This is a late review, much like my TARDIS Talk for the premier of Doctor Who series 9. I apologize for it being late but frankly I forgot this movie was coming out. There were about 3 weeks there of nothing interesting. Okay, there was probably something interesting but the big releases were Agent 47 and Transporter Refuled and while I do want to see those movies, I just didn’t want to spend my hard earned money on it. Then I lost track of time. I was wanting to see The Scorch Trials even though The Maze Runner wasn’t all that great, but opening weekend blew right past me. I finally saw it though and I have to say I’m really glad I went. Here’s my review.
The Scorch Trials starts off with a tense and action filled introduction but then slows to a crawl while story is built. You know, the story that was lacking from the first one. Don’t get me wrong. The Maze Runner was fun, it was just mediocre. This movie, however, ups the ante and was not only more interesting but actually builds character. The kids had substance… well… most of them but I’ll get into that more later. More about the plot. It grew in this movie and got me really interested in where it’s going and now I can’t wait for The Death Cure. I think the fact that we got out of the maze and get to see more of the outer world is a big deal for the plot. It adds character to the world and gives more background to not only the main character but to the bad guys as well.
Let me just pause to say that WCKD is still a terrible acronym. It’s like James Dashner really wanted to call the bad guys Wicked so he forced it. World in Catastrophe: Killzone Experiment Department? Really? Why not just called the BADGUYS. Barbarian Analyzing Department of Grim Uncertain Yogurt Slingers. But I digress.
I’m sad to say that Teresa (Kaya Scodelario) is still barely a person. While she does have more lines than she did in the first one AND she has a key part in the plot, there’s still no development and it makes me sad. She’s the main female character and there’s nothing to her. She spends most of the time with a Kristin Stewart-esque gaping mouth vacant stare and it’s too bad because Kaya Scodelario is a better actress than that. I believe it’s another case of good actor, bad role. Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) on the other hand becomes more of a person. In the first movie he was a discount Logan Lerman, as if the director had a hard-on for the Percy Jackson movies. Now, there’s more to him. He’s a fuller character and I felt more attached. If he ends up dying, I would actually care now. The rest of the returning cast, however, just serve as glorified extras. Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) and Minho (Ki Hong Lee) had more to them in the previous movie. It feels like they were introduced in one, given back stories and relateable personalities, and were just put on cruise control for this one.
The visuals were just as good as in the first one and the scenes were even more spectacular. There was no obvious CG so I was able to stay immersed in the movie from start to finish. The second film introduced the Cranks which seemed a lot like Clickers from The Last of Us but I think that was more of a coincidence. I’ll give Dashner the benefit of the doubt. Along with the Cranks, other humans were introduced and in true human fashion, some were good, some were assholes. The addition of those two elements broadened the movie and the universe it takes place it to make it a more fulfilling experience. Another good addition to this movie was Brenda (Rosa Salazar) and Jorge (Giancarlo Esposito). Their story was not only interesting but their characters were complex and there was enough of them for me to get attached. I cared more about them than I did most of the original cast.
When the movie was finished I stood in the parking lot with my friend Evan and, like we usually do, we discussed the movie. We both agreed that the second installation of the franchise was much better than the first and made us excited for The Death Cure. Despite the fact that the other guys from the maze had no real role in this film, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials is better than the first one in every other way. Not once did I look at my watch and wonder how much longer it had to go. I had to pee half way through, but I held it. I was out of popcorn but I stayed. I didn’t want to miss a thing. If you saw the first one and at the very least thought it was okay, then go see this one. It’s worth seeing and worth seeing in theaters to top it all off. If you didn’t like the first one then I’d still watch this one, but wait for it on Netflix or Amazon Prime, but give it a shot. The Scorch Trials may ignite some interest in the series.
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials gets a 9 out of 11