Review: ‘Divergent’ is a pleasant surprise with great characters, solid story

Posted on March 28, 2014

By the time “Divergent,” the adaptation of the first novel in Veronica Roth’s dystopian trilogy, arrived in theaters last week, I had little interest in the book or the movie. But this time, the options were limited, so I went into the movie having not read the source material.

Consider me pleasantly surprised when the movie turned out to be quite good, with an interesting story, well-developed characters and an engaging cast. Although some elements of the story don’t get a full explanation, I cannot say if those aspects were lost in the translation or if they simply were ambiguous in the original novel as well. Considering some of the elements are key to the overall plot, it goes to show how much I enjoyed the film as a whole that these problems seemed secondary to the positives.

All in all, “Divergent” is a solid film that is enjoyable throughout its 130-minute run. It creates a intriguing world with interesting characters and a story that has me looking for the eventual sequel. Of course, I’m sure fans will have quibbles or complaints about what was and wasn’t in the movie (as I have done about adaptations of books I have read), but as a moviegoer, I can say it is worth a visit.

The film is rated PG-13 for intense violence and action, thematic elements and some sensuality.

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