DVD Review: Divergent

Shailene Woodley & Theo James

Director: Neil Burger
Stars: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Zoe Kravitz, Jai Courtney

Genre(s): Action/Adventure; Sci-fi
DVD Release Date: August 5, 2014
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 41%

Divergent is latest installment n the dystopian YA craze, based on the first book in Veronica Roth's best-selling series.  You know the formula: futuristic society, teenage heroine, hunky hero, etc.  Like the Jennifer Lawrence-starring Hunger Games franchise, Divergent features beating unbeatable odds in a more-than-slightly predictable manner.  The main characters are likable and strong, but flawed, which makes them relatable; in Divergent, Tris (Shailene Woodley) is even more relatable than Lawrence's Katniss, as she struggles early in the film when adjusting to her new lifestyle.  

Divergent takes place in a distant future, in Chicago, when society is separated into different Factions, each representing a different trait: Abnegation (selflessness), Amity (peacefulness), Candor (honesty), Dauntless (braveness), and Erudite (intelligence).  Tris has been living in Abnegation with her parents (Ashley Judd and Tony Goldwyn), and her brother (Woodley's The Fault in Our Stars co-star Ansel Elgort), and when she takes the test that determines what faction she is best suited for, the results are "inconclusive" -- in other words, she is divergent, and suited for multiple factions (including Dauntless and Abnegation), something that is essentially forbidden in this society, led by the cunning Jeanine (Oscar winner Kate Winslet).  When it comes time for Tris to choose her faction, she opts for Dauntless, and soon begins a rigorous training regime led by mysterious hunk Four (Theo James, best known for the short-lived series Golden Boy).  Tris has to hide her test results from everyone, for fear of being killed.  

The success of this adaptation lies on the skinny shoulders of Woodley, who began her career on the hit show The Secret Life of the American Teenager and held her own opposite George Clooney in The Descendants.  She is pretty even without make-up, possessing the same kind of vulnerable beauty that makes Lawrence's Katniss so relatable.  Tris second-guesses herself quite frequently, and is so far from flawless -- despite her obvious intellectual and philosophical strengths -- that it makes fairly easy to root for her.  And, in that sense, Woodley is perfect for the role, and makes her plight all the more sympathetic.  James' Four is like a sterner, deeper-voiced James Franco.  The Aussie actor makes Four as mysterious as he needs to be, with his own issues and his own flaws.  The rest of the cast fills out quite nicely, especially the scene-stealing Jai Courtney as Four's fellow training leader.  It seems odd to see Winslet is such an overtly villainous role, though she seems to enjoy herself, perhaps a bit too much, though her performance is hardly a detriment to the film.  

The first half -- or so -- of the movie zips along at a pretty solid, entertaining pace, as Tris and her fellow Dauntless newbies (including Lenny Kravitz's daughter, Zoe) struggle to complete the training.  What follows is a series of scenes are unnecessary long, some of which could have been eliminated altogether, and some of which are almost sluggish, despite the intended hurried pace.  The movie could also have benefited from some tighter editing, but overall it is an enjoyable, seemingly accurate -- I have not read the books -- adaptation of Roth's novel.  

The central romance is as predictable as one would expect it to be, but it is hardly the center of the story.  Unlike Katniss, Tris only boy fawning over her, but Four is not exactly fawning; from their first interactions, it is clear that something will happen between them, but Four does not ogle her or give her any special treatment throughout the training.  The two of them are clearly attractive enough to entice younger viewers, but relatable and likable enough to make older ones -- like myself -- hope they both make it.  

We know very little about the world and society in which this takes place, aside from the factions and the supposed threat of divergents; though, while more insight into the other factions would have been useful, it might have been extraneous, and hopefully more installments will answer more of our burning questions about this society. 



Grade: B+