Divergent - The IMAX Experience Review

Rated PG-13 (Intense Violence and Action, Thematic Elements and Some Sensuality)

Running Time: 2 Hours & 19 Minutes

Cast-

Shailene Woodley-Beatrice 'Tris' Prior

Theo James-Four

Ansel Elgort-Caleb Prior

Zoë Kravitz-Christina

Miles Teller-Peter Hayes

Ben Lloyd-Hughes-Will

Christian Madsen-Albert

Jai Courtney-Eric

Mekhi Phifer-Max

Maggie Q-Tori Wu

Ashley Judd-Natalie Prior

Tony Goldwyn-Andrew Prior

Ray Stevenson-Marcus Eaton

Kate Winslet-Jeanine Matthews

Amy Newbold-Molly Atwood

Ben Lamb-Edward

Directed by Neil Burger

Shailene Woodley and Theo James shine in Neil Burger's film adaptation of "Divergent."

Note: Screened on Tuesday, March 18, 2014 at AMC Empire 25.

'Who am I?' Many a teenager has asked themselves that difficult question as they struggle to establish their own sense of identity. In fact, famed developmental psychologist Erik H. Erikson believed that the whole point of adolescence was to answer that very question in order to become secure in one's own identity. Failure to do so would leave a person 'confused about their values, relationships and what they want out of life.' (1) In the futuristic, sci-fi dystopian world depicted in Veronica Roth's best-selling young adult novels, you would be called…Divergent. Since the first book's debut back in 2011, the so-called Divergent Trilogy has sold over seventeen million copies worldwide and with Hollywood being, well…Hollywood, that meant a film adaptation wasn't too far behind. Hell, following the massive box office success of the "Twilight Saga," Summit Entertainment hungrily snatched up the rights to Roth's first book…before it even hit store shelves! That was three years ago, when films based on popular young adult novels seemed as sure a thing as superhero films. Well, superheroes—especially those based on Marvel characters—are now billion-dollar franchises while young adult properties have suffered one flop after another, with the sole exception being "The Hunger Games" series led by current America's Sweetheart Jennifer Lawrence. Issue #1301 of Entertainment Weekly had the tagline 'All Eyes on Divergent' and it's an apt one because if the Neil Burger-directed film adaptation were to also flop, that would be it for the young adult genre. However, Summit has been confident about the box office prospects for "Divergent" and has already set the release dates for the sequels, "Insurgent" and "Allegiant," for 2015 and 2016, respectively. The only question that remains to be answered is whether the film is any good. The pacing is a little on the slow side and its sci-fi dystopian setting is too familiar to stand out from the crowd but "Divergent" remains a compelling watch thanks to Shailene Woodley's impressive performance and offers a promising start to this would-be franchise.

Following a great war in the future that ravaged the United States, the city of Chicago rose from the ashes and built a seemingly utopian society where people are divided into five distinct factions: Abnegation, who govern the city and is meant for the selfless; Amity, meant for the peaceful; Candor, meant for the honest; Dauntless, who protect the city and is meant for the brave; and Erudite, meant for the knowledgeable. On a given day each year, all citizens who are sixteen-years-old must take an aptitude test that will reveal which faction suits them best. After receiving their results, they will then participate in a 'Choosing Ceremony' where they will either decide to stay with their family or transfer to a new faction. Beatrice Prior (Shailene Woodley), who lives with her parents—Natalie (Ashley Judd) and Andrew (Tony Goldwyn)—in Abnegation, has always felt like an outsider in the faction she was born into in comparison to her more selfless older brother Caleb (Ansel Elgort). When it comes time for her to take the aptitude test, Beatrice discovers that her results are inconclusive as she shows equal aptitude for Abnegation, Erudite, and Dauntless. This makes her the ultra-rare 'Divergent' and she is warned by test administrator Tori (Maggie Q) to never reveal this to anyone for fear of her life. During the Choosing Ceremony, Beatrice decides to go with her gut-feeling and picks Dauntless at the expense of losing her family. Caleb chooses to go with the inquisitive Erudite. Traveling to the Dauntless compound known as 'The Pit,' Beatrice renames herself as 'Tris' and is mentally and physically put through the gauntlet during an intensive training period. Success will earn her a permanent place in the warrior faction while failure will lead to her being cast out and rendered 'factionless.' As she trains, Tris finds solace in the arms of Dauntless instructor Four (Theo James) but trouble brews on the horizon when Erudite leader Jeanine Matthews (Kate Winslet) begins a hostile takeover in order to overthrow Abnegation.

I don't know if it's just me but each successive young adult film adaptation seems to have an even more complicated premise than the last. It's like the authors are trying to one up each other! Fortunately, writers Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor have done a pretty good job in adapting Veronica Roth's debut novel for the big screen, streamlining its premise down to its bare essentials for those unfamiliar with the source material. Like "The Hunger Games," "Divergent" is set in a post-apocalyptic future that has been ravaged by war and from those ashes rose a new society. However, Suzanne Collins definitively established Panem as a totalitarian nation while the crumbling city of Chicago in Roth's book is outwardly utopian. Instead of having districts focusing on a particular industry, Roth opted to divide the city's inhabitants by personality type, which in itself is interesting even if it's not a terribly original idea (Philip K. Dick's Clans of the Alphane Moon and Rupert Thomson's Divided Kingdom have similar set-ups). For some viewers, that lack of originality will keep them from enjoying "Divergent." Even I have to admit that too many aspects of Roth's world feel overly familiar, with the Choosing Ceremony recalling the Sorting Hat from "Harry Potter" to the Dauntless faction being a co-ed teen version of the Night's Watch from "Game of Thrones." Hell, they even wear black and patrol the city's walls! In spite of the source material's derivative nature, director Neil Burger and his production team does manage to do a fine job in bringing Roth's dystopian vision of Chicago to life. Although the technology shown in the film is more advanced than what we have today, it stands in stark contrast with the city's deteriorating skyline and is reminiscent of the 'retrofitted' future popularized by Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner." The former Windy City is high-tech and gleaming in one way but old and decaying in another. IMAX certainly adds to the picture's sense of scope but besides that and the improved sound quality, there's not much reason to shell out for the premium format.  

Efficient world-building and solid production values aside, the pacing in "Divergent" can be a bit sluggish as the film enters a protracted second act where Beatrice, now going by the name 'Tris,' is put through the gauntlet in order to prove that she's worthy of being in the Dauntless faction (similar to Battle School in "Ender's Game" but less high-tech). This is where the casting becomes important because if your lead is not engaging, you can kiss your franchise dreams good-bye. It is to the casting team's great credit that they managed to snag the enormously appealing Shailene Woodley. There's not a shred of artifice in her performance, with the twenty-two year old actress perfectly capturing Tris' constant uncertainty while also adding a sense of urgency to the film's bloated mid-section (since discovery of her character's non-conformist status effectively means the end of her life). Without her presence, the story would've been a fancy yet empty metaphor of a teen trying to find her place in the world but Woodley adds meaning to it by not overplaying Tris' status as a Divergent. In her eyes, the character is just a normal, honest girl who finds herself thrust into an extraordinary situation and it allows the viewer to sympathize with her pain as she endures one physical hardship after another in her training as well as cheer her on when she finally triumphs. It is also to Burger's credit that he managed to make the various simulations feel dangerous as they form the bulk of Tris's emotional journey. Of course, this being based on a young adult novel, a romance subplot is pretty much a must-have at this point. Fortunately, it doesn't overwhelm and become the story (like in "Twilight") and in a refreshing change of pace, there's no love triangle! It helps that relative newcomer Theo James avoids reducing the stoic Four into a hunk of meat. He brings an intensity to the role yet also a simmering vulnerability.

Where "Divergent" stumbles is in its third act. Early on, we learn that Abnegation is in the midst of a political scandal as there are rumors that one of their council members, Marcus Eaton (Ray Stevenson), had been physically abusing his son. Although it is hinted that Erudite is the one spreading these rumors, so little attention is paid to it due to the majority of the film being focused on Tris' training. Sure, there are scenes of her growing suspicious about Jeanine Matthews' intentions yet it feels oddly disconnected with everything else that's going on. When the ruthless Erudite leader finally launches her hostile takeover, it seems like it came out of nowhere. Granted, the last twenty or so minutes is action-packed but there's no hiding the fact that the third act is rushed as it tries to provide a sense of closure while also setting up all the necessary plot threads for the sequels. It also doesn't help that the script reduces Matthews to another cookie-cutter villain with a penchant for monologues, just to make sure that the film's themes of choice vs. conformity are loud and clear enough for viewers.

Shailene Woodley and Theo James' fierce commitment to the material elevates "Divergent" from mediocre territory but the rest of the supporting cast doesn't fare quite as well. Jai Courtney seems to have carved out a niche for himself playing douchebag-type characters as cruel Dauntless instructor Eric while Zoë Kravitz, Miles Teller, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, and Christian Madsen are given one-note roles that fail to go beyond simplistic labels such as 'Tris' best friend' or 'Tris' bully.' Despite getting their own character posters, Maggie Q and Mekhi Phifer have what amounts to glorified cameos. Ray Stevenson is in the film as well but you wouldn't know it given his bland performance. I actually mistook him for Vincent Regan! At least Kate Winslet and Ashley Judd put some effort into their roles as Erudite leader Jeanine Matthews' and Tris' mother Natalie, respectively. Unfortunately, they too don't have much in the way of screen-time.

Released on March 21, 2014, "Divergent" has received mixed reviews with 40% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics found its 'adherence to YA formula…undercut [the film's] individualistic message' and opens this 'planned trilogy in disappointingly predictable fashion.' I have to say, I'm somewhat surprised at this reaction as it seems like they're using their reviews to vent their frustration at the whole YA-movie phenomenon. Of course, this is far from being a great film but it's definitely not bad. Audiences seemed to agree as well as "Divergent" grossed a solid $56 million over opening weekend. You can practically hear the big-wigs at Summit breathe a collective sigh of relief, although they really had nothing to worry about. No, there's not much in the way of originality in "Divergent" but Neil Burger and his committed leads do enough to make this film worth a watch.

Final Rating: 3.5 out of 5

"The future belongs to those who know where they belong." 

1. Stamoulis, Kathryn. "The New Teen Age." Who Am I? Psychology Today, 11 July 2010. Web. 22 Mar. 2014. <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-new-teen-age/201007/who-am-i>.