Here Be Spoilers for Allegiant, book 3 of the Divergent Series
Veronica Roth knew exactly how she wanted the series to end and that isn't a bad thing, necessarily. Rowling did the same thing with great success, and other authors have done something similar. The mistake Roth made was in railroading her characters to her desired outcome. She forced people to act in nonsensical ways, and to carry out plans which could have been greatly improved with a moment's thought. She forced it.
Stories are like clockwork. You wind them up and let them go. Roth failed to grasp that, resulting in a failure of a third novel.
I'm currently in the process of watching the first movie of what will undoubtedly be a trilogy. For once, I hope that the films do not follow the books, that they instead create a much better and more in-character and realistic ending. I hope they diverge from the source material right at the point where it went wrong.
Here Spoilers for Allegiant, book 3 of the Divergent Series End
Spoilers for Book 1 & Movie Continue
Spoilers for Book 1 & Movie Continue
When I say I'm in the process of watching the movie, I mean I have it paused at 32:11 in another tab. Blinkbox offered me a free movie because Tesco's TV site or whatever it was is ending, and I'd been meaning to get to it so...
Oh, and I also realised that I still had just over £3 left of a gift voucher someone gave me, so I got Lovelace as well. Two rented movie for under 50p, bargain. I am celebrating with popcorn and gummy cherries.
Anyway, back to the movie. So far, I'm enjoying it. I like Shailene Woodley and Theo James as Tris and Four, particularly the latter. He looks exactly as Four is described in the books. I think we can forgive the fact that Tris is wearing an awful lot of make-up for a Stiff, since that comes under the same law that explains how Emma and Snow White's false eyelashes stayed on while wandering through the enchanted forest of Once Upon a Time. I'm not so sure I like Caleb, but he won't really come into play until much later. Very happy to see Ashley Judd as Natalie, since I loved her in Where the Heart Is and Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood (both also adapted from books!).
I quite liked the way the test played out, though I'm sure they skipped some bits and took a bit of visual artistic license with it. I've also liked seeing the Dauntless so far; all very pulse-raising. I am genuinely concerned for Tris' well-being despite knowing how this book ends.
Ooh, I like the futuristic tattooing style, though I miss the explanation of why Tris chose it. I suppose it isn't important, and since the film is over two hours long anyway, it was easy to cut. But still.
I'm also disappointed that they cut out Four taunting Tris when he threw knives at her, though the capture-the-flag sequence is a lot more dramatic than I remember it being.
I'm not a big fan of Miles Teller as Peter. He seems impactless, to me. Doesn't really make any impression.
Oh, here's a key bit of divergence. Tris and Christina grabbed the flag together, Tris first, rather than Christina taking all of the glory. I'm pretty sure the bit in the hospital didn't happen that way either.
I should reread the book to verify this stuff.
Oh, the fear landscape is different. They only did one. That disappoints me.
We're carrying on with this reflection thing? Okay, that's interesting.
A few subtle changes in Four's fear landscape. Not sure how I feel about those yet.
Ha! They left the hilarious bit of Tris' landscape the same. I enjoyed that.
Is it just me or does Shailene Woodley have a voice almost identical to a young Lindsay Lohan?
I'm 90% sure that the dagger through the hand thing is new!
Why on earth would you let go when you knew you needed to grab her again a second later?
The ending seems different. It doesn't seem to lead into an obvious sequel. Maybe they weren't sure if they were going to be able to make the next one?
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