‘Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials’ – Starring Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Ki Hong-Lee
4 out of 10

By Henry Nallen ’18
THE ROUNDUP

In 2014,  the blockbuster movie adaptation of the popular adventure novel “The Maze Runner” hit the big screen.

Now, a full year later, 20th Century Fox released the sequel to the hit franchise.

“The Scorch Trials” picks up immediately where “The Maze Runner” left off. A group of intelligent teenagers have escaped a maze and are on a hunt to find the people behind the challenging task.

However, the sequel took a very different path than the first film.

While the first stated the clear goal and intent of the characters, the second was very unclear and constantly changing.

The team did not feel at all as united as they previously were.

Although the cast was strong, some appeared to be stronger than others. The protagonist of the series, Thomas, played by O’Brien, seemed too fond of being the leader. I personally tend to find main characters who play more unassuming roles much more relatable.

This was not the case with Thomas. He was well aware of his role as the hero, and he did not shy away from stressing that.

Because of this, other key characters, such as Teresa, played by Scodelario, and Newt, played by Brodie-Sangster, did not receive as much focus or screen time.

Another frustrating element of the story was the questionable motives of the characters. They were very fond of victimizing themselves and running away from a villain that didn’t seem that evil.

They believed the people that were trying to save them and their race were evil, but there was not nearly enough evidence to prove that to the audience.
Overall, I think that the movie could have been a lot better and I give it a 4 out of 10.