The Scorch Trials is an early fall hit.
In the era of Hunger Games and Divergent, The Maze Runner trilogy, based on books written by James Dashner, seems to just be a simple addition to an already full category of movies. However, after watching the second installment of The Maze Runner, titled The Scorch Trials, which came out Friday, it is clear that the story of Thomas and his quest against his dystopian society is one that stands out.
The first movie, The Maze Runner, came out in September of last year, and featured an introduction to the main character and his journey to come. Thomas, played by Dylan O’Brien, emerges in a large field surrounded by a giant, complex, system of walls that form a maze. His memory is wiped out, and when he is greeted by a community of boys who were all previously dumped in the field with the same conditions, he soon learns that they are all trapped there with virtually no way out.
However, Thomas is fiercely determined to escape, and with the help of fellow runner Minho (Ki Hong Lee), they begin exploring the maze for clues. After tons of action and suspense that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat, Thomas and his group of friends eventually escape the maze, and learn that a corrupt organization called WCKD was the force behind their entrapment. It seems as if they’ve escaped the maze and WCKD has been taken down, but they soon realize that their journey has just begun.
The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials picks up where the last movie left off. Thomas and his friends are out of the maze and have been taken in by an organization that promises their safety. They are taken to a large and secure home base where they meet other teenagers who were rescued from other mazes all over the country. Although everything seems safe and normal, Thomas can’t help but feel uneasy about this new organization that has taken them all under their wing. Are they really there to help them, and if not, who out there is?
The Scorch Trials brings the same amount of action as its predecessor, but with added character and story development. But what really makes this series stand out is the emphasis on urgency with a good amount of scare factor. The audience really starts to root for these teenagers who are not just fighting the same fight, but have become good friends who truly care for and protect each other. It is never really clear if a happy ending is approaching, or will ever even come, as the main characters are thrown into one attack after the other. Unlike other dystopian style movies who focus a lot on the political and structural aspect of the journey, The Maze Runner trilogy focuses more on its characters and their development.
To catch the early fall blockbuster, The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials, check out your local theater, Bellevue Cinema 4 located at 260 Bellevue Avenue in Montclair. They are showing the movie all throughout the week, so you’ll easily be able to fit a time into your schedule. If you’re willing to go out of town, but still not too far, you can head to Fandago.com where you can find theaters within a close radius of Montclair along with all their showing times. Theaters such as AMC Dine-In at 459 Prospect Ave., West Orange, and AMC Clifton Commons at 405 Route 3 East, Clifton, have it showing efficiently at a wide range of times.
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