A poor man's 'Hunger Games'

Rating: 6/10 (3 August 2014)

I have not read the novel but as a movie, this was disappointing. Many people watch movies just because they have been adapted from great books but I don't believe a film should rely on a great novel. This movie is poorly executed and could have been so much better. There are striking similarities to 'The Hunger Games' but there is no comparison to how well 'The Hunger Games' has been made and the exceptional performance of 'Jennifer Lawrence'. In contrast 'Divergent', which also featured a futuristic society governed by a strict regime with numerous divisions, is not convincing and none of the characters are strong enough for the viewer to care about them. The movie seems to end up becoming a teenage romance tale and the climax is confusing and dull. Even the main theme of being a 'Divergent' is not explored or really explained, maybe this has been reserved for a sequel. However based on this movie, I definitely won't bother with any follow up movies.