REAGAN FITZKE

“Divergent”, starring Shailene Woodley and Theo James, was released on March 21, 2014. It is the first theatrical installment of Veronica Roth’s bestselling trilogy.

Woodley plays the role of a teenage girl, Beatrice ‘Tris’ Prior, living in a future American dystopia where citizens are split into five different factions: Abnegation, the selfless; Dauntless, the brave; Erudite, the intelligent; Candor, the truthful; and Amity, the peaceful.

However, Tris discovers she is Divergent, meaning she can fit perfectly into three factions. Her perfect matches happen to be Abnegation (where she was born and raised), Dauntless, and Erudite. The movie shows her progression as she chooses her new faction, Dauntless, and moves through initiation.

Personally, I think the movie was beautifully done, especially since it was able to pull off the somewhat stale storyline of a strong female heroine fighting for her life in a futuristic society. The main romance between Tris and Tobias ‘Four’ Eaton (played by Theo James) was one of the few in such stories that seemed real.

The actors let their talent shine through in even the most dull scenes. Woodley and James’ work is really what made the movie worthwhile. Their performances brought compelling and interesting characters to life on the screen, and made the experience that much more enjoyable for the audience.

For fans of the books, I would definitely recommend seeing the movie. Of course, it isn’t going to be the next “Harry Potter” franchise, but it is worth going to see.

This movie was more of an interesting introduction to the series rather than an action-packed thriller, but it was beautifully crafted for what it was. I would give this movie a 7 out of 10 rating.