None of my friends wanted to go see this movie... and I couldn't blame them. The trailers for Divergent definitely gave off a kind of Twilight-y vibe. My battle with Twilight, itself, is the subject of a post all on its own, but the nice thing about Divergent is that it really shared little in common with it.
I saw this movie with a date, and she hated it... no, I don't think you understand, she HATED it! I, on the other hand, thought that there was just something about the movie that kept me interested and wanting to know how it turned out. I don't know if it was the company I was with, the fact that they had a metric ton of recognizable actors in it or what, but I didn't mind the movie. Despite its flaws and predictable plot points, it kept my attention for the most part.
**MINOR SPOILERS**
Triss (Shailene
Woodley) is a girl living in a post apocalyptic Chicago where society is divided into 5 factions. Everyone who comes of age goes through a test and it tells them what faction they are best suited
to be a part of, but they can choose any faction at the joining ceremony. Once chosen, you have to stay a part of that faction or become faction-less (i.e. poor and homeless.) Her test comes back inconclusive, meaning that she is categorized "Divergent" and is a threat to society. Her test admin tells her that she has to keep this a secret or else the government will have her killed. At her ceremony, she chooses the faction of warriors (not the faction she was raised in) and the rest of the movie is about her trying to earn her slot among them, uncovering a sinister plot to overthrow the government and get the attention of Four (Theo James)... all while keeping her divergent-ness a secret.
What did I like about it? It took several themes from many other sci-fi stories out there and kind of mixed it all together to create something... divergent. **ba-dum, ching** It's as if Logan's Run and Equilibrium had a movie-baby... with a little cheesy Young Adult fiction romance thrown into it. It is what it is, though. Kinda fun to watch, but it ain't Shakespeare.
What didn't I like? Too damn long. Too many characters and the love story felt kind of forced. I guess I should also tell you all that I've never read the books... and I don't plan to.
Shailene Woodley did a decent job as the lead. She's an up and comer, so I expect we are going to see her in a ton of movies for a while until the public decides to accept her or not. I wanted to punch Kate Winslet in the face, so she did her job as the antagonist. I knew that I'd seen love interest Theo James before... he was in the last Underworld movie! Anyway, he did alright. Jai Courtney and Miles Teller show up as supporting characters. Jai Courtney seems to be another actor that plays the same thing in everything he does but it works for the most part, like Michael Ironside, Tom Cruise and Jeff Goldblum. Miles Teller plays another asshole in this movie, but I definitely hate him when he's just an asshole and not a loveable asshole like in everything else I've ever seen him in (Footloose remake, 21 and Over, That Awkward Moment.) Ashley Judd and Tony Goldwyn have supporting roles/extended cameos as Triss's parents... and knock it out of the park, as always. They need to be in more movies!
Why Divergent isn't like Twilight?
- There's no stupid love triangle that doesn't make any sense
- Triss fights for herself and strives to be a better person
- Triss treats her friends like, you know... friends! Not tools to bag a boyfriend
- No sparkly glampires
- No faux werewolves
- Somewhat of a story
So in the glut of movies that are adapted from YA novels in an effort to find the next Twilight Saga (such as The Mortal Instruments and Beautiful Creatures), Divergent ends up not being a disappointment and a fairly enjoyable movie.
Final Grade - 5/10
Divergent is in theaters now
Until next time... are you not entertained?
#Divergent
Good review. It seems like the world-building wasn't completely thought-out, and as such, the entire movie seems unsure of itself.
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