DIVERGENT (D-)

Bottom Line: This youth oriented, societally segregated, dystopian flick (based off the popular book trilogy) is basically THE HUNGER GAMES minus any depth, drive or desire to turn a rabidly raved about read into a memorable movie.  On the plus side [gimme a minute – pretty sure there was something I kind of liked, or rather, didn’t hate] there’s a wafer-thin ribbon of intrigue that faintly runs throughout the bloated 2 ½ hour running time.  Unfortunately, that’s about it – the rest of this post-apocalyptic fortress lies in shambles due to mind-numbing editing,  zero character development, brutal acting (from both newcomers and seasoned actors alike), painful dialogue, cheesily placed industrial music, uninteresting storytelling, senseless action sequences, glaring plot holes, oblivious leaps in logic and an overall lack of wit, charm and passion.  For the record, my wife and 14-year old niece loved the books – grade-wise, they give the movie a D and C-, respectively.  A big part of this movie focuses on identifying and conquering your fears - I’ve decided that what scares me most is the thought of there being at least two more movies left to tell…  DIVERGENT is dull, derivative and more deserving of the similarly sounding DETERGENT moniker – if only because, above all things, it’s a complete mess.

 

Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Miles teller, Ray Stevenson, Jai Courtney, Ashley Judd, Maggie Q, Tony Goldwyn and Kate Winslet

Directed by: Neil Burger (LIMITLESS and THE ILLUSIONIST)

Rated: PG-13

Running time: 143 minutes

Studio description: DIVERGENT is a thrilling action-adventure film set in a world where people are divided into distinct factions based on human virtues. Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) is warned she is Divergent and will never fit into any one group. When she discovers a conspiracy by a faction leader (Kate Winslet) to destroy all Divergents, Tris must learn to trust in the mysterious Four (Theo James) and together they must find out what makes being Divergent so dangerous before it's too late. Based on the best-selling book series by Veronica Roth. (C) Summit

 

Official site: www.divergentthemovie.com