“Divergent” is an action movie, taking place in a world where people are forced to determine their career path at the age of 16. Society is divided into factions based on human virtues. Tris, the heroine, is the Divergent, and therefore does not fit into any faction.

“Divergent,” based on the best-selling book series by Veronica Roth, did not live up to expectations. This action-adventure film attempts to target a larger audience. However, it is not successful.

“Divergent” encourages one to determine who they are and how they fit in as they transfer into adulthood.

Essentially, this cliché plot, portrayed in many movies, simply hides behind a futuristic front. The factions in “Divergent” seemed a hyperbole of high school cliques, whereas the book did not lean on pop-culture as much.

The Amity faction has happy, peaceful ones, similar to the “hippie” community. The Erudite faction resembles the intelligent “nerds,” and the Dauntless faction are the brave, athletic “jocks.” The Candor is the honest faction, and the Abnegation is the selfless.

Everyone within the factions resembles each other. However, the factions dress differently from one another.
Beatrice represents the inner conflict most teens feel when figuring out where they fit in.

Growing up in the Abnegation faction, Beatrice is forced to shape herself to fit into a society she did not feel she is meant for.However, Beatrice soon realizes, based on an aptitude test, that there is no faction she fits in with completely, making her the Divergent, which is social taboo in this society.

Beatrice makes the decision to leave her family and join the Dauntless, renaming herself Tris. Tris learns how to jump, fight, and shoot. She meets the broody Tobias, who goes by the name “Four.”

The movie follows Tris as she and Four work together to uncover the faction leader’s conspiracy and find out what makes a Divergent so dangerous.

Because “Divergent” lives up to current movie clichés, there is a romantic connection between Four and Tris that the book builds gradually. However, the movie sped up the chemistry they had and squished the romance in the middle of the plot.Character Four, played by Theo James, is portrayed as a 24-year old in the movie. Although this differs from his 18-year old character in the book, James kept the movie engaging and interesting.

The romance between Tris and Four seemed equal in the book. In the movie it seemed as though Four subtly forced it upon her.

“Divergent” fails to hold viewers’ interest, incorporating an over-used plot line of finding one’s identity and purpose in a dystopian society.

While “The Hunger Games” masters this type of story, “Divergent” falls far short.

“Divergent” turned the book’s plot into just another girl seeking individuality while developing a romance with a boy who believes in her. Meanwhile, the rest of the world does not know who she is.

“Divergent” fails to bring the novel to life on screen.