For being a movie that praises those who are unique and individualistic, ‘Divergent’ is so by the book for it is genre that it lacks almost any surprises.

There are some good performances plus a few interesting scenes and set pieces here and there, but overall I was not very impressed.

‘Divergent’ follows Tris (Shailene Woodley) and her life in Chicago in a futuristic dystopian society. In her society, people are divided into one of five factions based on a personality test and choice. Tris’ personality test was inconclusive, making her a divergent, or someone who ‘will not conform’ to the system. Tris chooses to join the Dauntless, the brave warrior class in her society, and soon discovers a sinister plan for ultimate power that only she and few others are able to stop.

The most obvious comment to be made about ‘Divergent’ is how similar it looks to ‘The Hunger Games.’ Although this is true for a majority of the plots structure and writing, It does not quite reach the level of intensity present in the Hunger Games films. More than half of the film is trails and training, leading the finale to seem rushed and unsatisfying. I have not read the books, but I feel that the almost guaranteed sequel will do a lot toward making the franchise more unique.

Another place where the film falters is the overarching message of individuality seen throughout ‘Divergent’. Tris joins with the Dauntless, a faction more focused on abiding by the rules than thinking for yourself, and the films main enemy is the Erudites, or the people who focus on intellectual pursuits. I appreciate the moments in which the film acknowledges a balance between the different personality types, but are intelligence and education not the biggest weapon against a totalitarian society? I would think so, but the film characterizes the ‘intelligent’ class as humorless and angry at ‘human nature.’

I did not love the film as a whole, but I thought the lead actors both did well. I liked Shailene Woodley in ‘The Descendants’ and she convincingly plays the role of calm yet rebellious Tris well. Theo James, who plays Dauntless trainer Four, was also entertaining to watch for the most part. Kate Winslet was surprisingly great for the short time she was on screen as Erudite leader Jeanine Matthews even if she did not have much to work with on the writing side of things.

2/5