by Maya Girimaji, features editor
*If you have not read the series yet or watched the movies, I am warning you right now that I will spoil the ending for you so…SPOILER ALERT*
The third movie of the book series Divergent by Veronica Roth was released on Friday, March 18. As someone who has read the books and has fallen madly in love with the series and the characters, I was a little disappointed by how this movie played out, especially since the first two movies were spot on.
If you forget the fact that it’s supposed to follow the plotline of a book, then the movie was absolutely beautiful. The plot kept you on the edge of your seat as you waited to see what Tris and Four would do next. It was exciting, eventful and hilarious. There were so many moments where I was inspired to climb up the side of walls and channel my inner badass. As usual, all of the actors had great chemistry together which added to the emotional appeal of the movie, especially between Tris and Four. My heart ached every time they fought and cheered them on every time they worked together, whether it was escaping David or fighting off Evelyn’s men. There is, without a doubt, a beautiful connection between actors Theo James (Four) and Shailene Woodley (Tris) that makes you believe in the love their characters have for each other. And, hands down, the special effects were amazing and astonishing.
But, as a die-hard Divergent fan, it’s difficult to ignore the nagging thoughts in the back of my mind that screamed several times throughout the movie “This wasn’t what happened in the book!” and “Where did that come from?”. Probably the most frequent thought in my head was “Is Tris going to die now?” (because I was not aware that there is going to be a part two). Many unnecessary moments were added to the movie that dragged out the plot, and important emotional moments that heightened your empathy for Four when Tris dies were completely neglected. People who were supposed to die didn’t, and when somebody did die, the characters moved on rather quickly. In the book, Tris and Four fight more, and there’s a greater focus on Four’s slow spiral down into “madness” as he becomes obsessed over how “damaged” he is. This was not the case for the movie.
But the most disappointing thing about Allegiant is that there’s a part two called Ascendant. Yes, it’s exciting that there will be a part two and I can’t wait to see what they plan on doing but Ascendant does not exist in the book series. I have high hopes for Ascendant and hopefully they will add all of the important things they failed to highlight in Allegiant. Even though the movie had many flaws that angered me, it was still worth the watch (and not just because Theo James is a total babe).
Should you go watch Allegiant? Definitely. But don’t walk in expecting it to follow the book. Walk in expecting the action-packed rollercoaster that it is.
