The Giver is a seemingly typical utopian/dystopian sci-fi book adaptation. The premise brings a unique view to the dystopian genre with superb story telling, visuals and direction despite the lack of focus on the book’s deep rooted themes and ideas. However…

Continue for the full review.

SYNOPSIS: Set in the future, a boy suspects that the utopia may not be as it appears. Every member of this society has a specific role, and 18-year-old Jonas (Brenton Thwaites) is selected to be the Receiver of Memories. The Giver (Jeff Bridges) is an old man who teaches the young boy how to use his gift, and slowly Jonas uncovers the truth behind the world’s past.


Bits I Loved?

  • Deep thought-provoking themes and ideas, although not entirely explored.
  • Age change of Jonas seems like it would ruin the innocence, but surprisingly does not.
  • Amazing premise with a unique take on the dystopian genre.
  • Beautiful visuals, loved the use of black and white as a means of signifying the shrouded minds of society.

Bits I Hated?

  • Sways a bit too much to fill the Young Adult Film mould. Added any unnecessary romantic subplot, an older more mature and attractive protagonist, a more prominent antagonist manifested in Meryl Streep‘s character rather than society itself, and attempted plot changes for added suspense.
  • Some of the performances are not good representation of the source material. Found the younger characters one-dimensional and uninteresting.
  • The story lacks suspense and any real drama just moving from beginning to end.


Is It Good?

The Giver is a seemingly typical utopian/dystopian sci-fi book adaptation at first glance, but don’t let that fool you. The premise brings a unique take on the dystopian genre with phenomenal visuals that accent the story-telling. However, the book’s deep, thought-provoking themes and ideas are lost through the Young Adult Film mould implemented on the story. The story adds an unnecessary romantic subplot and lacks suspense or any real drama, just moving from beginning to end. Strong performances from Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep overshadow underwhelming performances by the younger actors. Although this film swayed from the source material to fit a niche of popular films, the world created in this series is worth exploring in other films. With its different take on the dystopian future The Giver may bring colour to a somewhat black and white genre.

Verdict

1 = Fair 2 = Good 3 = Very Good 4 = Excellent

★★★☆ – Premise

★☆☆☆ – Story

★★☆☆ – Characters

★★★☆ – Visual Effects

★☆☆☆ – Dialogue

★★★☆ – Visuals

★★☆☆ – Soundtrack

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆  5/10 – Consider

 What did you think? Let me know in the comments!

 

Published by Dylan Phillips

is a film fanatic and TV junkie from the mysterious land of Canada. He is an aspiring writer/director who hopes to make his mark on the industry one way or another, whether it be behind a camera or with a pen. When he isn’t watching hours upon hours of movies or writing scripts, Dylan can be found playing his guitar, avidly watching baseball or making YouTube videos for his channel The Film Fanatic.

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