Disc Reviews

Divergent Blu-ray Review

4th Aug 2014

Divergent is the latest teeny-dystopia sci-fi novel series to hit the big screens. In this future the city of Chicago has been divided up into various factions. Each faction is a way of life, a breed of people who serve a specific purpose in life (One group are very clever, another like to work the land, another like to protect the city (by being Parkour fans?) and so on). Everyone has a purpose in this life – and when you reach a certain age you select which of these you belong to.

From time to time, certain individuals are more than just one thing and are named Divergent. Divergent people are a risk to society – so naturally this is a cause for concern for Beatrice Prior (Shailene Woodley) when this is what comes up in her test results.

Forced to pretend to be something she is not – living with the rough and tough “Dauntless” crowd (The Parkour bullies) – Beatrice newly names herself Tris and begins her training, whilst seeking to hide her actually abilities. But for how long!

Divergent is entertaining enough without there ever being a need for much in the way of logic or even sense. The factions, the training and the way people approach one and other in this world never truly adds up to allow the viewer to completely relax and enjoy the narrative.

The idea may be interesting way of dividing the world up, but in the end it isn’t one that works in reality – viewers must really remember not to ask questions as it happens, because at the core this is really just another growing up and becoming your own person story. Not without its merits, but deeply flawed in logic.