DIVERGENT - Wednesday 23rd April 2014

I took my 13 year old lad to the movies last night, gave him the choice and as a result we saw 'DIVERGENT'. This film is aimed squarely at the teen market let me tell you, but there is nothing wrong with that as long as you go in to your theatre with that expectation. This is riding on the coat tales of 'HARRY POTTER', 'TWILIGHT' and perhaps more significantly 'THE HUNGER GAMES', and it is that latter offering that presents most parallels.

Veronica Roth has penned this worldwide literary success story which so far spans three books I believe of which 'DIVERGENT' is the first instalment. Whilst it comes after the aforementioned 'HUNGER GAMES' to the big screen, its pages predate it. That said there are many similarities - dystopian world, teenage heroine, a segregated populace, slightly unhinged overlord, the meek and downtrodden rising up, advanced technology by the bucket load, love interest, and the young ones carrying the weight of their responsibilities when it all turns to shit!

We have a world that has been torn apart by war about 100 years ago and not much survives outside the walls of a dystopian Chicago (or so we are led to believe, so far). Chicago has been made a safe haven for the privileged although the city we would recognise today is ravaged by war, overgrown by vegetation, with dried up rivers and waterways, and makeshift housing all contained within a city perimeter electrified fortified fence that you could barley fly over let alone climb! Within this city the inhabitants have been split into 'factions' based on their personality traits, emotional leaning, intelligence, strengths, and weaknesses. These factions are 'Amity' (peaceful), 'Abnegation' (selfless), 'Candor' (honest), 'Erudite' (intelligent), and 'Dauntless' (brave), and there are those poor souls who wander aimlessly as they have been deemed 'factionless'.  Enter our brave heroine Beatrice (later to become Tris) who like all comers of age have to be tested to determine which faction they are best suited to - supposedly a fool proof test that never fails . . . until now of course! Her test is inconclusive but this must remain secret if she is to survive, and so coming from 'Abnegation' she can elect (against her test result) to enter another faction from which there is no going back, and she chooses 'Dauntless'. This faction are the nations security, law givers, peace keepers - they are cool, do their are own thing, live dangerously, highly trained and have all the best fun!

But there is trouble in paradise and after a lengthy training segment occupying a good hour+ of screen time in which Tris and her new 'initiates' are put to every possible physical and emotional test, she is good to go and welcomed to the fold. Here she falls for 'Four' - her trainer, mentor and ultimate saviour, and they both fall foul of the 'Erudite' leader Jeanine, played by Kate Winslet (channelling Jodie Foster from last years 'ELYSIUM') because they are both 'Divergent' meaning that her inconclusive test showed in fact that she has a leaning to three factions, making her potentially dangerous as well as superior to all other mere mortals.

It therefore falls to Tris and Four to lead a small uprising as Jeanine seeks to bring down the Abnegation faction using the drugged Dauntless crew so that Eurdite can rule supreme. Is this making sense?

The film moves along at a good pace, the scene is set solidly for future instalments, the cast perform well and the dystopian Chicago cityscape presented on screen is believable. This will do well no doubt to secure the future of the franchise and give us 'Insurgent' and 'Allegiant' in years to come.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-