MOVIE MONDAYS // MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS

If you have been around these parts recently you'll already know that this is a film I really wanted to see this month. And somehow I managed it. Yay! Two Saturdays ago, my sister and I made our way to the cinema in the morning, as that has become the norm for us now, invested in a bag of popcorn and found ourselves some pretty kick-ass seats. However, due to us getting there early and the projector in the theatre we were in being faulty, we ended up waiting for 45 mins before actually seeing the film's opening credits. But I was thankful that my annoyance was swiftly dispelled soon after as I was sucked into the world of maze runners.

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Source: Maze Runner Official Website

For those of you who have not yet heard of this franchise, The Scorch Trials is the second instalment of The Maze Runner film series based on the novels of the same name by James Dashner. But as I do not like divulging spoilers, all I am going to say about this film is that when one door to a world full of madness closes, there is a chance that one of the other doors for you to go through could lead to a world devoid of the niceties of life and contentment. Ha! I just read that "synopsis" back and I think I might leave it at that. We'll see...

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Source: Maze Runner Official Website

For those of you who did watch The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials holds a bunch of new hurdles for those who made it out of the maze (the Gladers) to jump over which tests their resilience, loyalty and zest for a normal life. T. S. Nowlin (The Maze Runner) is this instalment's screenwriter as well and put together a drama-filled, action-packed, suspense-infused screenplay that was brought to the silver screen under the direction of Wes Ball (The Maze Runner; A Work In Progress) making The Scorch Trials their second feature film (together). I have to say I really did enjoy it. Getting to see the next chapter of this bunch of Gladers' lives and understanding the characters a bit better warmed my heart. Granted, the storyline is a little similar to the first film but I am okay with that as it is still filled with plot twists and more information about some of my favourite characters. And with the handful of new and interesting characters & places that were injected into this phase of The Maze Runner world, The Scorch Trials is a great watch which will have you giggling, gasping and tearing up (slightly) at times. 

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Source: Maze Runner Official Website

There were a lot of familiar faces and surprising faces (in a good way) in this movie. 

Dylan O'Brien (Teen Wolf; The Maze Runner; The First Time) reprised his role as the loveable and caring Thomas. It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Dylan O'Brien. His portrayal of Stiles in Teen Wolf is beyond just plain good and his portrayal of Thomas is of a similar vein. Kaya Scodelario (The Maze Runner; Skins; Now Is Good) stepped back into the tough shoes of Teresa - a girl who is always trying to do the right thing. Seeing her made me want to watch the season of Skins where they main characters are now newbie adults. Effie and Teresa are nothing alike but seeing Kaya did bring back some funny memories of  my youth. Reprising his role as Newt, Thomas Brodie- Sangster (Pheneas and Ferb; The Mazer Runner; Game of Thrones) gave life to the ever-supportive friend of Thomas and the other Gladers. He is one of my favourite characters in this series and I'd really like to know more about his story. Good ol' funny, fast and dependable Minho, was brought to our screens by Ki Hong Lee (Everything Before Us; Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt; The Maze Runner) again. Rosa Salazar's (Insurgent; Epic; Parenthood) character, Brenda, is a new one that I was more than happy to get to know a little better. I just love how kick-ass she is! To be fair I am a fan of Rosa Salazar so I would have found at least one thing to like about her character. When I saw Giancarlo Esposito (Once Upon A Time; Revolution; Breaking Bad) come up on screen with his perfect hair I couldn't help but smile. He took on the role of Jorge, a resourceful man who knows what he wants and teh part he played in this storyline was very much welcomed. And of course Patricia Clarkson (The Maze Runner; One Day; Easy A) graces our screens again as the formidable and driven Ava Paige. Also, a familiar face from the land of Hollyoaks makes an appearance in this film that will make you smile if you are a fan of that show. The cast as a whole gave some great performances that I doubt will let your mind wander. You'll see what I mean when you watch the movie.

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If you are looking for a movie that has a dystopian element to it and is infused with drama, humour and action then Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials may be one for you to go see. I really want to get my hands on the books now but as usual I am faced with not wanting to know the whole story before I see the film adaptation. I guess I could always read up to where we are now and rely on my self-discipline to prevent me from reading ahead... To be fair, with my dodgy memory I'd thankfully probably forget the end once the next film is made. We shall see.

Mo x

P.S. I do realise this is an MM post going up on a Wednesday but sometimes we just have to shake things up a bit and carry on when life throws you a curve ball :)