Hello everyone, today I will obviously be reviewing the Divergent movie. I am going to split this into two different parts so that I can keep these posts a little bit shorter. In this one, I will talk about the adaptation. In the next one I will talk about the sets, characters, casting, acting, and the overall look of the movie.
So, for the adaptation side of things, I am really unhappy with it. I think that this could of been such a great movie, but it wasn't anything like the book. When I go to see book to movie adaptations, I don't go to see the movie as a movie, I go to see it as an adaptation. I just feel like this movie was pretty much nothing like the book. This review is not going to be particularly pleasant. These are just my opinions, if you loved the movie, that is great. I wished that I would of loved it, I just didn't.
I am going to start with the things that they left out that I wish they hadn't. First, something I really wanted to see was Visiting Day. I loved this part of the book, and I don't know why they couldn't of included it. It didn't have to be a big part. They still included the part where Tris' mom tells her about divergence, so I don't know why they couldn't of made that a part of Visiting Day. Next, I don't like that they didn't really include very much of Tris and Tobias getting to know each other and bonding. Also, it's not as big of a deal, but I really wanted them to keep the ferris wheel scene exactly to the book. We didn't get to see much about the other initiates, which was kind of disappointing.
I think the thing that frustrated me most was that they changed the majority of the scenes so they were very different from the book. It really sucks because all of my favorite scenes were changed a lot. Some of the parts were just slightly changed, like the ferris wheel scene and the capture the flag scene. But most of them, they had no real reason to change. At least I couldn't see the reason. For example, the part where Eric makes Christina hang over The Chasm. I don't know why they had to change it, it does not make any sense to me. Also, would it of been so hard for Tobias to say, "You look good, Tris"? That is by far one of my favorite parts of the book, and it shows and gives us insight on Four's character. But, there were three main things that I was really mad about. The first thing was the knife throwing scene. They had no excuse to mess this scene up. It was one of the most important parts of the book because it really shows more about Tris and Tobias. Also, they had it from Tris' point of view and Tobias' point of view because Veronica Roth wrote Free Four. Next was the scene that Tobias woke up from the simulation that Jeanine had put him under. I absolutely loved the reunion between Four and Tris. But, that was pretty much nonexistent in the movie. Finally is the fear landscapes. I think that almost everybody loves the scene where Tobias takes Tris into his fear landscapes. But, Tris didn't even help him through his fears, he was helping her with how to look Dauntless. But, the main problem I have is with Tris' fear landscape. Mainly the part with her fear of intimacy. I think that they way they portrayed Four in this scene was uncalled for. Yes, it was a simulation, but people who have not read the book will get the wrong impression about him. He was shown as the complete opposite of who he is.
The last thing that I have to complain about is that there was basically no set up for the Insurgent movie. The main problem is with the Tris and Four's relationship. By the second book their relationship is already developed. There was not nearly enough development in this movie for them to pick up with their relationship where Insurgent starts.
So, those are my main thoughts about the movie. This post ended up longer than I had intended it to, but hopefully the next one will be shorter. My part 2 of this review will be much more positive because I liked a lot of the things like the acting and the sets. I will try to have the part 2 up as quickly as I can. What did you think about the movie? I would love to hear your thoughts, thanks!
So, for the adaptation side of things, I am really unhappy with it. I think that this could of been such a great movie, but it wasn't anything like the book. When I go to see book to movie adaptations, I don't go to see the movie as a movie, I go to see it as an adaptation. I just feel like this movie was pretty much nothing like the book. This review is not going to be particularly pleasant. These are just my opinions, if you loved the movie, that is great. I wished that I would of loved it, I just didn't.
I am going to start with the things that they left out that I wish they hadn't. First, something I really wanted to see was Visiting Day. I loved this part of the book, and I don't know why they couldn't of included it. It didn't have to be a big part. They still included the part where Tris' mom tells her about divergence, so I don't know why they couldn't of made that a part of Visiting Day. Next, I don't like that they didn't really include very much of Tris and Tobias getting to know each other and bonding. Also, it's not as big of a deal, but I really wanted them to keep the ferris wheel scene exactly to the book. We didn't get to see much about the other initiates, which was kind of disappointing.
I think the thing that frustrated me most was that they changed the majority of the scenes so they were very different from the book. It really sucks because all of my favorite scenes were changed a lot. Some of the parts were just slightly changed, like the ferris wheel scene and the capture the flag scene. But most of them, they had no real reason to change. At least I couldn't see the reason. For example, the part where Eric makes Christina hang over The Chasm. I don't know why they had to change it, it does not make any sense to me. Also, would it of been so hard for Tobias to say, "You look good, Tris"? That is by far one of my favorite parts of the book, and it shows and gives us insight on Four's character. But, there were three main things that I was really mad about. The first thing was the knife throwing scene. They had no excuse to mess this scene up. It was one of the most important parts of the book because it really shows more about Tris and Tobias. Also, they had it from Tris' point of view and Tobias' point of view because Veronica Roth wrote Free Four. Next was the scene that Tobias woke up from the simulation that Jeanine had put him under. I absolutely loved the reunion between Four and Tris. But, that was pretty much nonexistent in the movie. Finally is the fear landscapes. I think that almost everybody loves the scene where Tobias takes Tris into his fear landscapes. But, Tris didn't even help him through his fears, he was helping her with how to look Dauntless. But, the main problem I have is with Tris' fear landscape. Mainly the part with her fear of intimacy. I think that they way they portrayed Four in this scene was uncalled for. Yes, it was a simulation, but people who have not read the book will get the wrong impression about him. He was shown as the complete opposite of who he is.
The last thing that I have to complain about is that there was basically no set up for the Insurgent movie. The main problem is with the Tris and Four's relationship. By the second book their relationship is already developed. There was not nearly enough development in this movie for them to pick up with their relationship where Insurgent starts.
So, those are my main thoughts about the movie. This post ended up longer than I had intended it to, but hopefully the next one will be shorter. My part 2 of this review will be much more positive because I liked a lot of the things like the acting and the sets. I will try to have the part 2 up as quickly as I can. What did you think about the movie? I would love to hear your thoughts, thanks!