This film is the sequel to 2013's "The Maze Runner" and is the second adaptation of James Dashner's initial "Maze Runner" trilogy (which has since added a prequel and is about to add another). The story is even more divergent (pun intended) from its source material than the previous movie was, this time preserving not much more than the mythology, main characters and the most important of plot points.
The action picks up right where it left off at the end of the first film, with Thomas (Dylan O'Brien) and the remaining Gladers, Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster), Minho (Ki Hong Lee), Teresa Agnes (Kaya Scodelario), Frypan (Dexter Darden) and Winston (Alexander Flores), taken by those who rescued them to a large facility where there's food and fresh clothes. These teens find out that theirs was not the only maze and they become friends with fellow survivor Aris Jones (Jacob Lofland), who suspects that there's more to their new home than meets the eye. The facility's manager, Mr. Janson (Aiden Gillen), assures the Gladers that they're safe now and will soon be taken to a more permanent and more comfortable home. Meanwhile, their freedom is restricted and security is tight. Every day, Janson calls out a list of names and those young people head for their new home. Aris suspects that those who are called never really leave the facility, suffering a fate that is less than comfortable. Soon, Thomas is convinced too.
First of all, don't even think of going to see this film unless you've seen The Maze Runner – you'll be completely lost. I read the books (which are a decent read, though not without flaws), so I had an idea of what direction the film was following, because it suffers badly from Middle Film Syndrome - it means nothing without having the foundation of the first film (which wasn't bad), and suffers from not having an ending.
I love post-apocalypse stories, and the visuals here are very well done – the ruined cityscapes are completely convincing. The action is a different kettle of fish, however. Firstly, there is a distinct video game feel here – the protagonists lurch from obstacle to obstacle (the previous film had a strong element of mystery to it, but any mystery here is lost in the linear progression between set-pieces). Worse, much of the action takes place in darkness and is filmed in that annoying, extreme close-up, hand-held, rapidly edited way which means that you can't follow what's happening or who it's happening to – the middle section is essentially a fast zombie chase movie all on its own.
Performances are variable. New cast member Rosa Salazar does well as Brenda, and I liked both Barry Pepper and Aiden Gillen (not at all how I'd envisaged Janson), but Dylan O'Brien as Thomas delivers so much of his dialogue in a croaking mumble that I could hardly comprehend most of what he said, which was something of a disadvantage given that what he was saying was pretty central. I think.
The movie is a bit predictable at times even in it's action scenes and the story itself. The movie dose feel rushed at times with are main characters quickly going to one place to the other just like that, and I think it's something to do with it's pasting as it jumps ahead a lot.
I didn't mind some of the CGI when it was used best in the backgrounds of a clear view of the waste land, but the cgi used on the creatures looked extremely fake and completely took me out of the movie. Of course the movie ends on that 'you got to wait for that third one', dick tease that everyone doesn't question why movies have to end like that.
Overall Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials was a decent watch. It wasn't that bad as some critics have been pointing it out to be. If you have interest in seeing the film I say "see it", if not then "skip it".
7.1/10 IMDb
50% Rotten Tomatoes
43% Metacritic
7/10 - verdict
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