Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials Review
Title: Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
Year: 2015
Genre: Science fiction, Adventure
Runtime: 130 minutes
Score: 3/5
Action packed and adrenaline filled, "Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials" succeeds in entertaining its audience, but fails in delivering a clear plot line and good character development.
The Maze
Runner saga, another one in the YA dystopian novel adaptation crowd, presents its
second installment. Directed by Wes Ball, and starring a cast of T.V. emerged
young actors: Dylan O’Brien (Teen Wolf), Kaya Scodelario (Skins) and Thomas Brodie-Sangster
(Game of Thrones); this sequel is longer and more dynamic than its predecessor,
but the story doesn’t seem to be leading anywhere.
“The Scorch
Trials” takes place right after the ending of “The Maze Runner” (2014), with
the “gladers” being (apparently) rescued from the maze and the claws of the
evil corporation WCKD. They are taken by this new organization led by A.D.
Janson (Aidan Gillen), to a compound in the middle of the desert, where they
can be safe and get some answers.
But peace
fades away quickly when Thomas, the hero, finds out that they never actually
escaped from WCKD and decides to plan a second break out. What he doesn’t know
is that reality in the Scorch is much more dangerous and uncertain than any
WCKD lab facility. The solar flares and the virus called “the flare” have
decimated the human population. Specially the last one which, as it progresses,
transforms human beings into “cranks”, creatures that resemble a lot to
zombies, but for some reason here are called “cranks”.
The new
casting additions work really well, especially Rosa Salazar and Giancarlo
Esposito, in the roles of Brenda and Jorge, respectively. These two characters
star in some of the best moments of the film, leaving the original protagonists
in a second plane a couple of times. Aidan Gillen excels as Janson, the new bad
guy of the story, although his character falls into the stereotyped category of
the one-dimensional villain.
The strong
points of the film are the action and chasing sequences, and the soundtrack
works perfectly to intensify these scenes. But at some point, the story (just
like the characters) gets lost and it is difficult to figure out what’s the
overall journey that’s being drawn. Is this a survival story? Is it rebellion?
Is it revenge? Is it the recovery of human race after a catastrophe? Or is it
all of the above mixed up into a diffuse and intricate whole?
And in the
middle of all these sequences are the characters, from whom we still don’t know
much about, with one or two exceptions. The movie asks the audience to care
about the destiny of these kids, but fails in doing so due to the poor
character development it offers.
It’s fair
to say that these problems are inherited from the source material: a literary
saga with an implausible and rather pointless conclusion, a story with too many
plot holes. The Scorch Trials is not a faithful adaptation of the novel, but
its intricate premise is still present and it won’t satisfy audiences looking
for a smart resolution.
In the end,
“Maze Runner: the Scorch Trials” is good entertainment, but lacks a solid plot.
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