April 7, 2014

 

Remember when you read the book – because I’m sure most of you have – and you pictured how it would play out as a movie? Well, that’s exactly how the film is. I have to say, even though I was slightly bored because I finished the book a few months ago and knew what would happen, I was pleased that there was no ‘Twilight syndrome’ in the first of the Divergent series to play out on the big screen. For those who don’t know, the ‘Twilight syndrome’ is basically what they did to the first of that series and the Hunger Games series. They changed some stuff around, added a plot they thought would work, and it ended up being a disappointment for fans. This time around, they got it right. And while I felt about 30 minutes could have been left out, it was pulled straight from the book, with some small tweaks that only true fans will notice.

 

The premise is slightly similar to the Hunger Games, in that there are different sectors of factions. When teens come of age – at 16 – they take a simulation test, which decides which faction they belong in, which may not be the one they grew up in. However, despite the test results, a person is free to choose whatever faction they want to belong – for the rest of their lives, for if they decide after they choose that they don’t like what they picked – they end up factionless – or homeless. There’s really no purpose of the test in the end, except to weed out the Divergent – those who don’t place in one faction – but rather several. Our heroine – Beatrice Prior (Shailene Woodley) falls into the Divergent category. Divergents are told to never reveal what they are – for they are special and sought after by the Erudite faction leader Jeanine Matthews (Kate Winslet). After the test is administered, Beatrice doesn’t know what to do. Should she stay with her family – the selfless Abnegation – or does she choose the fearless Dauntless? During the Choosing Ceremony, she ends up picking Dauntless, while her brother Caleb (Ansel Elgort) chooses Erudite. Her parents are upset, but not shocked.

 

During initiation, Beatrice – now Tris – has to prove herself that she can be Dauntless and not a ‘Stiff.’ She’s taunted by trainer and Dauntless leader Eric (Jai Courtney), but catches the eye and heart of Four or Tobias (Theo James). The first part of initiation is physical – where they basically beat the crap out of each other. The second half is psychological – where each initiate is forced to face his or her fears in simulations. The first half , Tris struggles but works her way out of the bottom group. The second half, Tris nails – as Divergents realize they are in simulations and use their knowledge of this to quickly face their fears and get out of tough situations. Four realizing this, not only reveals that he too is Divergent, but alerts her that she needs to think like a Dauntless in the simulation so not to tip off the authorities of her status. After everyone passes initiation, they are injected with a serum that they are told is a tracking device. However, it is a serum that puts everyone in a trance where Jeanine can control them to take over the Abnegation faction. The serum is also a way to weed out the Divergent, as they are immune to it. Noticing what’s going on Four and Tris pretend to be in the trance so not to get captured and killed. However, when they reach Abnegation and realize what exactly is going on, they reveal who they are and try to stop the simulation attack. In the process, Tris is forced to kill one of her fellow initiates Will (which will play a big part in the next films). In addition, both her parents are killed helping her and Four get to the Erudite building to stop the simulation. Four gets captured, but Tris saves him. Together they manage to stop the simulation and collect the data they need. But Jeanine gets away.

 

The film ends with them on a train going nowhere with a few Dauntless and her brother Caleb. They are factionless and need a plan to defeat Jeanine. There are much bigger things at play with we don’t realize until the next two books, which I will not reveal at this time. I think the film did the book justice for those who didn’t read it. It explains a lot.

 

I have a few issues with the books in general. I don’t like Tris at all. She is just like Katniss, where they are both too stupid and naïve to realize they are being played each and every time they do something. There are bigger things going around them, but they are just kids, which is evident in every decision they make. I did like the way the film played out, as each scene was exactly how I pictured it when I was reading. I have a feeling the next films are going to be just as long as there is a lot in them. I almost don’t want to read them first, so not to be bored. But then again, I’m not a ‘tween, so I’m not in love with these books or films.