The Maze Runner opened in theaters last fall, making over $340 million worldwide against its budget of only $34 million. Knowing a good profit margin when it sees one, the studio immediately pushed production forward on the entire series. Wham, bam, thank you ma’am… here’s the trailer for the sequel, The Scorch Trials.
I know, I know … there are teenagers and the fate of the whole world is in the balance. We’ve seen this before. The film is one of a billion book to movie adaptations looking to draw the YA dystopian obsessed reader into the movie theaters, but let me tell you why this franchise is so different.
1. Arguably the best lead casting since J.Law picked up a bow and arrow.
Let’s talk Dylan O’Brien. Dylan’s claim to fame is MTV’s Teen Wolf, a show based on the 1980’s movie of the same name starring Michael J. Fox. Think Buffy the Vampire Slayer not Twilight. Dylan plays the best friend/sidekick Stiles Stilinski. The actor shined during season 3, when Stiles was possessed by a “darkness in his brain.” The role dramatically expanded Stiles’s character arc and Dylan’s fan base.
But acting talent is just the tip of the iceberg for this up and coming star, because he seems like a genuinely nice human being. In his interviews he sounds down to earth and he loves interacting with fans.
No offense to some of the other young stars of Hollywood, but this attitude is refreshing. He’s just so darn adorable! Need more proof? Check out his Youtube channel he made before he was a star. I mean, come on, he still has his prom invite up for all the world to see.
But this post is going off the rails, so let’s steer everything back towards The Maze Runner. The movies are based on a series of books by the same name, written by James Dashner. Strangely enough, I read the entire series just weeks before the first movie was announced. Thomas, the protagonist, became my second favorite YA character ever written … right behind Will Herondale. When I heard about the casting, I was skeptical. Dylan didn’t bring to mind that “tall, dark, brooding” YA cliche male protagonist. He’s too funny, and as I’ve mentioned, too cute. Then they released this picture…
And he was perfect. The first time I saw it I immediately gasped, “Oh em gee, it’s Thomas.” Not only did he look the part, but his acting was on point. The movie could have gone the way of a thousand YA franchises before it, i.e. horribly, but Dylan’s subtle expressions and dedication to doing his own stunts pulled everything together. In several interviews, the entire cast credited him with keeping the mood upbeat and pushing everyone to their limits on set.
BTW, all of the cast is equally brilliant. Full of fresh faces and “wasn’t he/she that kid in” actors, the ensemble meshed together perfectly.
2. There’s not much of a love story.
Now I know for some of you this will be a downside to the Maze Runner franchise. For you folks, I will admit there is a tiny “thing” between Thomas and a girl… or two. For the rest of us, I’ll say it’s not a major subplot. Can I just get an amen? I love love stories, I really do, but when the fate of the world rests on the shoulders of two adolescents and they still have time for a make out sesh scored by Demi Lovato … ugh.
3. It’s Hunger Games dark, but the lead character doesn’t lose their shit.
This is my main complaint against YA dystopian novels. Why does the “strongest” character in the series always wind up totally freaking out? What did Katniss think was going to happen? Pull it together, woman! You’re badass! The same could be argued about Four in the Divergent series. He starts out a total karate kicking hottie and by the third book he goes cryin’ home to momma? Anyway…
Spoiler Alert: Thomas does not lose his cool. In fact, he only gets stronger and more determined.
4. The world building is not repetitive.
In the first movie, the characters were stuck in a maze. It was a Lord of the Flies meets ABC’s Lost style mystery. This time around our characters are on the loose and tossed into a desert populated by zombies. That’s right, zombies. I’ll let Dylan O’Brien explain…
Don’t you think Dylan O’Brien is the absolute cutest? Is the world ready for teenagers versus zombies? Shout out in the comments!
The Scorch Trials hits theaters September 18th. Stay tuned for lots of That’s Normal updates!
