The Divergent Movie Trilogy
Released: Divergent (2014), Insurgent (2015), Allegiant (2016)
Directors: Neil Burger (Divergent), Robert Schwentke (Insurgent and Allegiant)
Running time: Divergent 139 mins, Insurgent 119 mins, Allegiant 120 mins.
Rated: PG-13
Main cast: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Zoë Kravitz, Miles Teller, Ashley Judd, Ansel Elgort, Octavia Spencer, Daniel Dae Kim, Jeff Daniels,
My fourteen year old wanted to watch these with me during her spring break, so I took the opportunity to review them. I mean, Woodley and Elgort together again, yes! Woodley and Teller together again, yes? And there is nothing like watching a trilogy with your fourteen year old daughter with a clipboard on your lap, vigorously writing during every scene: Divergent (2014), Insurgent (2015) and Allegiant (2016). A YA dystopian book series by author Veronica Roth, this film franchise was supposedly the next Hunger Games. And as with many book to movie adaptations, there are differences.
Set in a crumbling walled Chicago in the future, the surviving population is separated into five factions and are based on a particular trait: Amity (peaceful), Erudite (intellectual), Abnegation (selfless), Dauntless (brave), and Candor (honest). Abnegation is the governing faction within Chicago, with Erudite as the opposing faction. And then there are the “faction-less”, those not part of any faction for various reasons, one being failing the initiation in the faction they tested into.
The series main character Beatrice Prior (Woodley, The Fault in Our Stars), is born into Abnegation and lives with her parents and brother, Caleb (Engolt, The Fault in Our Stars). Prior to individuals faction choosing, they are given an aptitude test they day before. During Beatrice’s test it is found that she is Divergent, someone that does not fall into one particular faction. She is warned by Tori (Maggie Q, Nikita) that if anyone knew that she was Divergent that her life would be in danger and ends her test early.
After grappling with keeping her secret, choosing another faction and leaving her family, during the choosing ceremony she joins Dauntless; Her brother Caleb (Ugh, Caleb) joins Erudite, both to the dismay of their parents. The Dauntless are the defenders of Chicago, which is surrounded by an immense wall to keep the unknown out (and in). In joining Dauntless, we meet the cast that surrounds our main character: Tobias Eaton, aka 4 (James, Underworld: Blood Wars), Christina (Kravitz, X-Men: First Class), and asshole Peter (Teller, Whiplash).
Beatrice chooses the new name of Tris and begins her training. Those that choose a faction that they were not born into are initiates and have to test into that faction and Tris starts out rough, as she clearly has no experience in physical confrontation. With mental and physical tests and a ranking system with the bottom ranks being released, she is immediately in jeopardy of being faction-less.
With determination and some help from her romantic lead 4, she moves up the ranks and becomes dauntless.
Much like the series that it followed, The Hunger Games, there are conspiracies and betrayals by other factions, in a fight for control. In the first two movies of the series the main antagonist is Leader of the Erudite faction, Jeanine Matthews (Winslet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). She believes her faction should be in power, wiping out the Divergent and goes to great lengths to make it a reality.
“Faction before blood” is their saying, family and friends do indeed turn against each other, as does factions, including within. And thus a civil war brews and begins in Divergent and Insurgent. Tris, along with her tight-nit crew are the foils in the various plans at control and destruction.
In the third and final installment of this series we get to see more of the world, beyond the wall, which introduces a new antagonist, David (Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom). He is the Director of Genetic Welfare and is revealed to be more instrumental in the actions in Chicago.
That is an overview of the Divergent series, in a nut shell. Peter is introduced as an asshole and remains one throughout the series, flip-flopping to the side that most benefits him at that time, he is the worst kind of survivor. His abusive and snide comments and reactions were tiresome. Caleb is insanely annoying as well. He is shown to be the complete opposite of Tris, a coward, his character used for physical comedy primarily.
This series did nothing inspiring for the genre, although I did find the concept of the factions connected to virtues and seeing the negatives as well, was interesting.
So to sum up, I watched 3 of these things! I found them to be mediocre, uninspiring, and disappointing. Luckily my fourteen year old does not have interest in my reviews.
In Retrospect ★★☆☆☆
