DIVERGENT – The Review

It’s no wonder a studio like Summit Entertainment would be interested in bringing Veronica Roth’s book series to the big-screen. Between the theme of government control set amid a sci-fi setting and the focus being on a young woman discovering who she really is amidst a growing rebellion, it’s not a stretch to see that DIVERGENT might be the next THE HUNGER GAMES. To put it simply, GAMES doesn’t have to worry about any sort of competition from this new young adult rival, but those interested in that world shouldn’t completely dismiss this entertaining coming of age story either.

Where THE HUNGER GAMES has somehow been able to appeal to readers and film fans of both young and old, this new young adult series may not be as lucky. This is mostly in part to the focus on romance rather than substance. When so much attention is paid to whether the two good-looking leads will kiss or not, you begin to see what really is most important in this series. Thankfully this budding romance isn’t nearly as agonizing as say the TWILIGHT films, but make no mistake, this is clearly a young adult series. And with that warning, be prepared to witness precocious teens try to catch cutesy glances at one another. So much so that you almost forgot that you are supposedly watching a science fiction film interested in bigger ideas.

In DIVERGENT, the Chicago of the distant future is separated into different factions. Each faction – don’t you dare try to make me recount all their names and what they stand for – is comprised of individuals who share specific personality traits that are unique to that faction. When you get to a certain age, a mental test is conducted that probes the mind to find out who you should belong to. Of course, the choice is always up to the individual, but no person should have all of the traits that make up the five factions. Only in very rare instances does this happen. Those individuals whose tests come back “inconclusive” are called Divergents.

Tris, played with all heart and gusto by Shailene Woodley, happens to be one of these individuals. When she is told to hide her test results, she is forced to decide what faction she wants to belong to. She ends up choosing “Dauntless” even though it goes against her family tradition. The Dauntless are known for their heroics and athletic ability. Through her training she meets a ragtag group of teens who are all striving to be officially accepted into the group. Only if you pass all of the tests and are in the upper percentage of the new recruits will you get accepted. One of her mentors, mysteriously named Four (the smoldering Theo James), seems to take a liking to Tris but also sees her as a potential problem due to some of the other traits she exhibits that other Dauntless members don’t possess. Four and Tris soon discover that they share more than just an emotional connection and that there lives may be at risk due to mounting pressure between the factions.

The film seems to suffer from being a slave to the source material. Even if you look past the bloated running time, so much effort is put into the training sequences and Tris “finding herself” amid the diverse group that you spend the majority of the film waiting for the plot to kick into gear. I will say that these coming of age scenes have a breezy easiness to the way they are laid out even if they become repetitious after awhile. The trials and obstacles she must face even seem to carry some minor symbolism as they act almost as stepping-stones showing a naïve girl transforming into a strong woman. It’s only when the film finally decides to deal with the larger issue of the story that everything suddenly feels rushed. Everything in the final 20 minutes feels like narrative overload, abruptly tacked on to make way for the subsequent films in the book series. By the end of the chaotic finale, you may find yourself looking back and appreciating some of the quieter moments from earlier in the film – especially a soaring scene where we see Tris literally soaring above the city set to a song by the band M83.

Director Neil Burger (LIMITLESS, THE ILLUSIONIST) takes such great care setting up these characters but wastes his calculated handling of the story in its finale. One could argue that the story could function much better as a TV series. Even though a similar book series has been adapted and made quite a splash at the box-office recently, I feel the deliberate pace that is spent to get to know each of these characters – which I can only assume is also present in the books – could translate to the small screen more efficiently. The entire ensemble seems appropriately cast and all are captivating on screen thanks to some impressive cinematography (Alwin H. Küchler). Burger’s direction mostly elevates the teen love affair into something slightly more just through his approach to this story. However, I would be remiss not to warn those unfamiliar with the books that this truly is an adaptation of a young adult novel. That being said, don’t be surprised if the film inspires even more young people to join the DIVERGENT fan faction.

3 out of 5 stars