In a world divided by factions based on virtues, Tris learns she's Divergent and won't fit in. When she discovers a plot to destroy Divergents, Tris and the mysterious Four must find out what makes Divergents dangerous before it's too late.
Smart, tough and a little bit cool, this is an intriguing opening rather than a slam-dunk in its own right, but the cast - and especially Woodley - make it sufficiently diverting to merit a place in the action franchise ranks.
Loyal to the novel, but welcoming enough for newbies, Divergent does a decent if not jawdropping job of bringing its dystopian world to life. Should stave off the Hunger pains for a while, anyway…
The rotten ideological set-up negates any sense of relatable drama.
The film lacks drive and by the time the action arrives and the seeds are sewn for future instalments, viewers may well have lost interest.
This is a slickly made, energetic teen sci-fi yarn, let down by its derivative and schematic storyline.
Kate Winslet is great in this Young Adult franchise as a tyrannical wicked queen, but otherwise it's a depressingly generic affair.
What a conformist message.
It’s too long, with over-extended training sequences, but benefits from a strong cast and should appeal to the target audience.
Realising this is a thin excuse for a brutal slog of a movie? That’s “observant”.
A somewhat lacklustre contender for the Hunger Games throne.
It's hard to think of a movie less suited to its title.
General release. Check local listings for show times.