Maze Runner sequel surprises with zombies

Movie  Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials

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!

To see my movie review of the first Maze Runner movie, click here.

Uplifting Theme:

·         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.

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.

·         There weren’t any memorable funny lines.

·         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.

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.

To get prepared for the sequel, start with these:

 

 If you can't get enough, check out the prequel and more!

 

My friend, James Dashner, just had his book The Maze Runner turned into a movie!

Movie Title:  Maze Runner

PG-13, 1 hour 54 minutes

Grade:  B+

In a Nutshell:   I’m so thrilled for my friend, James Dashner, who is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Maze Runner Series (Maze Runner) that this film is based on!  I first met him when he and I were doing a book signing at the same store.  People were lined up to meet him, of course, while I sat and twiddled my thumbs.  Ha ha  I have a hard time picturing my books being made into movies since I write non-fiction!

He and I are both members of the same author group and he is considered our resident rock star.  I’m so happy that his book was made into a movie!  That’s so unbelievably awesome!  Here is a picture of the two of us at a recent writers’ conference:

The story is a bit of a dystopian Lord of the Flies , as teenage boys try to figure out how they ended up on the edge of a killer maze and who put them there.  I haven’t had time to read the book, so I’m not sure what we might be missing in this suspenseful flick, but James said that the “tone and spirit and vision” of what he wrote in the book is totally in the movie.

Uplifting theme: 

Learning how to work for the benefit of others, these teenage boys also demonstrate courage, sacrifice, and teamwork.

Things I liked:

• As a mother of 4 sons, I thought it was funny and definitely true-to-life that the boys generally spent their evenings wrestling each other.  Ha ha
• The scary noises reminded me of the creepy alien sounds in Tom Cruise's movie The War of the Worlds .
• The movie starts fast and throws us into the action without dilly-dallying..  I always like that!
• All of the young actors did a great job, although I wish there had been time for more character development.

Things I didn’t like:

• There were some plot holes that bugged me.  I’m assuming the sequel will fill them?
• The runners wore these leathered, strappy things, but I couldn’t see what purpose they served.  They weren’t quite backpacks, so what were they for?
• They say “W.K.D. is good.”  Really?  No, I don’t want kids thinking wicked is good.
• Despite being trapped in a camping set-up, the boys are able to concoct some form of alcohol for partying at night.

Interesting lines:

• “You’re not like the others; you’re curious.”  - Alby
• “It’s not a prison; it’s a test.”  - Thomas
• “You’ll get your name in a day or two.  That’s one thing they let us keep.”  - Alby
• “You don’t get it.  We’re already dead.” – Minho

Funny lines:

• “I don’t know if he’s brave or stupid.  Whatever it is, we need more of it.”  - Minho
• (SPOILER ALERT)   “Seriously?”  - Jeff, when he sees the “Exit” sign.
• “I thought you had the chops to be a runner…until you face-planted.” – Newt

Fun Facts about James Dashner:

• He and I both graduated from BYU.  He majored in accounting, which seems like such a boring profession for such a creative guy!  He said “My heart bleeds for accountants.  I don’t miss it even in the slightest, tiniest, little bit.”  Ha ha
• James is a movie buff like me and confessed that movies like “Star Wars”, Alien , The Terminator and The Matrix influenced his writing.  It was the maze in the movie The Shining that got him thinking about writing his own novel that would feature one.
• Now that his book has been turned into a movie, he’s interested in screenwriting.  Go James!

Tips for parents:   Mild profanity, deaths, scary noises, violence.  Small children may be frightened by the “grievers” (robotic monstors that chase and kill the “gladers”).