The movie Divergent does not disappoint. Starting out slow and steady, like the book, Divergent brings Veronica Roth’s characters to life. Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) struggles with keeping her divergence a secret from the anti-divergent antagonist, Jeanine Matthews (Kate Winslet), while trying to prove that she belongs in Dauntless and with Four, who is played by the handsome Theo James.

The acting is excellent and the introductory narration helps set the scene and gives a brief description of all the factions, something that, if missing, would confuse viewers who haven’t read the book.

Taking into account that Divergent is written in a first-person perspective, the film does an exceptional job telling the story without constant narration.

Something that disappoints is the scene where Christina (Zoë Kravitz) hangs from a bridge over a deep pit. The book depicts the scene with a waterfall on one side of the bridge that every few minutes sends a huge amount of water down, soaking the bridge. The movie does have Christina hanging over the edge, but only small droplets of water fall and there is no waterfall, which ultimately diminishes the suspense that is present in the book.

While Divergent is a good book, the movie adds some much needed action towards the end. But the addition of this action packed scene could raise the question of “How will this affect the next movie?”

In exception to the additional scene, Divergent doesn’t stray far from the book. As with any book made into a movie, small details here and there are lost in the transition, but for the most part Divergent stays true to the characters and follows the main plot, unlike others such as *cough cough* Percy Jackson and the Olympians. In fact, some of the little changes made the movie more enjoyable. For example, in the book the characters were given paintball guns for capture the flag and in the movie they were given a futuristic weapon that shot darts to give the feeling of being shot by a real gun. The dart gun reminds viewers that they are watching a movie about the future, something that can be easily forgotten.

But the similarities between Divergent and The Hunger Games are too glaring to ignore. The idea of a post-apocalyptic America, a female lead, the remaining people divided into groups, and a war with the ones in charge are just a few that come to mind. However, both have their own story to tell and are captivating to readers and viewers alike.

Overall, Divergent is a great movie. There is a good balance of action and romance, and it is refreshing to hear the lack of cursing.