Confession time: I watched this movie so I could watch my friend Kihong be a badass. I was not disappointed. It’s definitely no Escape From New York or The Road…but then again, this movie *knows* that, and doesn’t try to be.
The Blurb:
Transported to a remote fortified outpost, Thomas and his fellow teenage Gladers find themselves in trouble after uncovering a diabolical plot from the mysterious and powerful organization WCKD. With help from a new ally, the Gladers stage a daring escape into the Scorch, a desolate landscape filled with dangerous obstacles and crawling with the virus-infected Cranks. The Gladers only hope may be to find the Right Hand, a group of resistance fighters who can help them battle WCKD.
What Worked:
Kihong is great. Actually, the whole cast is pretty damn good, even down to that British guy we all know as “Littlefinger” from Game of Thrones, who plays the bad guy in this movie. I like our band of angsty teens, struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic world.
The post-apocalyptic world itself is ALSO fun. We do spend a bit too much time in warehouse/refinery-looking locations, but we also get to spend some time in an abandoned mall and out in the desert-y desert.
The zombies are ALSO cool. They’re the fast kind. They don’t fuck around.
What Didn’t Work:
I mean, the usual stuff with a movie like this. The plot is not all that compelling. It doesn’t REALLY make sense if you think too hard about it, about what this experiment is that WCKD (and yes, groan, that is the ACTUAL name of the evil corporation we’re running from) is putting these kids through. But again…this movie wasn’t made for that kind of scrutiny, and it knows that. It’s an easy macguffin to let slide.
There’s a turn from one of our central characters in this movie towards the end that it super, super under-justified. That was a trip.
Overall, this movie delivers exactly what it says it’s going to. Although it wasn’t all that gripping or compelling, it did enough in terms of working with characters we know and enjoy and putting them in exciting and dangerous circumstances to keep the movie going. It’s like the Resident Evil franchise–we honestly don’t need much.
6 out of 10 – mindless fun