"In a world divided by factions based on virtues, Tris learns she's Divergent and won't fit in. When she discovers a plot to destroy Divergents, Tris and the mysterious Four must find out what makes Divergents dangerous before it's too late."
On the whole, I found myself quite content with this film. I mean, it wasn't quite on the level of other YA franchise films such as Harry Potter or The Hunger Games, but it was far better than its predecessors, such as the abysmal Beautiful Creatures. I was glad to see that the writers and director stayed as close to the book as they could, including so many recognisable quotes where they could and not straying too far from the book's narrative. However, I did at times feel as if the pacing fell a little flat, which is mainly due to the fact that some scenes couldn't be included in order Lionsgate could attain that all important 12A rating, which is disappointing.
Considering the film was created on a minuscule $85 million budget, the graphics and CGI were pretty impressive. I found myself taken aback by just how much detail had been put into creating the dystopian city that is Chicago as it was both beautiful and haunting. It's easy for a dystopian film to be quite generic but there was just the right balance of destruction and futuristic elements to give it a believable feel, so on the whole the setting was so much better than I imagined possible.
Although the pacing of the film did fall a little flat at times as previously stated, I did find that much of the more intense, action scenes were far more exciting to experience than in the book. It felt very much like the director, Neil Burger, tried as best he could to push the boundaries of the 12A rating to create an exhilarating atmosphere, adding a little more brutality than Veronica Roth did in the book.
What I did find a little disappointing with the film however was the execution of the characters. It felt very much like some characters were seriously underdeveloped whilst some were developed in completely the wrong way, Peter Hayes for example. Peter definitely didn't come across as the brutal yet desperate individual doing all he can to survive initiation into the Dauntless faction from the book, he was more like an annoying fly that you can't keep away from your food. I also wasn't particularly impressed by Theo James' portrayal of Four as room for him to express the character was pretty restricted, even his so called 'chemistry' with Tris seemed a little forced so I'm hoping he'll do a far better job in Insurgent.
Despite this however I was really impressed by Shailene Woodley's performance. As an actress I was totally unfamiliar with prior to this film I wasn't sure how well she'd cope, but she blew me away during the climax in particular. It's clear that she has a real understanding of Tris Prior's character and I can see why people are heralding her as Hollywood's next 'big actress'. I was also really pleased with the ending. As a book fan it can sometimes be frustrating when an adaptation strays from the source material, yet with this film I was pleased they shook it up and altered it slightly because it made it more exciting to watch because although I knew what the ultimate outcome would be, I didn't know what the process leading up to it would be.
Ultimately, this an adaptation that offers much in the way of excitement and action, yet has the tendency to fall flat at times with some characters feeling irrelevant to the narrative compared to their stance in the book. If you'd like the read my review of the book also then click here to do so.
I give Neil Burger and Divergent 7/10.
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