When I watched this movie based on another young adult best selling series, I couldn't help but compared it to "The Hunger Games". Starring Shailene Woodley as Beatrice (otherwise known as Tris), Theo James as Four, Jai Courtney as Eric, Ashley Judd as Tris' mother, Maggie Q as Tori, Kate Winslet as Jeanine etc, this movie was set in a future world where Chicago was what was left after a war. All the surviving members of its society was divided into five factions, based on the character traits that each possesses or their personal choice, to maintain balance and harmony.
All children who reached the age of 16 had to go through a mandatory serum test to determine if their personalities belong to which one of the five factions:
- dauntless e.g. policeman, the brave ones who maintain societal discipline,
- amity e.g. farmer, the peaceful ones who provide for society,
- candor e.g. lawyer, the truthful ones who uphold law and order,
- erudite e.g. scientist, the intelligent ones who invent stuff or
- abnegation e.g. charity workers, the selfless ones who help others out.
Tris was found to belong to neither but possesses qualities of a few factions and thus belonged to a minority group known as divergent. Jeanine, leader of the erudite, had her own plans to maintain peace, harmony, law and order, and her aim was to eradicate society of all divergents, who threatened the execution of her grand plan, at all costs. Four, the trainer for dauntless, fell in love with Tris and they combined forces to bring down Jeanine.
Many aspects of the movie really reminded me of "The Hunger Games" but I was particularly impressed by the cold and ruthless Eric, played by Jai Courtney whom I remembered from the recent "I, Frankenstein" movie. The movie was good enough for me to watch out for the subsequent parts, that is if they are going to be made.
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| Four and Tris |
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| Eric and Four |
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| the cold look Eric |
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| Tori running tests on Tris |
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| Tris and Christina |
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| Tris and her brother Caleb |
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| the scheming Jeanine |
