This is proving to be the little YA franchise that could, largely thanks to Wes Ball putting as much of the budget on screen effectively as possible and showing himself to be a strong director or action sequences, and Dylan O'Brien again giving a very engaging and expressive performance as the central protagonist through whose eyes the audience goes on this expanded journey of discovery. The first act is terrific, capped by a superb sequence in an abandoned mall - brisk, energetic and world-building from the tight high concept of the first movie - even if we are on rather more familiar virus/sci-fi territory. The rest of the film is a little less inventive, for example a cracking-window-skyscraper sequence similar to The Lost World's trailer-over-cliff, apart from a couple of good reveals, a full-on outpost attack and a strong set-up for the final chapter. Design is glorious - the film looks great and 3D works extremely well in the film's favour. Picking up from the end of the original, it does little to welcome new viewers, and a couple of scenes are surprisingly full-on for a 12A, even in this pre-cut version. Nevertheless, this is a lively and effective sequel that moves forward with real purpose and is never less than entertaining.
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