Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials

It is of course possible to locate a little depth in the Maze Runner franchise; the notion of an older generation placing a younger generation at risk in order to maintain a crumbling status quo isn't without a real-world equivalent or two. But whether it's by design or not, the first Maze Runner movie and now its sequel, The Scorch Trials, are not leaning too heavily on such analogies.

These movies, based on the series of young-adult novels by the aptly-named James Dashner, are more concerned with placing their young characters in perilous situations where they must run — and occasionally fight — for their lives. Maybe that's why they work. They're not burdened with excess metaphor or meaning; they hit the ground running and they rarely pause to take a breath.

It certainly helps that director Wes Ball, who has helmed both Maze Runner films and is attached to an upcoming third, titled The Death Cure, has a real flair for muscular, propulsive action and big-screen post-apocalyptic spectacle. However, Ball does move fast and expects the viewer to keep up, which is why rewatching The Maze Runner may be advisable before catching The Scorch Trials — it'll bring you up to speed, so to speak.

In short, the world has become a barren wasteland, with a plague called 'The Flare' transforming most of the population into hostile, zombie-like 'Cranks'.

The immunity young people like Thomas (Dylan O'Brien), Teresa (Kaya Scodelario) and their friends have to The Flare may hold the key to humanity's survival and a shadowy organisation with the ominous acronym WCKD is out to exploit it. But Thomas isn't keen on being anyone's lab rat, and he and his friends escape WCKD's clutches and head into the desolate 'Scorch' in search of a resistance army that's also working on a Flare cure.

Frankly, that's just enough plot to give our heroes the motivation to run like mad from marauding Cranks and evil WCKD security head Janson (Game Of Thrones' Aidan Gillen, very hissable).

And while The Scorch Trials' story and characters are functional at best, the film does have pace and impact to spare, with action sequences that are thoroughly and consistently exciting.