One of the biggest YA adaptations of the year came out this month --- The Scorch Trials, based on the second book in James Dashner's The Maze Runner trilogy. Teen Board member Brynn S. got a chance to see the movie, and writes a review, below!
Now, I read the Maze Runner trilogy a little more than two years ago, so you could imagine my memory of THE SCORCH TRIALS could be slightly fuzzy. Going into the movie, I remembered large plot points and random, miscellaneous details, but I couldn't recall all of the plot points right away. Still, though, I could tell that this wasn't the most accurate adaptation of the material, and, like any reader who loves a book, was a little bit disappointed in that. But, even though I was bummed that I didn't see a Crank chase after characters and yell about someone taking his nose or Winston get attacked by liquefied metal, I still thoroughly enjoyed the film.
If you haven’t read the MAZE RUNNER or the THE SCORCH TRIALS, here is what you are missing out on. The main character, Thomas, wakes up on a platform going straight up without stopping. He finds himself stuck inside a huge maze with dozens of other boys who have not found a way out even with years of searching. The arrivals of Thomas and the only girl, Teresa, cause things to start changing in the maze and, eventually, they find a way out. The kids get rescued by a mysterious group and taken to a compound, where we start the story in THE SCORCH TRIALS.
TheScorch Trials movie kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time and there was never a dull moment. The movie kept a very fast pace, keeping the viewer very entertained and engaged. Even though the plot only loosely followed the books, I kind of liked it that way. The movie continued to surprise me and I never knew what was going to come next. It was almost like watching a different story with a bunch of familiar faces. I thought the stunts and action sequences in the movie were very well done, especially during the scene where Thomas and Brenda ran from Cranks and got stuck on a tilted skyscraper.
That brings me to the next topic: the Cranks. I pictured the Cranks a certain way while reading and was excited to see how the movie would bring the zombie-liked creatures to life. As soon as the first one jumped out on screen, I almost jumped out of my chair --- I knew I was not going to be disappointed. The Cranks looked like they came out of “The Walking Dead” and I loved it.
I was also amazed by the CGI and special effects they used in this movie. The crumbling cities and deserts that all of the characters walked through were breathtaking and haunting. I could tell how much hard work went into each set on the film, and the result was very impressive.
However, I wasn’t impressed with the script. Though the story kept me entertained, it felt slightly repetitive. The situation was a little bit different every time, but the basic plot line of “someone is in danger, Thomas must go back into the dangerous situation to help them” was repeated a few times in only two hours.
What saved the poor script were the actors. I could tell each actor really knew his or her character and was amazed by their performances. Newcomers to the franchise Giancarlo Esposito (Jorge) and Rosa Salazar (Brenda) looked and acted their parts perfectly. Esposito nailed Jorge’s wit and Salazar was fantastic playing a kick-butt heroine, which made me even more excited to see them return in the next movie. Another excellent performance was delivered by Dylan O’Brien, who played the lead Thomas. I could write on and on about his acting ability, which takes my breath away each time I see him on screen. There was one scene in the beginning of the movie where Thomas shoots someone and for the quickest second, his eyes go wide and he mumbles a curse. Though it was only a quick moment, it stuck with me. That one second showed that the characters are really just kids who haven't dealt with violence before and shouldn't be, now. I wanted to give O’Brien a round of applause right there for showing that aspect. Sadly, those three performances were the only ones I took notice of. We barely got to see the characters from the last movie we had just begun to love, like Minho and Newt. As the movie came to a close, I felt like I barely got to see them on the screen.
Yes, The Scorch Trials wasn't the most accurate adaptation, but if you sit back and get your mind off the last book, you might find yourself more entertained than you thought you would be. And if accuracy is more of your thing, according to director Wes Ball, the third movie will be more true to the books.
