If you saw the first cinematic adaptation of Veronica Roth’s “Divergent” trilogy, then you probably know what you’re in for with “Insurgent”: brooding young faces in a dystopian Chicago, a romance amid turmoil and people trying to break free of societal restraints, because nobody has ever discussed that before. It’s “Hunger Games” lite.

Theo James stars as Four, and Shailene Woodley appears as Tris, in “Insurgent”, from the “Divergent” series. (photo by Andrew Cooper/courtesy of Lionsgate Entertainment)

Things don’t look good for Tris (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James, probably just as embarrassed as the rest of us about that name) as they flee the city in search of comrades.

First, they spend time with members of Amity (hippie farmers who feed everyone), led by Johanna (Octavia Spencer). She provides them sanctuary as long as they don’t fight, a problem for these members of Dauntless (the warring class).

You might remember they previously fought against their own before an Erudite leader, Jeanine (Kate Winslet), attempted to wipe out all of Abnegation (the selfless and philanthropic leaders of the city). Just watch the first film to catch up.

Now, Jeanine has a new purpose. She didn’t raid Abnegation for the fun of it. Tris’ mother (Ashley Judd) had a secret: a relic from the founders that can only be opened by a Divergent (again, if you haven’t seen the first film, check out the Wikipedia page to understand all the lingo).

Things quickly go wrong when Dauntless tracks down Tris, Four, Caleb (Ansel Elgort) and Peter (Miles Teller), a begrudging fugitive whose loyalties are very skewed. So they next end up having it out with the Factionless, outsiders who abandoned mainstream society. Say hello to their leader, Evelyn (Naomi Watts).

You might not know her, but you’ve already met her son. I’ll give you a hint, what number comes after three?

Tris and Four must decide if they will join forces and lead an all-out civil war, or seek a solution from within the system. And don’t forget about that relic. It might just be the key to everything. Brace yourself for a few action sequences, lots over-explaining and occasional character development.

If you liked “Divergent” then more power to you; the sequel is about the same. It’s not an unwatchable film. It proves once more that even a dull young-adult adaptation is still better than “Twilight”, and now its cousin, “Fifty Shades”.

But I find myself rather exhausted suffering through something that makes me disappointed about a film genre I adore.

We’re at a point where audiences are more ready than ever for longer films. Remember “Transformers 4”? That trash was almost three hours long.

At two hours, “Insurgent” moves like a five-gear vehicle in stop-and-go traffic. So little happens. If I see one more poorly written scene between Tris and Four about their love, their obligation, their duty, etc. I might just sit through it all because I have a job to do.

The source material might seem appropriate to blame, but originality doesn’t always equal fun or even good for that matter. A good film can originate from well-trodden places, but it needs competent creators at the helm. The director of “RED”, Robert Schwentke, seems like a solid choice if you’re willing to ignore his last film, “R.I.P.D.”, or his earlier works. And then there are a slew of screenwriters. Lots of people to create something so vanilla. I guess it takes a village.

I can’t even praise Woodley’s performance, but perhaps my enjoyment of her on-screen presence simmered when she naively told TIME magazine that feminism means the downfall of men.

In “Insurgent”, she’s adequate but can only do so much with so little. I’m more interested in Teller (especially after his stellar performance in “Whiplash”). He isn’t memorable, he’s just a more compelling actor.

I continually enter movies like these remaining optimistic. I even wanted “I, Frankenstein” to be a good flick.

But I can’t condone something so forgettable. Perhaps in the future when cinema becomes a wasteland and this is the only film left … nope, I’d rather just start World War III.