Hunger Games Xerox.

Rating: 6/10 (25 May 2015)

Divergent (2014): Dir: Neil Burger / Cast: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ashley Judd, Kate Winslet, Miles Teller: Basically a Hunger Games knock off about individuality. Apparently in the future society is divided into five factions consisting of selfless, peaceful, intelligent, truthful, and brave. This involves adolescent folks more or less separated from their families under some control crap depending upon which faction is sought upon. Shailene Woodley and her brother are set for this. He chooses intelligence while she chooses brave. They go through tests that involves taking a serum. Woodley learns that she is Divergent, which means she has characteristics of several or all of the above. This renders her a threat and therefore must conceal her test knowledge. In her faction she is put through several daring or brutal tests that she mostly fails but because she is Divergent her level of bravery excels past fear. While the premise is nothing to write home about, the structure is surprisingly detailed with a third act that opens for a sequel yet still promises hope against those using this training to form a brainwashed army. Woodley as Tris is the one strong complex casting as she perfects the underdog to beat the system. Theo James as trainee Four is more or less a one dimensional romantic fling. Miles Teller plays the moron bully recruit whom viewers are awaiting his backlash. Ashley Judd as Woodley's mother reminds us that she was once an A-lister, and Kate Winslet also fails to excel in a limited role as villainess. While it is hardly Hunger Games, it still presents an entertaining xerox. Score: 6 ½ / 10