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Film Review: Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials

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Title: Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials

Director: Wes Ball

Writer: T.S Nowlin, James Dashner (novel)

Stars: Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Aidan Gillen

Release Date: In cinemas now

Review by Dave Griffiths

In a cinema world dominated by films based on teenage fiction like Twilight and The Hunger Games there was a film last year that made its way into cinemas and never got the credit it deserved. That film was The Maze Runner, which realistically was the thinking man’s Hunger Games. Now comes The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials which many would follow in the footsteps of Divergent, The Hunger Games and Twilight and deliver a sub-standard second film. Well, my friends, something amazing has happened because The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials is absolutely brilliant.

Somehow director Wes Ball has managed to improve on what he did the first time and what we have is a modern day horror/sci-fi with some real balls. Yes the only way to describe the film is that somehow it becomes the hybrid of what would happen if you mixed Resident Evil and The Hunger Games together.

The sequel picks up where the first film left off Thomas (Dylan O’Brien – The First Time), Teresa (Kaya Scodelario – Clash Of The Titans) and co soon realise that they haven’t been rescued and that Janson (Aidan Gillen – Game Of Thrones) and Ava (Patricia Clarkson – Shutter Island) have a truly evil end planned for them. The group along with their new ally Aris (Jacob Lofland – Mud) decide the only way they can escape is to head out into the dangerous Scorch and try to find the rebel Army they have heard so much about.

The reason that Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials works so well is the film has kept its continuity by keeping director Wes Ball on board. So many of the other franchises lose their director after film one and it can’t help but disrupt the feelings of the film. Here Ball keeps that ‘edge’ going that was in the first film and with events such as fast moving zombie attacks to be included this time around Ball gives this film a horror film feel that has to be seen to be believed.

Yes a lot of Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials feels a little like Red Dawn at times but this is one franchise film that certainly deserves a look by serious film goers. Hunger Games and Divergent you have met your match.

4 Stars

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