CREDIT: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX FILM CORPORATION
Following its popular predecessor, The Scorch Trials falls short, overusing adventure, zombie and horror movie tropes while underusing the talented actors.

In The Maze Runner, Thomas and friends were trapped in a maze, fighting to escape their pointless confinements. In the sequel, The Scorch Trials, the group has arrived at a pseudo-military complex of safety, which is definitely not at all associated with World In Catastrophe: Killzone Experiment Department (WCKD). Not even a little. Promise.

This movie is full of big names, most notably Aidan Gillen playing a character who is similar to Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish from Game of Thrones. It’s actually disappointing to see this amazing actor wasted in yet another role where he’s perceived as evil no matter what he does. It’s especially amusing because, with the exception of some random acts of anger that feel forced, he seems to genuinely be working for the greater good.

This may be the biggest issue with The Scorch Trials. At no point does WCKD actually seem to be doing anything evil. Unlike the rebels, WCKD almost exclusively uses non-lethal weapons, is doing whatever they can to find a cure for the terrible zombie virus and has its highest profile officials go down to try to explain their motives to the random kids.

On top of this, one of the “good guys” uses sniper rifles to shoot at random pedestrians, blows up a compound full of innocents as a distraction and at one point seems inclined to sell humans. Watching this, it’s really easy to feel far more sympathy for the supposedly evil corporation than the group you’re supposed to be rooting for.

Thomas seems incredibly self-centred in denying WCKD the opportunity to study him and obtain a cure that could save millions of people. Clearly they have forgotten the wise words of Spock, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one”.

The complete failure of logic and lack of consideration for the greater good isn’t the only thing wrong with this movie. Every possible editing error that could have been made is made. Characters randomly disappear from the screen, items that are being held are suddenly lying on the floor and everyone has a magical backpack that appears only when needed.

While the characters constantly run upstairs but are never seen going down, they act out every adventure, zombie and horror movie trope ever imagined. They seem especially inclined to rip-off the Jurassic Park franchise. This movie has everything from the guy-trapped-in-adoor to the girl-standing-on-slowlybreaking- glass.

With the only good things stolen from other movies, there is little purpose to anything that happens. Thomas spends most of the movie trying to be a white knight for women who clearly have no need of saving. The only character that is actually competent is Minho, played by Ki Hong Lee, who may be a reincarnation of Thor.

Overall, The Scorch Trials is a poorly edited collection of overused tropes. The movie has a great collection of talent that sadly goes to waste. There are some good moments, but not enough to cover the price of admission.