THE DARKEST MINDS (12A)

Adapted from the first instalment of a trilogy of young adult novels penned by Alexandra Bracken, The Darkest Minds conjures dystopian nightmares that will be achingly familiar to fans of The Hunger Games series. The live action debut of Kung Fu Panda director Jennifer Yuh Nelson is set in a bleak, futuristic America where the adult population has turned against child survivors of a deadly epidemic. Chad Hodge’s screenplay sparks a potential sequel but it’s hard to imagine that flame burning bright without the kindling wood of originality.

TEEN TITANS GO! TO THE MOVIES (PG)

The animated TV series Teen Titans Go!, a tongue-in-cheek spin-off from the DC Comics universe, makes its big screen debut with a grin-inducing flourish. The film pokes gentle fun at the glut of superhero films, which clog up multiplexes and earnestly expand the mythologies of well-known characters torn from the pages of comic books. Most of the punchlines elicit knowing giggles as a perfunctory plot sermonises the importance of teamwork and self-sacrifice to younger audiences.