Review: ‘Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials’

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Thomas (Dylan  O’Brien) and the rest of the Gladers have escaped the maze only to find themselves in for the fight of their lives in Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, the second film in the Maze Runner trilogy. Director Wes Ball returns to helm this dark and intense sequel which pushes it’s stars, and audience, to the limits as we enter “The Scorch”, the remnants of a major city which has been desolated by it’s climate and is now inhabited by Cranks, a term used to describe those who have been infected by the Flare virus. If you thought the Maze was intense, wait til you experience Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials.

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The film picks up where the first film ends, with the Gladers being rescued and taken to a facility run by Mr. Janson (Aidan Gillen), a safe haven, protecting them from WICKED, or so they think. Thomas and the others quickly find out that they are only a cog in a very large wheel as they come to find out there are other survivors from multiple mazes. Curious as to the intentions of their new benefactor, Thomas decides that things are a little too perfect for his liking. Another survivor named Aris (Jacob Lofland) shows Thomas that he may just be right with his assumptions. WICKED’s leader Ava Paige (Patricia Clarkson) is still alive and she has a plan for all the remaining survivors. Thomas gathers the Gladers and they escape their capture into the Scorch.

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After facing the harsh conditions of their new environment, the group head off to find the Right Arm, a resistance force hidden in the mountains who are supposed to protect the immune and take them to a safe haven. On the outskirts of the Scorch, Thomas and the group meet Brenda (Rosa Salazar) and Jorge (Giancarlo Esposito), who lead a dangerous band of survivors intent on finding favor with the Right Arm. As WICKED begins to close in on the Gladers, it’s up to Thomas to get them to safety, but will their destination be the safe haven they hope it to be?

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James Dashner’s source material is dark and intense and Wes Ball does not shy away from taking this film and it’s core audience out of their comfort zone. The intense nature of the film is doubled by the presence of the Cranks, humans zombified by the Flare virus, who are as horrifying in their movement as they are in their appearance. The returning cast gets to experience a lot more than they did in the Maze as the climate and the sheer vastness of their environment is challenge enough without the added dangers of the chase. Dylan O’Brien continues to impress with his intense, emotional palette. Aidan Gillen is no stranger to toying with the audiences with his confidence and swagger and is a wonderful addition to this cast as the new protagonist. Rosa Salazar and Giancarlo Esposito fit in well with the returning cast who are very familiar with each other by this point in the story.

Overall, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials is not for the weak at heart and definitely not for a young audience. The intense scenes will surprise an older audience and may help expand this franchise into newer viewership. This film is a lot of fun and a very enjoyable sequel. And now…we wait until 2017 for Maze Runner: The Death Cure.

Stars:

3 1/2 out of 5

After Credit Scene?

No

Trailer:

All New ‘Maze Runner: Scorch Trails’ Trailer Debuts

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20th Century Fox has released the brand new trailer for the upcoming sequel Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, and we have it for you below!

In this next chapter of the epic “Maze Runner” saga, Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) and his fellow Gladers face their greatest challenge yet: searching for clues about the mysterious and powerful organization known as WCKD. Their journey takes them to the Scorch, a desolate landscape filled with unimaginable obstacles. Teaming up with resistance fighters, the Gladers take on WCKD’s vastly superior forces and uncover its shocking plans for them all.

The film also stars Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Kaya Scodelario, Will Poulter, Patricia Clarkson, Rosa Salazar, Aidan Gillen and Giancarlo Esposito. 

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trails arrives September 18, 2015.

RED NOSE DAY USA is today! Live on NBC tonight at 8/7c

Red Nose Day, the U.K.’s #1 television fundraising event, is coming to America in a spectacular live star-studded special Thursday, May 21 (8-11 p.m. ET) on NBC.

redNoseDay_marketingBand_learnMore_1080x350Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Julia Roberts, Will Ferrell, Jack Black, Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Jodie Foster and more, are coming together to have fun, raise money and change lives in an incredible “fun-raising” special. Featuring great comedy, videos produced by Funny Or Die, incredible music performances and Hollywood’s favorite stars, the benefit event will help 12 charity organizations lift children and young people out of poverty, in the U.S. and throughout the world.

RND_Tonight_350x467_v1Julianne Moore, Jack Black, Coldplay and Neil Patrick Harris will also appear, along with John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Michelle Rodriguez, Gwyneth Paltrow and music sensations John Legend and “Voice” coaches Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera and Pharrell Williams. Sienna Miller, Paul Rudd, Olivia Wilde, Eddie Redmayne, Benedict Cumberbatch, Sir Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Leslie Mann, January Jones and Simon Cowell will also be joining the fun, as well as Matt Lauer, Carson Daly, Nick Offerman, Elizabeth Banks, Chris Pine, Jeff Goldblum, Billy Eichner, Martin Short, Laura Linney, Anna Kendrick, Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, John Michael Higgins, Bill and Melinda Gates, Stephen Merchant, Naomi Campbell, Anna Camp, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Yvette Nicole Brown, Retta, Natalie Morales, Danny Pudi and Rob Huebel.

In addition, the star-studded event for charity will feature “Game of Thrones” cast members Kit Harington, Peter Dinklage, Iwan Rheon, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Emilia Clarke, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Mark Addy, John Bradley, Rose Leslie, Alfie Allen and Charlotte Hope.  “Orange is the New Black” cast Dascha Polanco, Samira Wiley, Yael Stone, Selenis Leyva, Lea DeLaria, Adrienne C. Moore and Jackie Cruz will also be part of the charity special.

Nick CanonDancathonNick Cannon will kick off the festivities for NBC’s broadcast of “Red Nose Day” with “Red Nose Day Danceathon with Nick Cannon,” streaming live on NBC.com beginning Wednesday, May 20. “America’s Got Talent” host Nick Cannon will attempt to dance non-stop for 24 hours in honor of the inaugural Red Nose Day celebration in the United States, leading into the “Red Nose Day” telecast on Thursday, May 21. Streamed live from the NBC Experience Store at Rockefeller Center in New York City, the day of dance will be filled with guest DJs and musicians, celebrity drop-ins, and a variety of dance acts and troupes. Viewers can support Cannon’s endeavor through sponsorship and donation.

DonateThe money raised during Red Nose Day will be used to fund programs that address the immediate needs of children and young people living in poverty in the U.S. and internationally in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The money will be split between domestic and international poverty issues. The pre-selected charity partners are Boys & Girls Clubs of America; charity: water; Children’s Health Fund; Feeding America; Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance; the Global Fund; LIFT; National Council of La Raza; National Urban League; Oxfam America; Save the Children and United Way.

In the U.K., Red Nose Day has been a tradition for 30 years and is an inspiring cultural phenomenon that unites people from all walks of life in the interest of saving and changing lives across the globe. With superstar presenters and comedians, original sketch comedy, hilarious film parodies and amazing musical performances, Red Nose Day has been one of the BBC’s highest-rated Friday night shows for many years and raised more than $1 billion in donations so far for organizations addressing poverty.

Created in 1985 by Oscar nominee and Emmy Award-winning writer-director-producer Richard Curtis (“Four Weddings and a Funeral,” “Bridget Jones Diary,” “Notting Hill”), Red Nose Day was built upon the foundation that mass media and celebrities can help raise money and increase awareness of poverty in order to save and change millions of lives.

Curtis is an executive producer for the NBC telecast (a Universal Television production), along with Hamish Hamilton and Ian Stewart of Done + Dusted Productions. Henrietta Conrad and Lily Sobhani will also serve as executive producers, as will Mike Farah, Anna Wenger and Joe Farrell from Funny Or Die. Hamilton is set to direct.

Trailer for The Maze Runner Sequel ‘The Scorch Trials’ is Here!

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20th Century Fox has released the first trailer for the upcoming sequel Maze Runner: The Scorch Trails and we have it for you below!

In this next chapter of the epic “Maze Runner” saga, Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) and his fellow Gladers face their greatest challenge yet: searching for clues about the mysterious and powerful organization known as WCKD. Their journey takes them to the Scorch, a desolate landscape filled with unimaginable obstacles. Teaming up with resistance fighters, the Gladers take on WCKD’s vastly superior forces and uncover its shocking plans for them all.

The film also stars Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Kaya Scodelario, Will Poulter, Patricia Clarkson, Rosa Salazar, Aidan Gillen and Giancarlo Esposito. 

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trails arrives September 18, 2015.

The poster was also released!

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First Photos of The Upcoming Maze Runner Sequel ‘The Scorch Trials’ Released!

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20th Century Fox (via EW) has released the first photos from the upcoming sequel Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials which you can check them out below!

In this next chapter of the epic Maze Runner saga, Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) and his fellow Gladers face their greatest challenge yet: searching for clues about the mysterious and powerful organization known as WCKD. Their journey takes them to the Scorch, a desolate landscape filled with unimaginable obstacles. Teaming up with resistance fighters, the Gladers take on WCKD’s vastly superior forces and uncover its shocking plans for them all.

The movie stars Dylan O’Brien, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Kaya Scodelario, Will Poulter, Patricia Clarkson, Rosa Salazar, Aidan Gillen and Giancarlo Esposito. Wes Ball returns to direct the sequel adaptation to James Dashner’s second book in “The Maze Runner” series.

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials will debut in 3D, 2D, and IMAX theaters on September 18, 2015.

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Michael’s Review: ‘The Maze Runner’- Can You Survive the Maze?

The Maze Runner poster 02Young adult novels have been more miss than hit over the past several years. Since the popularity of the Harry Potter, Twilight and The Hunger Games franchises, Hollywood studios have been snatching up every book series they can find, hoping for that next phenomenon. Whereas many of the recent adaptations have focused on finding the next Katniss Everdeen, The Maze Runner focuses its story around a group of young men banding together to find their way to freedom and along the way may have found it’s way into the conversation for best young adult book adaption. Read More →