Divergent
Movie Review
“I
am Divergent. And I cannot be controlled.”
Let
me start this with how much we'd sacrificed for this movie. So we'd
got up early in the morning (me and my initiate friends) just to be
ready to go to the next province just to watch the film. We rode a
bus for three (antagonizingly long) hours and we'd arrived at the
mall by noon already and then we'd waited for another hour. When we
we're waiting we kind of went to the movie poster and gaped at it,
but then the guard came and shooed us away and I almost (really
almost) showed him how I was came to be called Dauntless.
But
anyway, let's start with the real thing here. The introduction of the
movie where the factions are being explained was a good thing. But
soon afterwards I noticed all these (massive) differences and got
silent (You know that with a good film I should be squealing and
screeching and fangirling) while watching it, contemplating why the
book is always better than the movie. I don't understand why a lot of
people are saying it's a very very good film when really it's the
complete opposite. Let me enumerate the reasons why.
Okay
but first, I'm not being oh-so-erudite here (but I'm pretty sure
Erudite is my faction because I won't survive the Dauntless
Initiation). As a reader it's my responsibility (yeah, I think it's
my responsibility really) to examine and inspect the movie if it was
really faithful to the book. Unfortunately, Divergent movie has not
reached my expectations. And here are the reasons why. First was the
incompleteness of the characters, why would they remove a necessary
character in the plot? (I can't fathom the reason why). Why did they
left out Uriah when his name was in the initiate scoreboard? No, I
don't want to hear their reasons. Secondly, they left out again one
of the most essential parts of the book-The Dauntless Cake and
Erudite Soda. I mean I traveled like hundred miles just to go watch
even a single minute scene about the cake but WHERE THE PANSYCAKE WAS
IT? Nowhere. The ending was the one that made me specially
disappointed. THAT WASN'T THE WAY HOW THE BOOK ENDED. Let me repeat :
THE MOVIE DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME ENDING OR CLIMAX OF THE BOOK. (Please
reread the book if you don't believe me) Only those that has been
very faithful to the book knows what I mean and the ones that has a
sharp memory of the scenes of the book even if they haven't reread
the book before they went to watch the movie has an idea of what I'm
saying. I was just there sitting on my seat in the cinema thinking
“that wasn't how it was supposed to be... that wasn't how it was
supposed to be “ They changed a lot of scenes, they left out a lot
of things, they messed up the characters. As for the actors they
we're good enough at least, Shailene did a great job being Tris-if
only for her make-up (Abnegation wasn't supposed to be vain). As for
Theo James (who they think is oozing manliness blah blah) I don't
know, I still think he's too old for the role and a little bit
overstated for the role, I imagined Tobias-and oh, I almost forgot I
didn't like the Toh-buy-us pronunciation of the name it's a little
bit glary to the ears but the Er-you-dite, I always know that I just
didn't pay attention to it when Veronica mentioned it so long ago-I imagined Tobias as the hurt, broken, locked away boy not a man who
doesn't convey much about the real him.
And
here are some links where you can find the differences of the book vs
the movie (Someone even found out that there 56 differences, maybe
even more if you want to check them out) :
My
family watched it with me for my second time to watch the movie and I
swear I really had a hard time explaining to them that what was on
the big screen wasn't what really happened in the book. I explained
The Hunger Games back then and I didn't need to explain Catching Fire
but Divergent—I don't want to ever do it again, please.
Overall,
what I'm basically trying to say here is I'm sorry but I think the
movie wasn't faithful enough for me to like and it wasn't really that
good. For those who haven't read the book, they might say it's good,
but for me, (honestly and really) it's not. The only thing good about
this film was watching a favorite book come to life, and that's just
it nothing more. So, I'm giving Divergent Movie a rate of 6/10. I
think I've answered here if all that we did to go watch the movie was worth it or not. But still.. I'm giving Insurgent Movie a second
chance.
“I
am selfish. I am brave” (posting this review )
Hands up, loved the film.
ReplyDeleteMade me want to reread the book.
Almost halfway through, can't wait to rewatch the film to nitpick it to pieces!
Yes. :) You should really reread the book and rewatch it if you want to nitpick it to pieces. :D
ReplyDeleteI really wanted to watch the movie, but I was afraid it wouldn't be as good as the book!
ReplyDeleteI have heard the /Divergent series are great! ..I have not yet had the opportunity to read them.
ReplyDeleteI waned my husband to take me to the movie but he refused so I didn't go either.
my daughter went and felt the movie stayed closer to the book than most movies do. She really liked it.
I guess it is like the Twilight books and movies. Most of my family really liked the movie.. I was very disappointed in them. I do not feel the industry will ever "Top" a book unless they run a mini series on them to cover more detail..
Oh, blogger deleted my comment *cries*
ReplyDeleteWell, I had written a huge comment… agree with u, read the 56+4 differences, and they just killed the story. Like Scott Pilgrim, horrible adaptation, horrid!