“Divergent”

Rated PG-13 for intense violence and action, thematic elements and some sensuality.

I was in the car, on the way to the theater, intent on viewing and reviewing “Muppets Most Wanted” when I somehow lost my faith … that I could write about yet another Muppet movie. And, knowing that the other new release, “Divergent,” was playing, I allowed myself (and my chauffeur) to be sucked into seeing a movie targeted to the young adult Twilight/Hunger Games crowd. Hated by critics but loved by viewers and, most importantly, well attended (many tickets bought), this film is scheduled to have at least two sequels to tell the futuristic tale of young adults from a trilogy written by Victoria Roth.

Let me get the obvious out of the way: Twilight and Hunger Games put the “hero” in a young woman and, no, that is not a double entendre. I mean that the strong character in the story is a young and comely gal who makes the testosterone bags look like dim-witted steers lumbering about, needed only to cover the heroine’s back when smiting the bad guys or perhaps to explore (on her terms, thank you) her sexuality.

“Divergent” takes place in Chicago in a future a little more than a century from now. Apparently a war has destroyed civilization and the survivors had to start over. After building a giant wall to keep the “other survivors” out (cue the sequel soundtrack) they divide the population into factions: the smart ones (Erudite), the honest ones (Candor), the selfless ones (Abnegation), the caretaker ones (Amity), warriors (Dauntless), and then there are the ones who don’t make it and they just wander around the peripheral looking like either Beavis or Butt-head. Any resemblance to these factions and groups in high school is purely intentional.

The plot focuses on a lovely family of four: Mom (Ashley Judd), Dad, son, and daughter (Shailene Woodley). A tad too fictional for my tastes because the family members all love each other and the teenagers don’t 1.) hate their parents, and 2.) want to leave the family nest ASAP. This fictionalization is apparent when both children go through a test and consequential ceremony when they pick their group. The parents obviously want them to stay with their faction but both good children go against how they were raised; the boy “transfers” to Eurdite and Beatrice, the girl, “transfers” to Dauntless. What? Now they choose to rebel against their parents? In front of everybody? No hint at all? Oh, wait. It is the fiction in science fiction.

SPOILER ALERT: The young girl tests differently than the other cattle; she is special; she is “Divergent.” Like you thought she wouldn’t be special? This is science fiction people! It is always about the insignificant really being significant or becoming significant but always being “special.” (Just like you and me but not like all the others, right.)

Now that I have set the story for you, I bet you can guess the rest: one faction is trying to overthrow the other faction and soon there is a revolution brewing and our family of four have to fight for what is right and that means movie magic: face smashing, gun shooting, and, of course a little martial arts for that New-Age Asian influence.

Also, better conspiracy through chemistry comes in the movie via these really cool serums that puts one into a state where one faces his or her fears (in a dream state) and everybody can watch one’s thoughts on a screen. That is some pretty amazing technology, right?  Odd thing though, they have all of this technological know-how and a potential labor force but they can’t rebuild Chicago and turn on the lights.