone, frontman of the groundbreaking band Sly and the Family Stone—has died at the age of 82.
His family confirmed that he passed away peacefully at his Los Angeles home surrounded by loved ones, after battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other health complications.
Born March 15, 1943, in Denton, Texas, Stone moved with his family to Vallejo, California, as a child. He began recording gospel music at age 8 with his siblings in a group called the Stewart Four. By his teenage years, he had mastered multiple instruments and was already pioneering racial integration in music—an ethos that would define his career.
In 1966, Sly and his brother Freddie merged their bands to form Sly and the Family Stone, complete with a revolutionary interracial, mixed-gender lineup.
The band quickly became a commercial and cultural force with hits such as “Dance to the Music,” “Everyday People,” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—all penned by Stone himself.
Their album “Stand!” (1969) and live performances—most notably at Woodstock—cemented their reputation, blending soul, funk, rock, gospel, and psychedelia to reflect the optimism and turmoil of their era.
Sly Stone’s musical approach radically reshaped popular music. He transcended genre boundaries and empowered a new generation of artists. The band’s socially conscious message and infectious rhythms sparked a wave of influence, reaching artists as diverse as Miles Davis, George Clinton, Prince, Dr. Dre, and the Roots.
As the 1970s progressed, Stone confronted personal demons. His desire to use music as a response to war, racism, and societal change culminated in the intense album “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” (1971). But drug dependency began to undermine both his health and professional life, leading to erratic behavior and band decline through the early 1980s.
Withdrawn from the public eye for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Stone staged occasional comebacks. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys in 2017, and captured public attention following the 2023 release of his memoir “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—published under Questlove’s imprint. He also completed a biographical screenplay and was featured in Questlove’s documentary “Sly Lives!” earlier this year.
His influence endured across generations. Critics and historians repeatedly credit him with perfecting funk and creating a “progressive soul,” shaping a path for racial integration both onstage and in the broader culture.
“Rest in beats Sly Stone,” legendary Public Enemy frontman Chuck D posted on social media with an illustrative drawing of the artist. “We should thank Questlove of the Roots for keeping his fire blazing in this century.”
Emmy-winning entertainment publicist Danny Deraney also paid homage. “Rest easy Sly Stone,” Deraney posted. “You changed music (and me) forever. The time he won over Ed Sullivan’s audience in 1968. Simply magical. Freelance music publicist and Sirius XM host Eric Alper also offered a tribute.
“The funk pioneer who made the world dance, think, and get higher,” Alper wrote of Sly Stone. “His music changed everything—and it still does.”
Sly Stone is survived by three children.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of June 11 – 17, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of June 11 – 17, 2025

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of June 4 – 10, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of June 4-10, 2025

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
-
Activism4 weeks ago
OPINION: Your Voice and Vote Impact the Quality of Your Health Care
-
Bay Area4 weeks ago
Chevron Richmond Installs Baker Hughes Flare.IQ, Real-time Flare Monitoring, Control and Reduction System
-
Bo Tefu4 weeks ago
Gov. Newsom Highlights Record-Breaking Tourism Revenue, Warns of Economic Threats from Federal Policies
-
Activism3 weeks ago
Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025
-
Activism4 weeks ago
Newsom, Pelosi Welcome Election of First American Pope; Call for Unity and Compassion
-
Activism4 weeks ago
OPINION: Supreme Court Case Highlights Clash Between Parental Rights and Progressive Indoctrination
-
Activism4 weeks ago
California Observes Third Annual Black Health Advocacy Week
-
Business4 weeks ago
Student Loan Collections Have Resumed: Here’s What You Need to Know