"Divergent" Film Review

“Divergent”, the film that is sweeping the nation.

Opening at #1 and earning $56 million dollars internationally on its opening weekend, Divergent, is capturing the Young Adult audience. The movie is based on the series of best selling books by Veronica Roth.“Divergent” is the first in the series.

“Divergent” is a young adult film set in a post-apocalyptic Chicago where everyone is divided into five distinct factions based on their dispositions; Abnegation (selfless), Amity (peaceful), Candor (truthful), Erudite (intelligent) and Dauntless (brave).

Every year, all 16-year-olds take an aptitude test that determines what faction they are best suited for, then they must choose to stay in their current faction or choose one of the others. The choice is up to them.

Official Movie Poster

Tris, also known as Beatrice Prior, (Shailene Woodley) has grown up in Abnegation her whole life, where she serves other, and doesn't feel like she belongs. During her faction aptitude test she finds out she has attributes for several of the factions, meaning she is Divergent.

It's a fight to live as a Divergent because Divergents are extremely rare and are considered dangerous because they don't form to just one of the factions. Divergent's who are found out by the government get murdered.

The film follows her journey as she encounters love with a fellow divergent; Four (Theo James), battles for her place in Dauntless, and fights to live life as a divergent.

Tris looks like a quiet, sweet, and innocent girl you would find reading in the corner of the library. However, Woodley does a great job showing us Tris’s bad-ass side; showing us her bravery, charisma, humor, and dedication to Dauntless. Giving us multiple moments that leaves you rooting for her.

Woodley shatters her "Secret Life of The American Teenager" past. Breaking away from the fresh faced teen mom personae I had of her prior to watching "Divergent".

The one thing Woodley lacks is facial expressions. In some scenes she seems disconnected from what is going on in the scene, which can be a bit of a distraction at times. Otherwise, Woodley does a amazing job bring the character of Tris to life.

The film has been compared to “The Hunger Games” franchise because of the multiple similarities between the two films. Both films feature a strong female lead, a young adult audience, a highly successful book series, and a massive following.

The second film in the “Divergent” series, “Insurgent”, has already been announced, and is scheduled to be released in theaters on March 20, 2015.

Fans of the book series applaud the film for staying consistent with the books. “They captured the general mood of the story quite well, and I was surprised at how well they stayed true to the book,” said first-year LBCC student Loui Carnley. First-year LBCC student Meghan Hobson said, “I thought it remained relatively true to the book, so I personally enjoyed it.”

The film has received mixed reviews. Some reviewers rave about the acting quality, while other rant about the let down of the film.

"Although “Divergent” has understandably attracted a great readership, as did its predecessor, “The Hunger Games” series, this new “young adult” tale has a much weaker presence on the big screen," said Quad-City Times reporter, Linda Cook.

"But the performances—namely from stars Shailene Woodley and Theo James and Kate Winslet in a juicy supporting role—always make the movie watchable and often quite engaging," said Christy Lemire, a movie reviewer for RogerEbert.com.

I agree with Lemire, the acting is incredible and director Neil Burger does an amazing job with action packed scenes, perfect film score, and overall great cinematography.

“Divergent” is 140 minutes of heart pumping, non-stop action, that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

-- At A Glance --
"Divegent" - Currently In Theaters
Running time: 140 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Director: Neil Burger (Limitless, The Illusionist)
Starring: Shailene Woodley (Secret Life of The American Teenager)
              Theo James (Underworld: Awakening)
              Kate Winslet (Titanic)
Based on the Series of Books by Veronica Roth
Overall: 4/5 Stars