REVIEW #24 The Maze Runner Trilogy (2014-2018)

The Maze Runner trilogy consists of three films; The Maze Runner, Maze Runner: The Scortch Trials and finally Maze Runner: The Death Cure. All three films are directed by Wes Ball and are based on the novels of the same name, written by James Dashner. It follows Thomas as he wakes up in a maze with no recollection of his past life, as he tries to recover his memory and help the others escape the maze to uncover who really put them there.


CAST & THE ACTING (8/10)

The lead Thomas is played by Dylan O’Brien an actor I have credited in a previous review. His acting skills continue to shine and he does well in the lead role throughout all three films. Other cast members you may recognise are Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Kaya Scodelario, Will Poulter, with other well known actors popping up throughout the trilogy. I think the acting as a whole was pretty good across the three films, they perform very well in the action sequences but also display a great dynamic as a cast which only emphasises the strong relationships between the characters in the films. So a good score here!


PLOT & THE STORYLINE (8.5/10)

I have said many times how I enjoy a film in this genre, set in an almost apocalyptic world, an underdog story with a group of people fighting against a corrupt power. I appreciated how each film is actually very different and showed you completely different areas of this dystopian world. Initially it was the ‘Glade’ Maze in the first film, then the baron lands in the Scortch Trials, before the last city in the Death Cure. The scenery almost directly reflects the groups journey as they slowly uncover more and more about what is really going on in the world. Ultimately it’s the fight between finding a cure for a deadly disease that’s wiped out the world, at the cost of a whole generation or saving those kids from deadly experiments and torture. So I really liked the plot and thought the storyline unfolded well with each film. 

If I had to criticise the plot I would say that the core storyline is used everywhere! There are so many films that have a similar bases like The Hunger Games or the Divergent films, I do think this one is better than those films but that’s probably the main criticism I would have. 


CINEMATOGRAPHY & SPECIAL EFFECTS (8.5/10)

I think the special effects/CGI were very good, the creativity in creating these vast landscapes really is great. As I mentioned above, each film has a contrasting landscape and what stood out the most was the Scorched baron wastelands in the second film. We see ruined cities and derelict buildings on a mass scale and it all looked extremely convincing. The action scenes were filmed very well, capturing the chaotic nature of the films, keeping them all very exciting. The prosthetics used for the infected people was also nicely done, so I think the films deserve a good score here too.  


OVERALL (8.3/10)

This is another set of films I really enjoy, I have watched them all a few times now and still really like them. It was good to see Dylan O’Brien take the lead in a big franchise and he is an actor I highly rate. Wes Ball tells this story so well and keeps each film fresh and exciting, utilising a good studio budget to create wonderfully creative scenery through CGI. I would recommend this film to anyone like me who appreciates this genre, it’s very similar to the Divergent Films and The Hunger Games. I think this plot makes The Maze Runner trilogy better than those films and although I gave the same score to the first Hunger Games film a couple weeks ago I think as a complete set of films, this trilogy is better in my opinion! 


Thanks for reading!

Callan



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