Divergent is More than a Teen Flick

Rating: 9/10 (26 March 2014)

Going to Divergent for some light diversion, I quickly realized: "This no mere 'Hunger Games' copy cat! Let's face it, the premise of HG was ridiculous. The acting was wonderful and Jennifer Lawrence is a great actress. But the premise of Divergent is so much more probable (not just because I wrote a novel about 10 years ago with some similarities). Of course I had the same criticism. No one is just one aspect. But, for the age of adolescence, cliques are a painful reality; categories are everywhere: Nerd, Mean Girls, Grunge, Band Fags, Jocks, etc.
But the acting is wonderful. The pieces in the mix, although familiar, fall together seamlessly. The dramatic suspense is at times very evocative. The timing and the choreography are fine tuned. The tension between actors is palpable.
I entered a skeptic but left a convert. However, I remain skeptical about a sequel. This is best on its own.