The Scorch Trials: The Maze Runner

A new installment just dropped 😁 Has anyone had a chance to check it out yet?

I just caught a screening of it yesterday, and I have to say, it was a very solid piece of filmmaking. I genuinely enjoyed it; it maintains the high production standards set by the first installment, though if anything, it feels even more intense and visceral. It definitely earns my approval.

I caught it too... and honestly, I wasn't impressed at all. 👎

"The Scorch Trials" might look good on screen, but it prioritizes mindless action over anything resembling a coherent plot, especially compared to how the first movie handled things. That sense of mystery and genuine originality we saw in "The Maze Runner" has been traded in for a recycled dystopian landscape, some generic zombies, and bits of footage that feel ripped straight from better movies. It’s also weighed down by those heavy-handed, melodramatic clichés—you know the ones, the "it's all my fault" or "I can't leave you behind" tropes—that somehow still seem to work on younger audiences. The main characters spend the entire runtime sprinting, though I'm fairly certain they have no idea where they're headed or why. It’s clear this was built as a commercial product; the goal isn't to create tension against monsters or a hope for the future, but rather just to run blindly toward the next big paycheck.

More thoughts over at the link
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This movie is a blast. It’s basically just non-stop running from the main characters. They even threw some zombies in there for good measure. It’s honestly one of those perfect movies to catch in a theater where you walk out feeling totally tripped out by what you just saw. I’m seriously hyped for the sequel. Hollywood is cranking out these teen apocalypse flicks like there's no tomorrow. 🍿

If they’d just spent five extra minutes reading the script twice... man, what a difference that would have made. 😁

The movie is fine if you just want a quick theater trip—you know, mindless fun, an escape, a gritty post-apocalyptic vibe and all that. But honestly? It feels totally disconnected from the first one, almost like the original didn't even happen. The plot holes are still there, too, though the biggest logic gap is right in the core premise itself. I really only went to see it because my girlfriend wanted to go, and since I'd seen the first one in theaters, I figured I'd tag along. 😛

This one is definitely an upgrade over the first installment. Honestly, the original felt a bit skewed because they basically centered everything around one girl, and it felt like she wasn't even given a reason to be on set until halfway through the movie. 😁

Unlike the predecessor, this sequel actually delivers a few tense moments. The zombies are an interesting touch, though their movement is a bit inconsistent—sometimes they're sluggish, other times they're freakishly agile. The directing leaves a lot to be desired, though; it’s pretty predictable, the script feels a bit hollow, and the whole thing is quite naive. But then again, what else can you really expect from a teen blockbuster? 🙂

Regardless, it was a fun ride. I wasn't bored for a single second, mostly because I was too busy laughing at how questionable the CGI looked. 😁

Honestly, this was way worse than the first installment 🤦. I actually liked the first one enough to buy the books just to see where the story went...
The movie doesn't track very closely with the second book, but whatever—I might even go as far as saying the film is better than the book (blasphemy, I know 🙂). They actually managed to flesh out certain parts better and cut out a bunch of nonsense, though there’s still plenty of illogical filler left 😁. I don't know the history behind the sequels, but it feels like once the first book blew up, the author just rushed through the rest without having a clear vision of the endgame, basically making it up as they went along.

Anyway, back to the movie—after leaving the theater (and from a purely financial standpoint, it’s definitely not worth a cinema ticket) I sat there wondering what I just watched. My summary? Run, stop, danger, run, stop, danger, run, stop, danger, run, etc. Meh, I wasn't a fan 🙂.

I wasn't a fan either—far too many plot holes and inconsistencies for my liking. Not to mention I could have used a bit more clarity regarding that virus and those damn monsters 🤔

6.8 out of 10. I guess you watch it once and that's really enough

Look, if this thing actually manages to hit the same level as the first movie, then we're talking about a perfectly solid pick for a chill night in.

cosmicharbor49 said:If it's anywhere near the quality of the first movie, I guess it's fine for a casual night in.

I mean, it's definitely worth a watch, but maybe not something to get overly excited about. Though, obviously, I'll probably end up watching the third part when it comes out anyway.

So, this is basically one of those teen flicks—kind of like if you mixed The Last of Us meets Hunger Games... 🙂
In the HBO version, the teenage lead is torn between two guys, but here, the kid’s dealing with two girls instead...

Just finished watching. It wasn't half bad.

Keep in mind, it's still a teen movie.
There’s plenty of tension throughout—honestly more than in Terminator—driven by a solid score and a few moments that actually break away from the usual clichés. 😁
It worked for me.

Some great shots too, and the atmosphere hits right.
That party sequence was a highlight.

Obviously, there are plenty of impossible scenarios, but most of that is just standard cliché stuff.

I'm giving it a 6/10, same as the first one.

cosmicharbor49 said:If it's even close to the quality of the first film, it's definitely good enough for a casual movie night.

Exactly.

I’ll be honest, I drifted off during the first installment and I’m not even sorry about it, but this one was actually a bit more tolerable. It’s predictable, standard YA garbage loaded with every single cliché in the book, but if you just want to kill a couple of hours, it’s fine.

I might even check out the third part.