Grade: B
Rating: PG-13, 2 hours 9 minutes
In a Nutshell: Zombies?
I didn’t know this movie had zombies!
The trailers did a great job of not revealing the story line and fun
surprises in this sequel to the Maze Runner series. It’s action-packed and leaves you wondering
who is really on the right side.
Although my friend, James Dashner, wrote the book that these
films are based on, I embarrassingly admit that I’ve never read them. Apparently, the sequel veers from the original
source material quite a bit. He and I
did a book signing together many years ago when we were both nobodies. While he has made it big time, I’m still a
nobody. (weak grin) Here is a picture of us when we both were
speakers at the LDStorymakers Conference several years ago. I’m so happy for him and his success!
·
Run!
·
Friendship, loyalty, trust.
Things I liked:
·
The special effects were very good. I’d like to see a director make a riveting
movie out of one of my non-fiction books.
Ha ha
·
The cast does a great job.
·
The scale and scope are much larger than the first
Maze Runner.
- The sets, green screens, and backdrops are impressive.
- The sets, green screens, and backdrops are impressive.
Things I didn’t like:
·
There was way too much running around in the
dark. I had a hard time seeing what was
going on, even on the big screen!
·
The cliff-hanger at the end was pretty
predictable. Even some of the lines were
predictable. It was still entertaining
though.
·
This is not a stand-alone film. If you haven’t seen the first movie, you’ll
be lost.
- This film feels like it’s the bridge between two better films.
- This film feels like it’s the bridge between two better films.
·
There weren’t any memorable funny lines.
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My teenage son described the movie as “A bunch
of Abercrombie & Fitch models running around in the desert.” Kinda true.
·
You don’t learn much more about these teenagers,
nor what’s really going on. The plot
wasn’t as deep as I had hoped. One of
the best questions dystopian movies should ask is what happens when
civilization crumbles. What morality is
left? We're still waiting for those answers after the final credits roll.
·
The film isn’t available on IMAX and PLF screens
this time around, like the first one was. The really big screens
are being reserved in theaters for the opening weekend of the remake of Everest
.
Things to look for:
·
You’ll miss it if you blink, but Teresa (played
by Kaya Scodelario) puts a blanket over the broken glass when Thomas throws a
chair through a window. That’s a good
emergency preparedness tip to remember in a survival situation! It’s also what you should do if you’re trying
to get over a jagged fence or barbed wire fence.
- See if you can count how many times the teens pose. It's almost as if every screen shot could be turned into a movie poster for tween fans.
- See if you can count how many times the teens pose. It's almost as if every screen shot could be turned into a movie poster for tween fans.
Tips for Parents:
·
Thomas (played by Dylan O’Brien) flips the bird.
·
The zombies that chase the kids are pretty scary
because they run FAST and climb anything, unlike the ones in the hit TV show The Walking Dead: Season 1
.
·
Some profanity, an icky vomit moment, and a high body count, sometimes bloody.
·
Kids will love it because it features kids
outsmarting adults.
· Thomas and Brenda spend some time in a dystopian kind of den of iniquity with a bunch of druggies and boozers.
· Thomas and Brenda spend some time in a dystopian kind of den of iniquity with a bunch of druggies and boozers.
If you can't get enough, check out the prequel and more!
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