There’s been a lot of hype and expectations for Divergent, which we at TGD have been calling Hunger Games Lite. At least that’s what it looks like to us, although teen dystopia stories are very popular these days, and the book was a big hit with young adults.
Now the official reviews for Divergent have hit. The verdict? Not so hot, although it’s sure to have a big opening weekend. (Not Hunger Games big, but it will certainly come in at #1 on the box office charts.)
Variety writes, “This film has clearly been designated an heir apparent to [the] massively lucrative teen-targeted Twilight and Hunger Games properties. Yet director Neil Burger seems so concerned with laying franchise groundwork that he neglects to create an engaging standalone movie.” Divergent also apparently suffers from “uncertain sense of setting, bloated plot, drab visual style, and solid yet underwhelming lead turns from Shailene Woodley and Theo James.”
The Hollywood Reporter calls the film “a rocky start to the Next Big Thing in YA movie franchises,” yet acknowledges the film will make money. “Lackluster direction in the early installments hasn’t slowed their moment [and] Divergent will be no exception.”
Finally, The Wrap called Divergent, “A little Hunger Games, a little Harry Potter, a lot of dull.”
