Will the newest sequel of "Maze Runner" surpass its first installment? Let's find out according to a movie review by ign.com.
"Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials" seems to have taken up the "Maze Runner" franchise a notch higher. Compared to the first movie which felt restrained in a little box considering that most of the film took place in a labyrinthian prison called the "Glade", the new one sets the boundaries far wider which allows the series to explore what it has to offer which is quite a bit.
It's about looking for clues about the dangerous and powerful organization World Catastrophe Killzone Division, or "WCKD" in this installment. Thomas and his fellow Gladers explore the "Scorch" which is a desolate landscape which puts them in danger of new threats, terrors, and obstacles. Their biggest enemies are the "Cranks" who were victims of a worldwide virus then turned into zombies - they are hoping to know more about the WCKD by hunting the Cranks down.
If you are a fan of the "Maze Runner," then you might appreciate the timesaver as the sequel picks up right where the first movie left off. However, for those who haven't seen the first movie, it would be a good idea to catch it first as there is next to no recap on the events from the previous film.
To put simply, "Maze Runner" was the "escape" movie and "Scorch Trials" is the "road" movie. Unlike the first installment, "Scorch Trials" opens up to several kinds of locations such as ruined cities, sterile compounds, and makeshift communities. Director Wes Ball has done a good job portraying the desolate society that the characters live in.
The scale of "Scorch Trials" is impressive considering the possibly not so huge budget going off the first movie. The story is pretty lean compared to the first "Maze Runner" movie as characters go from one set piece to another.
The action was commendable and significantly enhanced by the accompanying bomb-ass soundtrack by John Paesano. Also, expect a lot of running as the characters try to evade guards, Cranks, sand storms, and lightning at one point. This time, Dylan O'Brien's character gets to be highlighted as a leader and not just an audience surrogate. Expect the mystery to still be there; and Thomas' will to search for answers on his own adds more interest to the movie.
New characters have also joined "Scorch Trials": "Breaking Bad" Giancarlo Esposito shows up as a ruthless gang leader, along with his adopted daughter Brenda, played by Rosa Salazar. Salazar was in some great scenes in the later part of the movie with O'Brien. There's also "Firefly" Alan Tudyk, who makes a brief, but fun, appearance as a wasted club owner. However, there weren't much happening with the old characters like Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster), Minho (Ki Hong Lee) and Frypan (Dexter Darden).
Patricia Clarkson and Game of Thrones' Aidan Gillen were the goofy bad guys. While they have done a good job twirling their mustaches, they haven't really struck fear in the way they should and the same thing goes for the zombies.
The Verdict
No doubt that "Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials" is up there compared to the first. The world is bigger, the stakes are higher and there's a lot more to sink your teeth into. While much could have been done with the unfolding of characters, "Scorch Trials" did a great job offering better visual scope and exploration which allows for the much-needed breathing room that the sequel needs.
