Review of Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015) by Thequietgamer — 08 Feb 2016

Not only is it a shocking (and welcome) change of pace from the first movie, but it's also a nice deviation from the typical YA-book-turned-movie scenario. The expected themes are in play, but "The Scorch Trials" does enough unique to make it stand out from the ever growing pack of these kind of movies.

For all intents and purposes it's a post-apocalyptic zombie movie. Surprising, considering the first fit into the standard sci-fi mold similar to Hunger Games, Divergent, and The Giver. The only thing it really had going in it's favor was a darker overall tone.

Here though it defies expectations. It's got thrilling action and the characters have been much improved. For starters our lead Dylan O'Brien is much more likable this time around. The supporting cast is just as charming as ever, with the standout once again being Ki Hong Lee as Minho.

Plenty of twists and new character developments take place, with more of the mystery of the overall plot being revealed along the way. The new characters fit right in.

So perhaps the whole zombie apocalypse thing isn't exactly a new idea, but it's a nice enough change of pace to allow this Maze Runner sequel to break away from the standard YA novel movie mold. It's a heck of a lot of fun, a huge improvement over it's predecessor, and has left me impatiently waiting for the next one.

As a result, my total score for the movie is a near-perfect score of 9.9/10. An excellent movie all around. One that's worth watching even this genre is beginning to grate on your nerves at this point. Just keep in mind the first is basically required to understand what's going on here.