Since the credits began to roll at the end of The Maze Runner, fans of the movie have been anxiously waiting for the newest installment. Their long wait finally came to an end on Friday, Sept. 18, when the sequel Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials released.
Set for success, the movie lived up to box office expectations, but not exactly the way fans expected. There were changes to the plot, but when viewed its own, independent movie, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials is a great movie.
After the first movie, which was mostly true to the book, fans of James Dashner‘s trilogy were expecting Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials to continue sticking to the plot. Where the filmmakers did keep the same basic characters, like Thomas, Newt, Minho, Teresa, Frypan and Winston, they also added appropriate new characters from the book’s sequel, such as Brenda, Jorge and Aris.
Nonetheless, the filmmakers totally strayed from the plot. Key elements are either thrown out completely or altered almost beyond recognition. There are too many dissimilarities to be addressed in a single review, but one in particular is Teresa’s initial disappearance and Thomas’s recapture at the end of the book.
Though filmmakers seem to have created their own story from Dashner’s initial idea of the futuristic dystopia, their decision can be considered a calculated risk that pays off. The movie was incredible. There were not many well-known actors in it, but the new faces did an excellent job of keeping one’s attention throughout the movie and making the cast’s chemistry believable. Emotions varying from sympathy to hatred were coming from every which way in the audience as the movie played out. The characters’ constant fear and determination to find hope in the ruins of civilization is clearly displayed through the actors and actresses. Filled with danger at every turn, this version of the Gladers’ story might even be better than Dashner’s version.
These well-portrayed characters, action-packed scenes and a clear plot with twists and turns, make Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials definitely worth spending those precious $10 of allowance money finally earned at the end of the month.
The Hilights
Release Date: 09/18/2015
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars