The Scorch Trials reveals desolate wasteland, new dangers

They may be out of the maze, but they’re definitely not out of danger.

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, the second film in the Maze Runner series, reunites us with Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) and the Gladers, who have been brought to a safe facility after escaping the maze. But Thomas isn’t too convinced they are safe. Eventually the Gladers escape the compound and search for a safe haven away from WICKED, the behind the scenes corporation that is secretly pulling all the puppet strings.

The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, directed by Wes Ball, and adapted from James Dashner’s novel by the same name, Scorch Trials is the second installment in the Maze Runner series.

Directed by Wes Ball, this apocalyptic dystopia became the No. 1 movie at the box office with $30.3 million in its opening weekend. But if you’re looking for a page by page adaptation from James Dashner’s best-selling novel, you might be disappointed. The content in the book and the content in the movie are two completely separate things. If you want to read the book, go for it. If want to compare the two, don’t even try. That being said, it wasn’t a bad movie at all. I did read the book, but I didn’t love it. I saw the movie, I loved it so much that I was still thinking about it when I woke up the following morning.

The special effects and graphics were even better in this second installment of the series. The devastated buildings and ruined cities were striking vistas of the world destroyed by the sun’s solar flares. The desolate wasteland is a sharp contrast to the trees and comfort inside the maze. The film also brought to life the infected people, called Cranks, with a zombie touch to the special effects and makeup. Ball played with balancing the feels and terror, like jump scares, naturally. Going through that experience made me connect to the story a lot more. There was some comedic moments in film that lighted the mood slightly. It was good to laugh in the middle of the tension.

I didn’t agree with the some of the character story lines and the influence on the plot. In a scorched waste land, you would think that the sun will have a severe impact on skin. Right? Well, apparently that never bothered the cast of characters that where trudging up and down sand dunes, but that bothered me. As an audience member, it seemed illogical for that slight aspect.

My favorite scene, was when Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) and Brenda (Rosa Salazar) are running for their lives as Cranks chase them out of the sewers and up a demolished office building on its side. The scene held your attention from deigning far out to the end. The stunts were well-choreographed and real. The set, itself, was a masterpiece to see on screen.

In all honesty, I could talk about this movie for hours at a time. Unfortunately, that will lead to spoilers. So I leave you with this: See the movie and remember, WICKED is good. –Nalani Nuylan

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars