***/**** (3.5 stars)
Having escaped the maze, Thomas
and the other remaining Gladers find temporary respite and sanctuary with
Janson, who provides them with dreams of a promised land. Upon finding that all
is not as it first appeared to be, the team escape into the Scorch, where many
obstacles await them.
It seemed ironic that the trailer
for the latest Hunger Games should
air directly before this film began, as it only seemed to highlight the
similarities between the two, and how much Maze
Runner wishes it were as good as its predecessor. That’s not to say that The Scorch Trials isn’t an enjoyable, if
slightly overly long, it’s just the same old, same old regurgitated with
different characters. This time, we are introduced to the Cranks (zombies to
you or I), humans who have been changed by the sun’s radiation, and now live in
the Scorch. If you’ve seen I Am Legend or
28 Days Later, these super-athletic
creatures will come as no surprise, although could well be scary for younger
viewers.
Whereas the first film had a very
simple premise – escape the Maze – the sequel is not so lucky. Indeed, it’s
hard to decipher a beginning, middle and end at all, as our heroes run, jump
and scramble from one desperate situation into another with barely any respite.
There is so much going on here, from meeting numerous new characters, being set
upon by Cranks, to riffs forming within the central party, and the only
character who seems to have any sort of agency is Thomas (the slightly more beefed-up
Dylan O’Brien). Once again it is only Thomas who seems to have a plan, or at
least some ambition, which is then subsequently criticized by his band of
wide-eyed followers, all of whom are so one-dimensional, they almost blur into
one. (Although, I do have a soft spot for Thomas Brodie-Sangster, so Newt
sticks out a little more for me.)
Undoubtedly a set-up for the final
showdown, Scorch Trails races from
one set piece to another with barely time to pause for breath. New characters
and plot twists intersperse the running, but this is essentially an action film
powering for the finish line. Still, the injection of Aidan Gillen into the
cast is a breath of fresh air, and we have grown to care for our young heroes
too. Loud, bright and good, mindless fun throughout, Wes Ball has delivered
another blockbuster to draw in the crowds.
Advisory note: If you’re planning
on taking younger viewers to see this, I would probably consider against it.
With a 12A certificate, children as young as 8 can view the film with an adult,
but I would suggest that this is far too young. Not only is the film violent,
it contains multiple jump-scares, scenes of torture, a suicide, and
drug-taking. There’s also quite a lot of swearing.
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