"Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials"

3.5/5
PLOT: Thomas and his friends face new danger outside of the maze. PG13.
DISCLAIMER: If you're looking for a loyal adaptation of the book, this is not it.
CAST: Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Rosa Salazar
LENGTH: 2 hours, 11 minutes

You could say "The Maze Runner" franchise was late to the game as "The Hunger Games" and "Divergent" had already started their claim to fame as teen dystopian franchises. It also seems a little out of place is male instead of the strong, female leads we are getting used to seeing as the stars of these stories. Either way, this franchise definitely deserves to have a spot in the world of teen dystopias.

In the first film and book we are introduced to Thomas (Dylan O'Brien) as he wakes up in an elevator that drops him off in a glade surrounded by a maze. There are no females here and the boys have learned how to survive on their own. Eventually Teresa (Kaya Scodelario) shows up and the boys realize it is officially time to leave the maze. They escape and find out the maze has been an experiment, but they are now free from it and WCKD (the scientists who put them there).

"Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials" differs greatly from the book so the things I mention from here on out happen in the film. Thomas and the other gladers must now face the scorch. The scorch is a place surrounded by toppled buildings, heat and sand. They are headed to the mountains to hopefully join the rebel army, The Red Arm. On their way they have to fight the cranks (zombie type people).

I am a book purist. I get upset when the film adaptation is different from the book. Both films in "The Maze Runner" franchise have differed greatly from their source material, but I have been able to enjoy them either way. This film was so different from the book that it's hard to believe this is not an original film. While I still enjoyed it, this film has been suffering critically and I can understand why. The book focuses on Thomas and his journey. The reader knows nothing other than what he knows. The film seemed like it was trying to copy "The Hunger Games" films in which they give the audiences glimpses of what's going on in the capitol while Katniss is fighting elsewhere. We got glimpses into WCKD and their way of thinking, but had it been more loyal to the book I think it would have resonated more with a broader audience. While the first "Maze Runner" film varied from the source material, it was still close enough to it that it kept fans of the book happy.

Jorge (Giancarlo Esposito) and Brenda (Rosa Salazar) are great as are Minho (Ki Hong Lee) and Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster). All four actors did a fine job in bringing the characters to life and I enjoyed any moments they were onscreen. The film did an okay job with the mystery aspect of not knowing who you can and cannot trust. It's obvious who you're supposed to root for while in the book you're not sure. When it comes to Teen Dystopian franchises, "The Hunger Games" is still the best. I found the "Divergent" series to be just okay and because of this I haven't been a fan of the films (apart from the fact that they have their own set of problems). I think "The Maze Runner" series has a chance to go out with a bang. While I understand that when making a film adaptation they have to appeal to those that have not read the series, they have to keep in mind that fans of the book want to see their favorite moments on screen. If you change those moments too much, the fans become angry. I don't know what it is about these films, but I haven't gotten angry. Annoyed yes, but not angry. I know the power of an angry fan. I've been an angry fan and I bash film adaptations to no end and tell people not to watch badly adapted films. Director Wes Ball has directed both films and he has some good ideas and the visuals are stunning, but as we know those are not enough to keep anything afloat.