The transformation from young adult fiction novel to cinema has been a challenging one as of late. With a market flood of post-apocalyptic trudging teenagers battling the end of times, it’s hard to distinguish which storyline definitively sticks out as the best. A lot of people have jumped on The Hunger Games train, doting that Katniss Everdeen is the end all be all in badass heroines. Others praise Divergent for the sectors of skill groups that almost every human can be cast into. Let it be known to all, that after watching the second installment in this series, The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials, Thomas and his friends should NOT be overlooked in a convoluted strain of similar plots.
Yes, it is true, the basic premise has been done before. There is a virus that infects the earth and turns most of its inhabitants into zombie-like swarms that turn people. What makes this series stick out is the journey that you, the viewer, go through between the films. In the Maze Runner we were thrown directly into the action when Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) wakes up in a Glade full of young men with literally no memory. With an extreme Lord of the Flies feel, we go through the entire film piecing together that Thomas and his friendsare placed in a man-made labyrinth to be tested by a scientific organization called WCKD (pronounced wicked). This organization is run by a scientist, Ava Paige (Patricia Clarkson). After a couple of casualties and a lot of character development, our heroes escape the maze, discover why they’re there and are taken to the next chapter of the story.
In a crazy compound in the middle of the desert, we begin the Scorched Trials. One of the first things that we encounter are zombie-like creatures that look like they have literally ran right off the set of World War Z. I know what you’re thinking — zombies, again? Really? For this film, it actually works. It’s not thrown in your face as the Z virus, but more so as a genetic mutation caused by molecular sun blasts. The disease is called “The Flare” and the only way to ensure humanity's safety is to harvest the cure from a group of “immunes” found in the younger generation. Hence why everyone was in the maze to begin with. That’s where WCKD comes in.
Once safely inside the compound the plot falls like a very intricate room of dominos, and we discover that our heroes are not safe at all, as this compound is actually owned by WCKD. Thomas discovers WCKD's plan, and in a high-risk escape, the rest of the film follows the group as they brave the desert storms in search of safety and purpose. They meet up with some new companions along the way including, Brenda (Rosa Salazar), who becomes a pseudo love interest. Without going in to a high-speed drop of spoilers, things get pretty sticky as the heroes try to meet up with a resistance group. There’s some serious betrayal, bloodshed, and bombs. In a high tension, beautifully crafted plot, the film ends on a cliff hanger that makes you eager to see the next film.
I found myself looking at the runes of forgotten and destroyed cities, attempting to make out where they were, and I couldn’t. They created a whole new, untainted landscape for your mind to soak in. There’s a whole bunch of new additions of old-time favorite actors. Alan Tudyk makes an appearance as a drug-slinging, end-of-the-world club owner. Even Petyr Baelish, a.k.a Janson (Aidan Gillen) makes a major appearance. This man is slated for sinister roles for the rest of his acting career. Even Breaking Bad makes an appearance as Giancarlo Esposito makes his YA debut as marauder Jorge.
For comparison puproses, let’s count the reasons why this film is different from every YA movie out right now.
- This film series braves countless elements in a post-apocalyptic setting. Because of this reason, these films work perfectly as stand-alone movies.
- The amount of mystery surrounding what is happening in the plot leaves the viewers in the dark. However, it’s not in the obnoxious way in which we feel like ideas are being shoved down our throats so that we are forced to a blind climax.
- Comradery is the best quality. No man left behind is a beautiful theme that has me hoping that everyone comes out on top at the end.
- This film was absolutely beautiful. Director Wes Ball and T.S Nowlin, who adapted James Dashner’s book series took great precautions with their attention to detail, and it paid off.
- Every action scene was not implemented for the sake of fire and bombs in your face. Yes, there are a lot of things being blown up, and there’s even a Jurassic Park: Lost World window breaking over an edge scene. However, every minute was tastefully placed and important to the character growth and plot.
- This film surpasses genre definition. It can be described as horror, or adventure, or a thriller. There’s some flare of romance, and definitely sci-fi. I literally can’t decide which genre I want to stick this in, hell, I don’t have to put it in one, and that makes it awesome.
The Death Cure, the next film in the series, is expected to come out in 2017. If you have some free time and want a page-turner, this book series is a great one and you should pick it up so you can see how the film has brought the pages to life. Maze Runner: Scorch Trials leads the pack of young adult novels turned film.
