Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials

I’m pretty sure 99.999% of this movie never happened in the books and I’m oddly ok with that.

To recap, this film, a sequel to the original Maze Runner, picks up directly after Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) and his fellow Gladers escape from the giant maze-prison they have been confined to by the shady organization known as WCKD (World Catastrophe Killzone Division). Once out, the Gladers find that the maze was the first of many problems to come. Outside of the maze walls is a vast desert wasteland known as the “Scorch” and now the last remaining survivors of WCKD’s experiment must find their way across the sand swept earth to find and join a group of rebels called “The Right Hand” that will hopefully lead them to defeat WCKD and bring them to the “safe haven” they have heard so much about.

Lots of running ensues.

To be honest, it’s difficult to describe the plot of this film without accidentally letting details from the books seep in. These film adaptations seem to not give a crap about what actually went down in the original story, in fact, they seem more preoccupied with immersing us in the world of the books rather than doing any justice to its original story or characters. While I’m not one to scream bloody murder like many others when film adaptations change aspects of the original material and take big liberties with the final product, there are a few things that didn’t work in the film.

Taking a more “alternate reality” approach to the material, The Scorch Trials continues to diverge from the books and blaze their own path, many plot points never being brought up and many characters not getting their moments or, if they do, in vastly different ways. Again, while this isn’t a bad thing since both Maze Runner films do a good job of being good movies, I can’t just ignore the fact that these are movies based on books and in that regard, boy are they far off.

One of the biggest changes outside of the entire opening of the film is that the Scorch isn’t as dangerous to the Gladers as it is in the books. There is next to no danger being exposed to the sun unlike in the books and the entire reason for the Gladers journey is set up completely differently with practically everything in between changed to fit the movie’s needs. Outside of one action sequence involving lots of lighting and, you guessed it, lots of running, there are a few other glaring differences but for the purposes of this review, consider me done with the thought.

Anyway, other than that stuff, the movie is quite solid all the way through. While light on any real meaty story or gripping mystery like the first film, The Scorch Trials does a good job of opening up the world outside of the maze and gives our protagonist a bunch of obstacles to overcome before they reach the end of the film as well as the inevitable set up for the last film.

The director, Wes Ball, helmer of both the original film and the yet to be released concluding chapter, does a great job of breaking the film away from the mold of other Young Adult novel adaptation such as The Hunger Games and Divergent series with a decidedly grittier and more intense tone that carries over fairly well from the first film. One thing I appreciate the most about this series is that it always feels right when it comes down to it, regardless of the changes made to the story, and that allows more leniency when it comes to how different it is from the book.

Most of the actors from the first film return, all respectably pulling their fair share of the weight with newcomers Giancarlo Esposito and Rosa Salazar doing solid work as well. The villains on the other hand, fair a little worse. They don’t add much to the table but don’t necessarily take anything away from it so no take their expanded roles as you will. I wonder if they weren’t as intriguing simply because of the different roles they play in the movies compared to the books but again, I digress.

When you really look at it, The Scorch Trials is a successful film that sets itself apart from the rest of the Young Adult adaptations and while not doing any favors for fans of the book, delivers a perfectly acceptable tale that is a fun watch if nothing else.

Keep running you crazy Gladers you.