Divergent Movie Review

Looking for a short thumbs up or thumbs down?  Look no further: GO SEE IT!!!

 

For all the others looking for the scoop:

Y’all. I always know when my sister and I look at each other with cheesy grins throughout the entire movie that we have a fangirl-worthy movie on our hands.

So, forewarned, my inner fangirl is writing this.

So, the beginning of the movie was pretty strong on its own.  I thought the writers did a great job of setting up what was going on for those that hadn’t read the book.  Ashley Judd does a wonderful job of playing Tris’s mom. 

 

 

Surprise #1: “Fitz” from Scandal is Tris’s dad.  Clearly I didn’t do much fangirling research on this movie beforehand. When he showed up on stage, both of us were whisper-screaming, “FITZZZ!”  The only thing that would have made this even better is if Olivia Pope was involved somehow.

I loved watching the scene when Dauntless members were jumping off the train.  Very classic book moment realized on screen.

 

Watching Tris pick Dauntless, jump off her own train and then jump down into the Dauntless headquarters were all great moments too.

Then.

Four shows up. 

Holy cow, y’all.  This is the part my sister and I look at each other and were like, yeah, this movie just got good. 

Surprise #2: Four is Mr. Pamuk from Downton Abbey that died in Mary’s bed!

 

So, yeah, I’m not sure what to say here except that I’m a fan of Mr. Theo James. 

 

 

He’s quoted as saying, “I know I often get a job because of how I look. I hope that I keep the job because of how I act.” From someone in the audience, I’d say he does. I heard that Veronica Roth basically swooned when he auditioned.

He was the perfect amount of coolness to Tris and yet showed just the right amount of interest in her as their relationship progressed. It really was a journey watching them through the movie.  Even though their romance was actually secondary to the main plot, it was my favorite part. Of course.

 

The writers also did a great job of including pivotal moments like Christina getting nearly killed and Tris getting saved by Four from a band of guys trying to hurt her.

The Ferris wheel scene was just great too.

 

Oh, and all the dream stuff where you were watching their fears was just wonderful too.  I was wondering how they would handle that and they totally pulled it off.

One of my favorite scenes, though, is at the end when Tris and Four are saving the Dauntless members from killing Abnegation and Tris and Four face off.  Watching them fight after he couldn’t even stand watching her fight the others was equal parts riveting and terrible.

My only complaint about the movie is that Peter’s character didn’t come across the way I remembered him.  He was much less intimidating and more Class Clown looking than I-could-kill-you kind of looking and acting.

Beyond all that, I love the movie for the reason I loved the book—I like exploring the idea that we’re all a little of everything.  We don’t have to fit in a box (or faction) and we can be who we really are and that can, in fact, save us.  Watching all that through an action-packed, romantic lens…sigh…well, it just makes a girl happy.

I’ve rambled a bit here because it’s been two days since I saw the screening and I’m trying to remember all the wonderful things about it.  Suffice it to say that if you read the book, you should definitely check it out and I’ll be shocked if you’re not pleased.  If I think about it enough, I might even be willing to say that in some ways, I liked the movie better.  Yes, I’m gasping too.  Perhaps I couldn’t like it so much had I not the read book, but still.  I’m pleased with the movie to say the least.

Check it out this weekend and let me know what you think!

 

 

Oh and one other unrelated note…it’s now going to be super weird seeing Tris and her brother Caleb play Hazel and Augustus in Fault in Our Stars. Right?! At least we have until June to work that out.

 

 

 

I was provided two free tickets to the screening.  All opinions are my own.

All Divergent images: Photo: Jaap Buitendijk © 2013 Summit Entertainment, LLC. All rights reserved.