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Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials is the second chapter in the “Maze Runner” saga, where 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 Nathalie Emmanuel, Katherine McNamara, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Aidan Gillen, Kaya Scodelario, Giancarlo Esposito, Ki Hong Lee, Barry Pepper, plus Six Feet Under‘s Patricia Clarkson and Lili Taylor.
I wasn’t wholly sold on the first one, but as they realise that, unlike Highlander, there isn’t just one… maze, that is. And so the scene is set.
When I saw the trailer for this, I was hoping that while the first film was censored on Blu-ray and DVD, as well as at the cinema, that the sequel would get off without such demerits. Sadly, not.
The first one was cut from a 15-cert to a 12A, and like a lot of other Fox films, that is also what’s happened here. The BBFC website confirms:
- “During post-production, the distributor sought and was given advice on how to secure the desired classification. Following this advice, certain changes were made prior to submission
Note: The following text may contain spoilers
This work was originally seen for advice. The company was advised that the film was likely to receive a 15 certificate but that their preferred 12A classification could be achieved by making some changes. The company was advised to reduce moments of threat and ‘horror’ involving zombie-like characters, and to reduce the focus on injury in a scene in which a man is beaten for information. When the film was formally submitted, changes had been made and, consequently, the film was passed 12A.”
Filmgoers have also had to suffer the 12A-rated censorship recently of Taken 3, plus its 2012 prequel, Taken 2 – as well as a 15-cert censored version for the original Taken. In 2013, we were given a 12A-censored A Good Day To Die Hard, having to wait for the Blu-ray before we could watch the full uncut version.
And don’t forget a high-profile censorship for Kingsman, also cut from an 18-cert to a 15-cert like Taken, but unlike that film, the Blu-ray and DVD are still censored!
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials is released in the UK tomorrow.
Check out the trailer below and click on the poster for the full-size version:
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.