Divergent
So many spoilers ahead, proceed with caution.
I was hesitant to watch the movie, no one I knew I seen it. Working at the library and knowing lots of "booky" people, I figured someone would give me the lowdown on how good/bad it was so I could prepare myself. It wasn't until a friend recently told me that it actually wasn't too bad that I finally rented it. Now I loved the book (review here) and even though there are so many dystopian YA books on the market right now, this one was good, like Hunger Games good. In fact, I may have even liked it more because there wasn't a love triangle which I think is simply a plot device to add drama in many of the books I've read lately.
The Bad:
I expected Dauntless to look more industrial, darker, with scarier people lurking around. We didn't see that at all. I remember the tattoo scenes as being more murky, but these were well-lit and clean and devoid of unsavory characters. The whole place from the bathrooms to the rock walls inside made it feel pretty different then I expected. I know that it wasn't that big of a deal, but it was very different then I expected.
Overall Comparison:
I was hesitant to watch the movie, no one I knew I seen it. Working at the library and knowing lots of "booky" people, I figured someone would give me the lowdown on how good/bad it was so I could prepare myself. It wasn't until a friend recently told me that it actually wasn't too bad that I finally rented it. Now I loved the book (review here) and even though there are so many dystopian YA books on the market right now, this one was good, like Hunger Games good. In fact, I may have even liked it more because there wasn't a love triangle which I think is simply a plot device to add drama in many of the books I've read lately.
Anyway, the movie. I rented, watched, yelled at the TV, told Tris to run ... I was actually really into it (much to the annoyance of my dogs). The movie follows the book plot pretty closely, which is a huge plus, but it leaves out so much that without the previous knowledge of the book, I may have been confused.
The Good:
The movie, in a refreshing Hollywood twist, follows the book plot pretty closely. There were still parts I missed and the Dauntless headquarters were nothing like how I'd pictured them. They hit the major plot points I was watching for, the fear of jumping on and off the train, jumping into the Dauntless training center, pain of being hit the first time, scariness of Eric, the Ferris Wheel, etc.
The Good:
The movie, in a refreshing Hollywood twist, follows the book plot pretty closely. There were still parts I missed and the Dauntless headquarters were nothing like how I'd pictured them. They hit the major plot points I was watching for, the fear of jumping on and off the train, jumping into the Dauntless training center, pain of being hit the first time, scariness of Eric, the Ferris Wheel, etc.
The Bad:
I expected Dauntless to look more industrial, darker, with scarier people lurking around. We didn't see that at all. I remember the tattoo scenes as being more murky, but these were well-lit and clean and devoid of unsavory characters. The whole place from the bathrooms to the rock walls inside made it feel pretty different then I expected. I know that it wasn't that big of a deal, but it was very different then I expected.
Oh, and the way she runs into her mom in the movie was totally different then in the book. I think that the books' way would have been easier for filming, but they weren't giving very much "story" to the characters so they probably didn't want to take the time.
The Ugly:
With any book to movie deals they are going to have to cut ... a LOT. This I hate and no matter how great of a job they do, I'm always going to be disappointed. However, to keep the movie exciting and action packed, I felt like they cut all of the personal growth and relationship developing. I couldn't keep the disliked characters straight, we talked so little of Tris' friends and saw so little of their relationship. Finally, Four, she never starts calling him Tobias which I thought was a huge turning point in the book. They really only have one moment and so little flirty moments before made it feel forced and uncomfortable. That was a little disappointing.
Who will love this book?
My friend liked it because she likes "unlikeable" characters. She also likes books that are plot driven and doesn't think about things like the first person voice. If you want an interesting plot, unique story line, and don't get hung up on the nitty gritty like I do, you'll probably like this story.
How much did I like it? 7/10
Will I watch more? Yes
The Ugly:
With any book to movie deals they are going to have to cut ... a LOT. This I hate and no matter how great of a job they do, I'm always going to be disappointed. However, to keep the movie exciting and action packed, I felt like they cut all of the personal growth and relationship developing. I couldn't keep the disliked characters straight, we talked so little of Tris' friends and saw so little of their relationship. Finally, Four, she never starts calling him Tobias which I thought was a huge turning point in the book. They really only have one moment and so little flirty moments before made it feel forced and uncomfortable. That was a little disappointing.
Who will love this book?
My friend liked it because she likes "unlikeable" characters. She also likes books that are plot driven and doesn't think about things like the first person voice. If you want an interesting plot, unique story line, and don't get hung up on the nitty gritty like I do, you'll probably like this story.
How much did I like it? 7/10
Will I watch more? Yes
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