"What book did you regurgitate that from?" -former Candor to former Erudite
I'm prejudiced. I find "teen rebellion in post apocalypse setting" novels and movies to be pure schlock from start to finish. They are derivative drivel that generally pass itself off as high literature to those who believe that their teenage experiences must be and are unique to their time and their generation. *Teenage experiences are generally similar, especially in their need for rebellion and expressive control against their surroundings.
That said: I am also an well practiced idiot and freely admit to the pliability of my positions.
To the point, Divergent was a passable, if not acceptable, movie and it probably is a decent set of books. ( I was shocked!)
In my mind, a melding of Avatar: The Last Airbender and Battle Royal would be bad. (There are 4 elemental groups; Earth, Air, Fire, and Water; each with their own rules cultural points that in balance create harmony in the world. There are 5 factions in Divergent each with its own rules that are meant to create balance in the city/world. Additionally, those individuals that have elements of all 5 factions are rare, special like the Avatar.) I imagined the movie going in as a tortured drama of teen vs. The System with Kate Winslet playing THE MAN. Fortunately, Divergent is actually more about one teen's struggle vs. self and coping with/embracing inner differences....oh and tattoos. It isn't a new concept or plot...but it was executed with grace and deftness.
I was suitably impressed with the acting chops of Shailene Woodley. In the hands of a less capable actress Divergent would have fallen into a teenage emo abyss. Way to Go!
On a scale of Harmony to Temperance, I give Divergent 3.1 out of 5 stars.
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