North Texas Daily

Preston Barta // Film Critic

“Divergent,” 139 min.
Director: Neil Burger
Stars: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Miles Teller and Jai Courtney

Rating: 3/5

Comparisons to “The Hunger Games” are inevitable: a dystopian future with a corrupt government and an unyielding female teenage protagonist that turns into public enemy no. 1 who leads a civilian uprising. But it’s in the finer details of the story where “Divergent,” well, diverges.

Set in the future where society is split up into five “factions,” or sects, that each exemplify a different virtue, teenagers such as Tris (Shailene Woodley) have to decide whether they want to remain with the group they were born into or switch to another, leaving their families behind.

Tris, of course, to make this a story worth sharing, chooses a different faction and must pass through a highly competitive initiation process to live out her selection. But we soon find out that she is Divergent, which means she doesn’t belong to any certain group and must keep it a secret, as there is a plot to destroy Divergents.

“Divergent” may not reach the heights of “The Hunger Games,” but it certainly doesn’t sink to “Twilight.” It’s a movie with first-rate performances by the leads, excellent visuals and an intriguing enough story to keep us interested in seeing how it pans out. But like most series geared towards a teenage audience, you can’t escape the large amount of cliché moments.

Our Red Carpet Interview with Jai Courtney and Miles Teller:

“Divergent” opens tonight at 8 p.m.

“Enemy,” 90 min.
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mélanie Laurent and Sarah Gadon

Rating: 3.5/5

Denis Villeneuve, whose last film was the hugely arresting “Prisoners” (2013), spins a web of real curiosity here. If you can imagine David Lynch (“Mulholland Drive,” 2001) and David Fincher (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” 2011) teaming up for a movie, “Enemy” would be the closest reality to that dream.

This hypnotically surreal psychological thriller stars Academy Award-nominee Jake Gyllenhaal in a brave performance as Adam Bell, a dispirited college history professor who spots his doppelganger in a movie and decides to track him down.

“Enemy” marks itself as a film about a search for intimacy and identity, as well as the pressures of wanting to become something you’re not. Though it carries a heavy message, it still makes for a film that moves at a swift pace and demands multiple viewings, especially after the make-or-break moment at the film’s close.

“Enemy” opens tomorrow at the Texas Theater in Dallas.

“Muppets Most Wanted,” 112 min.
Director: James Bobin
Stars: Ricky Gervais, Ty Burrell and Tina Fey

Rating: 2/5

“Muppets Most Wanted” may be the weakest link in the franchise. After Jason Segel successfully revamped The Muppets in 2011, we had big expectations that this furry frenzy would deliver another hit. Sadly, besides its opening song and fun cameos, this lacking story about a grand tour and a jewel thief fails to whip up anything special enough to warrant a visit.

“Muppets Most Wanted” opens tonight at 7 p.m.

Feature Photo: Theo James and Shailene Woodley star in “Divergent.” Photo courtesy of Summit Entertainment.
Center Photo: Jake Gyllenhaal plays a college history professor in “Enemy.” Photo courtesy of A24.
Bottom Photo: The cast of “Muppets Most Wanted.” Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.