Do you love The Hunger Games, but wish it had less ridiculous costumes and a more straightforward take on action? Do you swoon at the thought of a strong, independent teen becoming a women while single-handedly saving/damning the entire planet? If you answered yes to either of those, you’re about to have your day made. If not, let me save you some pain and advise you watch this trailer for Inside Llewyn Davis because there is nothing for you to see here.

Hitting theaters next spring as the latest attempt from Summit Pictures to reach the mega-millions box office glory of Twilight that so many Young Adult novels have failed to meet, Divergent tells a story about fighting for the right to be different. The world we’re introduced to is similar to ours, but now people are divided into factions based on their personality. One girl discovers she is unique, and as soon as word reaches the powers that be, a chain of events is set into action that threatens the very survival of everyone who falls outside the norm. You can view the trailer below.

The writeup of the synopsis reads: Set in a futuristic dystopia where society is divided into five factions that each represent a different virtue, teenagers have to decide if they want to stay in their faction or switch to another – for the rest of their lives. Tris Prior makes a choice that surprises everyone. Then Tris and her fellow faction-members have to live through a highly competitive initiation process to live out the choice they have made. They must undergo extreme physical and intense psychological tests, that transform them all. But Tris has a secret that she is Divergent, which means she doesn’t fit into any one group. If anyone knew, it would mean a certain death. As she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, this secret might help her save the people she loves… or it might destroy her.

I’m all for a good work of science fiction, but Divergent feels too in line with the other out-of-this-world tales of twenty-something pretending to be teenagers who overcome unthinkable odds and save the world while learning something deeply meaningful about themselves in the process. It certainly looks beautiful, and I have no doubt the CGI being held for later trailers will be equally enjoyable, but it’s hard to shake the feeling we’ve seen it all, or at least something very similar, before.

Divergent stars Shailene Woodley, who is currently in theaters nationwide as the co-star of The Spectacular Now, with a supporting cast that includes Kate Winslett and Miles Teller. The film opens March 21, 2014. Comment after the trailer and let us know if you think Divergent could be the next major tween franchise.

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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