MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS (2015)

Genre: Action/Adventure
Director: Wes Ball
Cast: Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Giancarlo Esposito, Aidan Gillen, Barry Pepper, Lili Taylor, Ki Hong Lee, Patricia Clarkson
Runtime: 2 hrs 12 mins
Rating: PG (Some Violence)
Released By: 20th Century Fox
Official Website: https://www.facebook.com/MazeRunnerMovie

Opening Day: 10 September 2015

Synopsis: 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.

Movie Review:

If you think that there’s going to be a lot less running just because the Gladers are out of the maze, you will be surprised by how wrong you are. In this second instalment of the Maze Runner saga, there is even more running. The entire movie is really about the Gladers running away from WCKD, the mysterious organisation that is trying to harvest something from their blood in a bid to come up with a cure for the Flare virus that has hit Earth. In the process, the Gladers also have to outrun the many zombie-like Cranks who can inflict them with the Flare virus. Apparently while most of them are immune to the Flare virus, a few of them might not be but they don’t really know who isn’t immune so it’s safer to just away from the Cranks.

If you think that sounds sort of messy and, to put it mildly, not that logical for a plot, I have more bad news for you. The Scorch Trials actually doesn’t explain the context or background as neatly as I did in the first paragraph (and yes, I know my explanation isn’t really straightforward but trust me, it’s better than the movie’s). You have to pick up the pieces of information and string them together to get a complete picture but the burying of information isn’t done as elegantly as say Memento or Inception where you actually feel a sense of satisfaction once everything is clear.

But then again, this movie doesn’t require you to use much of your brains to decipher the plot. If you take it as the thriller-zombie apocalypse-teenage hero movie as it is and not go in expecting something high-brow or intellectual, then you are in for a treat. Although there is no strong character development in this second instalment, the actors do have genuine chemistry and I found myself convinced that they would actually never leave anyone of their friends alone even in the face of mortal danger. It was also tremendous pleasing to watch a fellow Asian (Ki Hong Lee playing Min Ho) taking charge of situation and demonstrating his prowess instead of being a token Asian. The choice of focusing on an ensemble effort meant that potentially interesting characters such as Newt (Thomas Brodie- Sangster) or even the protagonist, Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) are flat and you don’t feel a connection with them. Thus, while potentially fatal situations they are in may faze you, you won’t feel much sadness or pity if any of them die in the process. Episodes such as the divergence in views between Thomas and Theresa (Kaya Scodelario) and their eventual falling-out were predictable and could be smelled a mile away.

Fans of the book series will also have to brace themselves for the creative licence that the screenwriter and director took in adapting the book with the same title for this movie. While characters such as Aris, Jorge and Janson are introduced in the movie and play important roles, their roles have been somewhat modified. Similarly, Theresa’s role as betrayer becomes a lot more straightforward in the movie.

The suspense and masterful unveiling of plot twists in the book series that kept readers going have been traded for horror movie clichés. While these movie clichés do work in keeping audiences on the edge of their seats, they certainly won’t leave you feeling like you watching a cinematic masterpiece or wanting to stay for the credits to find out who was behind this piece of work.  

Movie Rating:

(Try not to be too logical or intellectual and go along with the ride and you’ll find The Scorch Trials a thoroughly enjoyable movie)

Review by Katrina Tee