For book fanatics, there is always an aura of excitement upon the announcement of a highly popular novel being adapted into a movie. For many fans, the announcement of a film adaption to James Dashner’s “The Maze Runner” proved to bring many waves of enthusiasm. After a widely successful release of “The Maze Runner,” fans looked forward to the portrayal of “The Scorch Trials,” the following book in the series. In both movie adaptations, however, fans were greatly disappointed in differing plot lines.
“The Scorch Trials” picks up right where “The Maze Runner” concluded, with the rescue of the remaining Gladers. They are taken to a highly-fortified outpost, where they are assured that they have escaped the atrocities of World in Catastrophe: Killzone Department (WCKD), the group that placed them in the Maze originally. WCKD members were intent on finding a cure for the Flare, a zombie-like disease running rampant across the world after the Earth was struck by a solar flare, thus creating the Scorch.
WCKD had placed countless teenagers into trials, such as the Maze, throughout the Scorch. Supposedly, these teenagers were immune to the Flare. In these trials, WCKD hoped to discover a cure for the disease. Upon the Gladers’ arrival at the outpost, they are introduced to the other trial participants. At the end of each night, a handful of members are selected and taken to a supposed safe haven.
Thomas, the ring leader of the Gladers, finds reason to distrust their supposed saviors and befriends the outpost’s oldest member, Aris.
Together, they discover a secret room. In it, they find that their fellow teenagers’ brains are being harvested. Thomas and Aris come to the realization that they have not escaped the atrocities of WCKD. Instead, they have walked right back into their grasp.
Thomas rounds up the rest of the Gladers, adding Aris, and they manage to escape the compound. They enter into the Scorch and, immediately, into numerous life or death situations. The Scorch is filled with Cranks, zombie-like creatures with many horrifying attributes. Thomas’ goal is to reach the mountains, where the Right Hand is supposedly fortified, a rumored true safe haven from WCKD.
Unfortunately, the movie portrayal has the exact opposite plot line of the novel. WCKD instead places the Gladers immediately into the Scorch, testing their limits and, hopefully, proving their immunity. The Gladers fight for their survival in hopes of reaching a safe haven. Instead, they fall once more into the hands of WCKD. From there, they fight for their freedom and once again head towards a rumored safe haven.
Both the novel and movie take interesting plot twists and never fail to keep their audiences on the edge of their seats. The special effects, especially on the Scorch and the Cranks, make the movie both terrifying and entertaining. Each scene proves more action-packed than the previous one.
Both are spectacularly written and portrayed, even with their plot differences, never failing to leave audiences wanting more. The third movie in the trilogy, “The Death Cure,” is set to release in 2017.
Nice work, Jenn Ryan!