Divergent
(2014/Summit/Lionsgate Blu-ray w/DVD)
Picture:
A/B+ Sound: A/B+ Extras: B Film: B+
Coming
off the success of The
Hunger Games,
a film that has been used as a comparison piece to this film comes
the adaptation of the young adult novel Divergent.
The first film in a planned trilogy, the film is not nearly as bad
as you might expect. Starring rising star Shailene Wolley with
supporting actors Theo James, Ashley Judd, Maggie Q and Kate Winslet
in a nasty turn as the film's antagonist. The film has a very clean,
polished look to it and boasts some impressive special effects
sequences and direction by Neil Burger.
Divergent
takes
place in a futuristic dystopian Chicago where society has been
divided into five distinct factions based on virtues: Abnegation the
selfless, Amity the peaceful, Candor the honest, Dauntless the brave,
and Erudite the intelligent. Members join a faction based on their
choice but are given a suggestion by an aptitude test. Beatrice
Prior (Shailene Woodley) has grown up in Abnegation, the faction that
runs the government, yet has always been fascinated by Dauntless.
Her father, Andrew (Tony Goldwyn), serves on the ruling council along
with the head of Abnegation, Marcus Eaton (Ray Stevenson).
Each
year, 16-year olds undergo a serum-based aptitude test that indicates
the faction into which they would best fit, and informs their choice
at the Choosing Ceremony. Beatrice takes the test with a Dauntless
woman named Tori (Maggie Q) as her proctor. Her test shows
attributes of several factions (Abnegation, Erudite and Dauntless),
meaning she is Divergent. Tori records her result as Abnegation and
warns her to keep the true result secret, telling her that since
Divergents can think independently and the government therefore
cannot control them, they are considered threats to the social order.
The
next day at the Choosing Ceremony, Beatrice's brother Caleb (Ansel
Elgort) chooses Erudite, while with hesitation, Beatrice chooses
Dauntless. After the ceremony, Beatrice meets Christina (Zoë
Kravitz) and Al (Christian Madsen), two Candors who chose Dauntless,
and Will (Ben Lloyd-Hughes), an Erudite who also chose Dauntless.
The Dauntless initiates are given tests such as jumping from a train
running at full speed and taking a leap of faith from a tall building
into a large hole. During these tests, the initiates meet Eric (Jai
Courtney), a brutal young leader of Dauntless, and Four (Theo James),
the transfer initiates' instructor. Beatrice volunteers first to
jump off the building and leap into the hole, which has her branded
as First Jumper. After the jump, when Four asks her name, Beatrice
decides to shorten it to "Tris".
Tris
initially struggles in Dauntless training, but slowly improves.
After being forced to fight her enemy Peter (Miles Teller) and being
hospitalized, Tris almost fails out of Dauntless, but redeems herself
by playing a key role in winning a capture-the-flag game.
After
the physical stage of Dauntless training, the initiates are put into
simulations in order to face their fears. Tris' divergence allows
her to excel at these tests, but Four, who strikes up a relationship
with Tris, warns her to conceal the reasons behind her success and to
solve the challenges the way a true Dauntless would. Together, Tris
and Four uncover a mind-bending conspiracy that will put their
courage to the ultimate test as well as their destines.
The
film isn't quite as risk taking or thought provoking as The
Hunger Games,
but it's a fine Young Adult fair. Director Neil Burger does a good
job of pitting our characters in an interesting looking world that is
its own. My favorite moments in the film are the tests that Tris
undertakes that deal with being trapped in a water tank and of course
her induction into the Dauntless. I am very curious to see how the
next film turns out, named Insurgent,
which will hit theaters later this year.
Summit/Lionsgate
has done a fantastic job with this Blu-ray release, capturing the
film in a flawless 1080p high definition transfer in a 2.40:1
widescreen aspect ratio and a loud, lossless DTS-HD MA 7.1 track.
Also on the disc are a lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 track optimized for
late night listening, English DA, and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
respectively.
The
DVD and Ultraviolet versions of the film look fine in a compressed
format but don't compare to the stunning work that was done with this
Blu-ray. This Blu-ray is a great disc to test out on your home
entertainment system!
Bonus
features on the disc are an Audio
Commentary by Director Neil Burger, an additional commentary track
with the Producers, Bringing Divergent to Life Documentary, Faction
Before Blood Featurette (which is a Blu-ray exclusive), Deleted
Scenes, and a Marketing Gallery.
-
James Harland Lockhart V
www.vimeo.com/jamielockhart
