Review: MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS

MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS
(THRILLER/ACTION-ADVENTURE)
3 out of 4 stars
Directed by Wes Ball
Starring: Dylan O'Brien, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Ki Hong Lee, Kaya Scodelario, Rosa Salazar, Jacob Lofland, Dexter Darden, Alexander Flores, Giancarlo Esposito, Aiden Gillen, Patricia Clarkson, Alan Tudyk, Barry Pepper, Lili Taylor
Rated PG-13 for extended sequences of violence and action, some thematic elements, substance use and language.
131 minutes
Verdict: It's still a hopelessly second-tier YA franchise, but THE SCORCH TRIALS improves on its predecessor with a better cast, a sense of momentum and larger scope, making it an entertaining, if generic, apocalyptic action-thriller.
YOU MAY ENJOY MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS IF YOU LIKED:
THE MAZE RUNNER (2014)
WORLD WAR Z (2013)
DIVERGENT (2014)
I AM LEGEND (2007)
THE HOST (2013)

Cobbling together an assortment of tired cliches from young adult-aimed post-apocalyptic/dystopian/fantasy fiction, the Maze Runner series is not as intelligent as the Hunger Games, nor as inventive as Harry Potter, but by drawing its obvious derivations from more varied sources, newly revitalized characters, and expanding the scope of action, MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS is a substantial improvement on the first film.  It's still a second-tier franchise in the field of YA literature adaptations, but at least in its second installment, it's solidly entertaining.
Based on the series by James Dashner, THE SCORCH TRIALS picks up immediately where THE MAZE RUNNER left off, with a group of young lads (and one lady) called "Gladers" recently escaped from a labyrinthine prison now on the run from an organization none-too-subtly named WCKD ("wicked") in a world devastated by a solar flare.  Catching wind of an army of resistance fighters against WCKD, the Gladers, led by Thomas (Dylan O'Brien), resolve to join them, but to find them they must cross a perilous desert called the Scorch, where the ruins of a city are inhabited by "Cranks", or as most movies call them: zombies.
THE SCORCH TRIALS is practically a horror movie, cribbing as many tropes from post-apocalyptic zombie movies as it does from the usual science-fiction/fantasy YA material.  People are bitten, there are questions of how to deal with someone in the group transforming into a zombie, and all of that is played out as it has been done in previous, better movies.  However, Wes Ball's direction has improved and possesses a strong sense of forward momentum and gripping visuals, and his cast is better rounded out with veteran character actors like Giancarlo Esposito and Alan Tudyk, who add a greater sense of gravitas and humor.  Even O'Brien, who was dreadfully wooden and uninteresting in the first film, has upped his game to be a good, if unremarkable, leading man.
The action is more exciting, and well complimented by the sets and scenery, and even if the motivations and nature of the central conflict is muddled to say the least, there is a sense of moral complexity.  THE MAZE RUNNER was supposed to be a cut above the usual YA adaptations but was just another rehash of the same thing we've seen many times before but with an undue self-seriousness.  THE SCORCH TRIALS, on the other hand, earns a ringing endorsement of "not so bad".  I may not give a damn about what will happen next (MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE is currently scheduled for a 17 February 2017 release with Ball returning to complete the trilogy), but hey, it was a fun ride while it lasted.

Images via 20th Century Fox