My youngest child is an avid reader. She's been anxiously awaiting this movie for months, having devoured all three books of the series. She's 12 and loved the film, informing me that is was close enough to the books and worth the wait.
Shailene Woodley, who amazed in "The Descendants" and "The Spectacular Now" is off to a great start to her career. She plays Tris, a teenager in this futuristic adventure. The world is regulated by five different factions, each championing a different virtue and serving a different function in society, without any cross over. Abnegation is all about selfless service to others, Dauntless is about bravery and physical strength, Erudite is the intelligentsia valuing academics and logic, Candor is about honesty and honor, and finally Amity is about peace and love (and farming). At a certain age each citizen if forced to choose a faction. When Tris chooses Dauntless, after having grown up in Abnegation, she faces her future alone in her new tribe, without contact with family or friends.
The world created by director Neil Burger is in some ways modern and futuristic, and in others a barren, run down, version of our current world. The future Chicago is surrounded by a wall, protecting us from some undisclosed threat. The buildings appear bombed out, the trains are rickety, and much of the clothing tatters. Yet there is sophisticated machinery and weaponry. The look and feel of this movie is consistent and interesting. I did find it odd that there seem to be no old people in the future. Ashley Judd, playing Tris's mother, was just about the oldest person on the planet.
My typical criticism about action movies is the lack of character and plot development. The action starts too quickly, without giving us time to get to know and care about the characters. The more we know, the more we care, and the more the action matters. "Divergent" was completely opposite. It felt as though the entire movie was a build up. We spent hours getting to know the characters, watching them grow and learn. Tris transitions from a meek girl to a strong and brave warrior, while falling in love with her mentor, Four, played by Theo James. The two share a wonderful chemistry and it's easy to root for them. However, after an entertaining set up that I did enjoy, the final action seems to fizzle. There is no true suspense and no satisfying payoff in the end. It's almost as if the director suddenly realized he already had two hours in the can but hadn't yet shot the final act, and only had 20 minutes left to wrap it up.
While there was an overly thorough and entertaining character development, I didn't feel that much attention was given to plot development. I do know that basically one faction was trying to overthrow another, under the guise of protecting the collective society. However, I'm still not exactly sure what the one faction did to put society at risk or why they had to be eradicated. The reasons for much of the action was vague at best. I suspect this is all made more clear in the books.
Overall this was an enjoyable film and I'm looking forward to a sequel. It was entertaining and well paced until the end. I do think it'll be enjoyed more by a younger audience.
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