The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials Review
PG13: Extended Sequences of Violence and Action, Some Thematic Elements, Substance Use and Language
20th Century Fox
2 hrs and 11 Minutes
Cast: Dylan O'Brien, Thomas Sangster, Dexter Darden, Patricia Clarkson, Ki Hong Lee, Kaya Scodelario, Rosa Salazar, Giancarlo Esposito, Alan Tudyk, Jacob Lofland, Lili Taylor, Barry Pepper, Alex Flores, Aidan Gillen, with Katherine McNamara, and Nathalie Emmanuel
Editor’s Note: This review was originally published during my adolescence. Outdated language might be seen in these old posts. Since then, my thoughts and values have grown. This review is being presented as they were originally written, grammatical errors, shitty sentence structure, and typos galore. Because to do otherwise would be that same as claiming these flaws never existed.
BACKSTORY: Tuesday September 15th, I go with a friend who is obsessed with Dylan O Bryan to the premiere of the Maze Runner: Scorch Trials in New York. We waited on a very long line, but managed to see the cast as we sat in the very front row. Whereas last year I met the entire cast except Dylan, this year I managed to do the exact opposite; meet only Dylan and not see the rest of the cast (well I didn't recognize Gus Fring and feel like a dumbass at this moment). As the movie was going on, my friend and I had a bladder burst at the same moment. So after I went to the bathroom, I see Dylan taking photos before leaving. As my friend steps out the bathroom I stop her and turn her around to approach Dylan. Rumors has it, he's a really nice guy and very approachable. So my friend gives me her Iphone which I put in focus and take her picture and she took mine too. Walking back inside with her so ecstatic, she checks the photo and turns to me angrily as she noticed I didn't take the picture in flash. No matter what she did she couldn't edit the photo to perfection, becasue APPARENTLY I DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE AN IPHONE!
Moral of the story: NEVER GIVE ME AN IPHONE TO TAKE YOUR PIC. I don't know where is your flash and will never know how to work it.
STORYLINE: In this next chapter of the epic "Maze Runner" saga, Thomas (Dylan O'Brien) and his fellow Gladers face their greatest challenge yet: searching for clues about the mysterious and powerful organization known as WCKD. Their journey takes them to the Scorch, a desolate landscape filled with unimaginable obstacles. Teaming up with resistance fighters, the Gladers take on WCKD's vastly superior forces and uncover its shocking plans for them all.
REVIEW: Last year I nearly praised The first Maze Runner film (although I gave it a 3.5) for being a thrilling adaptation that had originality which stood out amonst the Divergerents and Hunger Games, but did say lets wait till the next film had to offer. Well the Scorch Trials....it had some great things to offer, then had not so great things that the film dropped the ball on. As sequels go, this actually manages to be constantly engaging where you had other films such as Insurgent that makes you not give a shit about the characters at all. Throughout the Maze Runner franchise so far, you see that the group always stick together and have each other's back. You see the bond between the characters so when something bad happens to one of them you see their emotions and most cases its not manipulative. The movie maintains it's dark tone from the first and plays like a horror film all the way through because as you seen from the trailer THIS IS A ZOMBIE FILM! Not to spoil anything but you have Zombies named Cranks that is connected to the plans at WCKD and seeing the "big bad's" motives you have to compliment how it has nothing to deal with a revolution but a fight for a zombie cure. The Scorch Trials plays pretty much as a mixture of World War Z and the Last of Us with a group of boys. Seeing zombies in this film really leveled up the tension for the action sequences, but if they weren't so CGed you would actually feel scared for the characters. The budget is pretty substantial in order to make some good looking zombies on top of the jaw dropping set pieces, but something about how they're rendered is just not good. There's even a scene with CG rats that don't even look convincing. There is a lot of action in this film, but it's all through the painful shaky cam. Director Wes Ball did a great job with the first Maze Runner, but its as if he watched the first Hunger Games and decided to copy the filmmaking style and apply it to the action in Scorch Trials. Seriously you have no idea what is going on, who is hurt, and is just constant screaming of names. There is even a point where it gets exhausting. The cast does their best and display their chops all the way through even though some are hidden from the limelight more than others. The film is more than two hours and consistently have several five minute sequences of nothing but walking around and exploring which makes the film boring and tedious at times. With every trilogy there has to be a penultimate ending to have viewers get pumped for part 3, but the ending is just eh.
LAST STATEMENT: The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials is thoroughly engaging with brilliant set pieces and likable cast of characters, but the dizzying filmmaking style and cheap CG makes this film a maze of it's own to follow
Rating: 3/5 | 68%
