Divergent

"Thrills and misfires abound in this not-a-girl-not-yet-a-woman-but-nearly-a-trained-killer coming of age tale. Veronica Roth’s YA best-seller (herself only 21 at time of writing) sees the remaining members of a dystopian caste society separated into five factions based on their primary virtue - peacefulness, honesty, bravery, intelligence or selflessness."

"Even though it stretches to nearly two-and-a-half hours and concludes with an extended gun battle... it still seems to be in the process of clearing its throat."

"Loyal to the novel, but welcoming enough for newbies... does a decent if not jawdropping job of bringing its dystopian world to life."

"A saving grace comes in the form of Shailene Woodley... born to conflicted impulses and persuasively more complex than her dialogue would suggest."

"It's hard not to root for Ms. Woodley... but she seems palpably uncomfortable here."

"What a conformist message."

"Unfortunately, [the story's] source material proves to be the film's undoing... built on a shaky premise that collapses when blown up to big-screen proportions."

"Even with star Woodley delivering the requisite toughness and magnetism, the clunky result is almost unrelentingly grim."

"Smart, tough and a little bit cool, this is an intriguing opening rather than a slam-dunk in its own right."