Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials is the second part of the dystopian trilogy about a group of teenagers immune to a virus that has decimated humanity who are hunted by a shady organization. This great second part is an improvement over the solid first movie.

First of all, this second movie is much more sinister than the first part as the teenagers have to fight creepy creatures roaming in an abandoned world. Especially the scenes in the mysterious underground shelter in the first third of the movie are quite intense. Overall, the varied locations add a lot of atmosphere to the film. Light and sound techniques are executed flawlessly. The creatures also look quite haunting.

Secondly, the action sequences in this film are more intense than in the previous movie. One sequence that really stands out is when Thomas, the leader of the teenagers, and Brenda, the rebellious sister of one Thomas' deceased soulmates, have to fight their way through a shaky skyscraper with numerous traps. This sequence feels like a vivid roller coaster ride.

Thirdly, the movie continues to develop the intriguing characters that made the first film so successful. Thomas is shown as brave leader who secretly doubts his capacities. Minho continues to convince as athletic, courageous and resilient young man. Newt represents the intellectual side as he always asks the right questions with a careful yet caring demeanor. In addition to this, the film introduces a few new characters that are quite intriguing. Aris is a quiet outsider who turns out being an observing and smart teenager who saves his new partners from certain death. Jorge is a resilient man with an unpredictable character who can be very caring about his friends in one scene but brutally torture former partners in the next scene. His protegee Brenda is a tough girl who doesn't shy away from conflicts with older men.

Obviously, the movie also has a few minor flaws. The story is quite predictable. The film has two twists, one shown in the first third and the other one at the very end of the movie. Both of them are very predictable and the fact that the group of teenagers aren't immediately aware of them after everything they have gone through in the first installment, makes them look somewhat naive.

Personally, I also dislike Teresa's character. She always seems cold, distant and manipulative and never truly helps her partners. She makes me think of Kristen Stewart, not only physically but also regarding her behavior. That isn't meant to be a compliment as it's impossible to empathize with her. Brenda is a much more distinctive female character while Teresa's character doesn't seem to be fully fleshed out.

In the end, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials is an improvement over a good first installment and makes you want to watch the third and final part right away. This film has great atmosphere, breathtaking action sequences and intriguing character development. Those who like dystopian science-fiction movies in the key of the Divergent or The Hunger Games franchises can't get around this franchise. Make sure you have watched the first part and to watch the third and final part later on.

Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds is a fantasy movie with so many special effects that it could be a Hollywood production. However, that isn't meant to be a compliment. Korean cinema has a quite emotional, intense and vivid vibe that makes it stand out but that vibe isn't present here at all. In addition to that, this film is the first part of a new franchise like many Western fantasy movies as well but I don't plan watching the sequel that is scheduled for this summer. To be fair, Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds is rather entertaining and some of the flashbacks create an emotional connection with the main characters but it's too little and too late.

The first and biggest issue I have with this film is the shallow story. A firefighter dies, arrives in the afterworld and is told that he is an honorable paragon that needs to pass seven trials in order to get reincarnated. One never truly gets told what a paragon is and what makes this particular firefighter so honorable. The trials are announced being in order of the sins of the deceased, starting with the least important and ending with the most important ones. However, several trials in the middle are skipped because this paragon is considered particularly honorable which contradicts what was told right from the start. A recurring element of suspense is that the firefighter's brother died soon after his own death and menaces the balance of the afterworld since he is a vengeful spirit. While it's understandable why the brother wants to take his revenge, it doesn't make any sense how this is related to his brother's trials and the entire afterworld altogether. The cherry atop the cake is that this vengeful spirit later on becomes a paragon himself. The most cringe-worthy moment however is the firefighter's final trial. It turns out he planned killing his own mother as well as his brother before committing suicide when he was a teenager because his family was so poor and his mother really sick. Everybody expects the firefighter to lose the final trial but his mother is visited by his brother's spirit and she takes the blame, calling herself a bad mother and forgiving her son for thinking about killing her. This moral isn't only controversial, it's quite nonsensical as well.

Another issue with this movie are the characters. The firefighter seems like a good guy in the beginning but the more we learn about him, the less likable he gets and it's quite tough to sympathize with him. The three assistants that help him with the trials are also lacking depth. They are only interested in helping the firefighter to get reincarnated themselves and hide the truth about his brother's fate from him for a while before one of them makes a stupid mistake. The different gods that are in charge of the different trials look quite interesting but they only appear for a few minutes and disappear soon after like cameo appearances.

The special effects are overused in this movie. The trials take place in different places like a big cave, a vast desert or a river next to a waterfall. The locations look gorgeous but the transitions between them seem to be random. They change so drastically and often that they can't develop any type of atmosphere. The potential of these locations is often wasted.

On the positive side, the movie has great pace and is entertaining and epic from start to finish. The exposition doesn't waste any time, the trials progress smoothly and the final thirty minutes are a true climax and quite intense. You won't see the two hours and twenty minutes go by. This is great popcorn cinema.

The flashbacks add some depth to the firefighter's background story and tell us a lot about his mother, his brother and himself. These are also the most emotional moments in the movie. Seeing his brother die under tragic circumstances is quite gloomy. Observing the heartbroken mother who has lost her two children in a few weeks and who tries to find out what happened to the firefighter's brother by any means necessary is truly gripping. The best scenes are actually related to the firefighter's brother who tries to appease his mother in her dreams, avenge the person who covered up his murder and save the life of his suicidal colleague.

One can't deny that a lot of budget went into this film that looks quite well. The special effects might be overused but most people will find them exciting. The camera work is focused and avoids the contemporary chic of shaky passages. Lighting techniques are used very efficiently. The soundtrack is quite immersive without being outstanding.

If you like fantasy or science-fiction blockbusters for the whole family, Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds will give you everything you're craving for and can be watched between the latest The Maze Runner and Star Wars movies. If you were expecting a typically Korean movie with many emotional twists, you might find this flick somewhat bland. In my opinion, it's definitely entertaining enough to be watched once but overall rather forgettable popcorn cinema.