Movie Review: "The Scorch Trials"

The Scorch Trials (2015)

PG-13

2 Stars out of 5

Director                                                Wes Ball
Writer                                                   T.S. Nowlin (screenplay); James Dashner (novel)

Dylan O’Brien                                      Thomas
Kaya Scodelario                                   Teresa
Thomas Brodie-Sangster                   Newt                                    
Jacob Lofland                                       Aris
Patrica Clarkson                                   Dr. Ava Paige
Aiden Gillen                                          Janson
Giancarlo Esposito                              Jorge
Rosa Salazar                                         Brenda

 

“The Scorch Trials” is the second cinematic version of the three part book series “Maze Runner” by James Dashner. In part 1, we met Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) a young man apparently suffering from some serious memory issues. The opening of “Maze Runner” (2014) is visually clever. Thomas is shown rising in some sort of freight elevator. He is confused and disoriented. When he reaches the upper floor of the elevator’s run, he finds he is in the middle of a large expanse of grass. Unfortunately once at the surface the cleverness stops. Thomas meets a group of young males living their version of “The Lord of Flies”. They are led by Newt in an area they refer to as the Glade. This is a “safe” area within a valley that is surrounded by high rock walls. The walls are un-climbable, but there is a way out. Thomas is shown this way and is warned he cannot risk it as he is too new to the Glade and too inexperienced to life in this strange world. Thomas ignores the prohibition (are you surprised?) and goes through the passage-way in the rock walls, he finds a maze; a maze filled with lethal dangers. Thomas will eventually lead a team of fellow courageous teens (now including one young woman, Teresa played by Kaya Scodelario, who seems to share some history with Thomas) out of the Glade via the maze into a new world. The other world exists behind the walls of the maze and appears to be a manufacturing space with no clear purpose. In this manufacturing realm, they meet via a video connection, the Maze’s maker, the evil corporation WCKD, led by the very wicked Dr. Ava Paige (Patricia Clarkson). She thinks she has the boys cornered and about to be captured, but no!! They escape. Thus ends part 1.

Where they escape to is part 2 of this poorly told, extremely derivative tale: ”The Scorch Trials”. In part 2, returning director Wes Ball will with writer T.S. Nowlin take our intrepid heroes from one “maze” equivalent to another. Little ground and even less in terms of theme or thought was covered in Part 1. In Part 2, Ball and Nowlin will make up for that deficiency in terms of geography, if not in theme. First up is a frantic helicopter flight from the manufacturing grounds last seen in part 1 to a refuge of sorts. Why the flight was so frantic and who the pilots fear as they ferry the gang is far from clear. In any event, the gang of former Gladers runs into a building housing a large group of similarly aged teens – all apparently fellow escapees from other mazes. Oddly, this refuge is managed by the creepy character Petyr from Game of Thrones (Aiden Gillen). In this movie he is known as Janssen, but it seems to be pretty much the same underhanded character that Gillen plays so well in GoT. Thomas smells a rat despite all of his comrades telling him to chill out and enjoy the hot showers and food they now get each day. Thomas’ fears are heightened through his interaction with one of the boys he meets at Janssen’s refuge, Aris (Jacob Lofland). Aris really seems to have issues; nevertheless, Thomas follows him into (where else) the a/c ducts. This allows them to leave their locked dorm room at night while the rest of the Gladers sleep peacefully away. From the ductwork, Aris and Thomas are able to find a room where other escapees are in a trance-like state and are hooked up to various evil-looking tubes. It turns out the Gladers and all the other maze-escapees are immune to the Flare, the disease that has ravaged the Earth. And the evil WCKD Corporation is bleeding the escapees in the room Thomas has found in order to create a serum for those with the disease. Problem is for the escapees, life in a trance hooked up to tubes draining your blood is kind of a bummer.

Now Thomas has had his fears realized. He leads the gang in a new escape; they are on the run, again. This is a pattern repeated several times in “Scorch Trials”: reach a new safe haven; find out it isn’t safe, escape, run to a new “safe” haven, repeat. This time the boys (and Teresa) run through the desert to an abandoned mall. They meet some zombies (called Cranks in this story), actually advanced state victims of the Flare. The Gladers run away from the Cranks only to be captured by a bunch of tough guys. The tough guys hang the Gladers upside down over a pit for no obvious reason that I could discern. The tough guys are led by Jorge (Giancarlo Esposito) and his young ward, Brenda (Rosa Salazar). Kudos are due to the writing team for creating the laconic Jorge and to Esposito for playing him as a weirdly subdued, wild card character. This character is not beholden to WCKD, the zombies, or the official resistance team (the Right Arm) that Thomas is now searching for. Sadly for Jorge, Rosa and the Gladers, (wait for it), the really bad guys, WCKD shows up and the Gladers have to escape again – joining forces with the now contrite Jorge and Rosa. Hmmm… what could happen next? They run away, find The Right Arm, feel safe, and you will never guess it; they have to run away again when WCKD shows up again. Thus ends Part 2.

The endless running and escaping are pointless enough, but they really never seem to get anywhere. Is this some kind of philosophical point or merely bad writing designed to get us solely to Part 3? Perhaps there is deep down a point worth considering in Part 2: there is the implied warning created by the Flare virus; we don’t know where or why the disease came into being, but it safe to assume it is a Frankenstein metaphor to society not to mess with things they really don’t understand. And perhaps there is another theme within the concept of using the young people, the escapees immune to the disease being harvested as if they were cows producing milk for a dairy farmer. There is a kind of warning there to society to take better care of our animals and to certainly not treat other humans as poorly treated livestock. But I fear I may be reading far too much in this simple, poorly written film; maybe the books better illustrate ideas more complicated that running and escaping as the true themes in the Maze stories.

The chief problem with “Scorch Trials” is that it is so derivative of much better Young Adult post-apocalyptic worlds: chief among them parts 1 and 2 of The Hunger Games. There is little reason to watch Scorch Trials other than maybe, just maybe you really like the books and would like to see them illustrated via a film. I fear that even for such fans, they will be disappointed.

Movie Review: "The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 2"

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 (2015)

PG-13

2.5 Stars out of 5

Director                                Francis Lawrence
Writer                                   Peter Craig and Danny Strong (Screenplay); Suzanne Collins (novel)

Jennifer Lawrence              Katniss Everdeen
Josh Hutcherson                 Peeta Mellark
Liam Helmsworth               Gale Hawthorne
Woody Harrelson               Haymitch Abnerathy
Donald Sutherland             President Snow
Philip Seymour Hoffman   Plurtach Heavensbee
Julianne Moore                   President Alma Coin
Elizabeth Banks                   Effie Trinket

 

How does one judge a Young Adult (YA) movie these days? So many of them have decided to go the post-apocalyptic route (e.g. Divergent, Maze Runner), or at least the ones adapted to the big screen, have done so. Should you compare them to earlier versions of the series from which they spring; perhaps to the book that inspired the movie; or perhaps to a comic book movie? One certainly should not use the standards used in evaluating a thoughtful movie from the same year (e.g. “Spotlight”); well maybe then to an action movie from the same year (e.g. “Mad Max: Fury Road”); no that seems unfair, too. Okay, then let’s compare it to the movies from earlier in the Hunger Games Series; e.g. Mockingjay, Part 1 and to the original book trilogy.

Suzanne Collins created in the original series of books a good build up to her climatic confrontation between evil President Snow (Donald Sutherland) and Collins’ heroine, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence). Both the movie and book series depict a post-apocalyptic world where the remnants of the United States haven broken into 13 districts and a Capitol City to comprise Panem. Each district seems to represent certain parts of the old US: southern agrarian, Rocky Mountain mining/military headquarters, etc. One big difference from the US and its states is that the people of the districts are treated like second class citizens relative to the decadent Capitol City residents: they suffer under the lash of the police, get too little to eat, and must send each year to the Hunger Games two adolescent tributes. Having fought her way to success as one of these tributes in the previous two books and three movies, Katniss has acquired the aura of “Hero of the Revolution”; for indeed, the districts are for the most part in rebellion by the end of the series. The clever thing about this series (which has become something of a benchmark for contemporary YA authors) is that it is hard to impossible to tell the difference in the morality (as displayed by their orders to their military forces) of President Snow and the leader of the rebel force, Alma Coin (Julianne Moore).

The first three movies got Katniss into the position of being the de facto leader of the rebellion, even as Coin is the actual leader. Coin will use Katniss in a variety of tasks designed to take advantage of her star power in a series of propaganda movies made to inspire the rebels. However, Katniss soon learns that Coin has other plans for her as well. These plans will ensure that Katniss will not survive the coming final battle with Snow. It won’t surprise the reader or viewer that Katniss does survive, of course. She does it in part by winning over through her courage and integrity some of those set to destroy her. These are good lessons for teenagers, I agree, but a little too idealistic for the real world; or as we shall see, even for Panem. Nevertheless, Katniss reaches Capitol City and witnesses a scene of startling inhumanity. This atrocity was so well described in the books, that it might bring you to tears (as it did me). It is a scene filled with a specific loss to Katniss, a general loss to many of the citizens of Capitol City, and as an example to the viewer of just how amorally cruel some leaders can be as they strive to keep (or gain) power. It is a powerful scene – perhaps the best in the book. It was unfortunately far less effective in the movie.

And that is also unfortunately, the problem with “Mockingjay, Part 2”. Peter Collins and Rodney Strong as the screenplay writers along with director Francis Lawrence have simply failed to show cinematically the conflict of emotions running through Katniss as the truth of her situation slowly begins to dawn upon her; it frankly even fails to convey one tenth the pathos of the scene of mass murder referred to above. There is emotion and feeling throughout the books, and to some extent the first two movies in the Hunger Games series, but it is almost wholly absent in this final installment. This movie is little more than several action scenes in the last half of the movie following a slow, grim build-up in the first half.

“Mockingjay Part 2” even lacks to the extent displayed in the previous three movies the art as shown in the costume design, make-up and set design. Much of this might be excused due to the exigencies of “Part 2’s” story line being primarily one of guerilla-like warfare, but in effect it leaves the movie looking and feeling very drab. There are scenes where Katniss acts out her downtrodden state and her disconsolate mood in the same drab manner; in many ways, her mood seems an unintended metaphor for the theme of the first half of the movie. This series though has had previously a good narrative flow that features action scenes of Katniss overcoming her enemies. “Part 2” does this too in one extended sequence in the sewer system of Capitol City where Katniss and her allies are pursued by exceptionally fast and fierce mutant lizard-dogs (I guess they were dogs once, or maybe lizards). This scene has more going for it than just its effects on the viewer in terms of action. Katniss and her allies are chased so viciously and so relentlessly, they hardly know where to turn to save themselves. There is a sense of paranoia created by the mutants’ determined ferocity that is almost overwhelming to Katniss and company. It is one of the few times in the movie where the characters emotions are laid bare to be felt by the film’s audience.

The movie is filled with first rate actors: Lawrence, Moore, Sutherland as previously noted, but also Phillip Seymour Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee (Games Master); Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket (make-up consultant); Stanley Tucci as Ceasar Flickerman (over the top TV host); and Jeffery Wright as Beetee (electronics genius ally of Katniss). However, with the exception of Snow/Sutherland and Katniss/Lawrence each of these roles are fairly minor in terms of screen time in “Part 2”. Banks and Tucci had their moments in earlier movies and quite frankly brought some needed comedy to the series. The role of Beetee was an intriguing one in the books, but largely under-used in terms of character development in all the movies. Even the marvelous Julianne Moore cannot do much more than look sinister as she prepares to replace President Snow – there is far too little to her character in the movies to properly develop the storyline of her deceitful behavior; even her come-uppance when it comes, flies by so fast that there is little impact, let alone emotional release.

Lawrence as she always does makes her character one that can be believed; she really seems to be living in a world filled with internal conflict: who is the real villain, Snow or Coin, or both; who does she really love, long- time boyfriend/rebel army hero Gale (Liam Helmsworth), or the former bakers’ boy, the now broken Peeta (Josh Hucherson). Again, much of her conflict is better explored in the books as the reader is better able to experience her emotions. In the movie, in the manner in which it is written, her feelings are harder to determine in all the gun-play, running, and noise of the various action set pieces. Lawrence to her credit makes much of her emotions open to the viewer to see, if not feel.

Even better in terms of acting and perhaps it is because his character is so obviously evil and knowing, is Sutherland’s performance as Snow. He has continually played the manipulative liar in the earlier editions of this series; so much so, that Katniss hardly knows what to believe when the movie’s final awful scenes of death and destruction as the Capitol is over-run are fully explained to her by Snow. Katniss will make a decision regarding Snow’s explanation. But it is one of the movie’s few examples of cleverness that at this late point in the story, Katniss is so confused, she no longer is certain that she knows what is true and what is not. Sutherland’s scene where he explains reality to Katniss and the later one as he ruefully laughs at Katniss’ final arrow shot were for me the actual dramatic highlights of the cinematic version of “Mockingjay, Part 2”.

Weirdly or perhaps quite in character for this poor written movie, the film ends on a very different emotional note (as did the book). If the purpose of the series was to reach the dramatic point in the tale where Katniss can hardly tell up from down, or must sadly conclude that in the world she lives in, they are all doomed to have one bad leader after another, then the movie’s and series’ ending scenes with a happy and presumably politically disconnected Katniss is a very odd final lesson to the series’ young readers/viewers. Maybe it is a mistake to look for intelligent writing in Hollywood versions of YA fiction. It is just that the Hunger Games writers and directors managed to set the bar quite bit higher in the first two movies than where “Part 1” and “Part 2” reached.

There is simply too little to praise about P"art 2"; it is in effect a disappointing conclusion to a series that started so well in the first two movies of the Hunger Games series. I am tempted to call attention to the fact that Part 3 in the books was (as is now the routine for a Hollywood all too often only interested in ROI) broken into two movies. Did the screenplay writers have too little to work with in order to make two movies out of one, or did they think that they could jettison character development, tone and theme for action scenes as they sought to entertain their presumed adolescent market? Whatever the root cause for the failure of Part 2, it is there for anyone who wishes to do so, to ponder. I recommend skipping it.

Movie Review: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014)

Three and half Stars out of Five

PG-13

Katniss Everdeen: Jennifer Lawrence

Peeta Mellark: Josh Hutcherson

Gale Hawthorne: Liam Hemsworth

Haymitch Abernathy: Woody Harrelson

President Snow: Donald Sutherland

Plutach Heavensbee: Philip Seymour Hoffman

President Alma Coin: Julianne Moore

Effie Trinket: Elizabeth Banks

Director: Francis Lawrence

Screenplay:  Peter Craig and Danny Strong

Adaptation: Suzanne Collins from the novel Mockingjay

“Mockingjay” was the concluding novel in a trilogy of Young Adult fiction by author Suzanne Collins published in 2010 (the first two novels, “The Hunger Games” and “Catching Fire” were published in 2008 and 2009, respectively). The owners of the movie franchise created from the Hunger Games trilogy have split Mockingjay into two parts in the same manner as “The Hobbit” or “Harry Potter” franchises. While it is easy to criticize the apparent greed that may well have motivated such a decision, I was very pleased with this Part 1 version of the Mockingjay. I have not read the novel and as such my view is based solely on the movie’s merits; and of those, it was a pleasing afternoon’s entertainment.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 picks up right where The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) left off. Our heroine, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) has been plucked from certain death by members of the resistance. She is flown to the supposedly destroyed District 13 where she is met by the leaders of the resistance: President Coin (Julianne Moore), Plutarch (Philip Seymour Hoffman), and her boyfriend, Gale (Liam Hemsworth). The resistance wants to use her as a propaganda tool to encourage the other districts to rise up against the Capitol and its President (Donald Sutherland). Initially repulsed by the falseness of the play acting required of her for this role, Katniss is drawn in after she visits one of the recently attacked districts and sees for herself the devastation wrought by Snow and his army of masked soldiers. To be sure, Katniss has opportunities to display her courage and moral rectitude in the face of her opponents’ violence and the distracting requirements of her propaganda duties. She is as well distraught over the Capitol’s use of her former Hunger Games partner, Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) as the Capitol’s propaganda tool. She worries for his safety and parlays his rescue into a deal with President Coin that bears for her some un-welcomed results.

The story line is generally one not uncommon in Young Adult fiction; that is to say, an adolescent is set against a morally bankrupt enemy and through their pluck and conviction, they win the day. This movie version has taken the opportunity to play with certain motifs from current events: the use of propaganda to recruit volunteers, the fight by guerrillas against a bigger, far more powerful foe, bombing to suppress the opposition, etc. The lighting and color choices used by director Francis Lawrence serve well to set a grim and dark tone to the film. Filming the bombers from ground level helps to emphasize the inequality of the power distribution between the two sets of combatants in this story.  The aftermath of a “fire bombing” paints in too vivid colors the grisly costs of war. These techniques help to push this movie into much darker regions that those usually inhabited by YA fiction; to give the movie a gritty feel of reality. Indeed, director Lawrence tries and to some extent succeeds in making this story fairly realistic in terms of the hellishness of war; while there is a fantasy element to Katniss’ successes, there is a stark reality to the misery and actual costs of war.

The acting by Jennifer Lawrence is per her usual standards set to a high mark. As noted, her character succeeds where most would fail, and this pulls the story out of a more reality-based genre and back into the Young Adult genre it originally inhabited. But on several occasions, the Katniss character is placed in situations (e.g. Peeta's imprisonment and her confused love for him vs. her faltering love for Gale) wherein Lawrence’s ability to emote can settle the story back into a realm to which anyone can relate. Some notable acting is brought forth by the ensemble of Moore as the rebel’s determined and emotionally wounded president, Hutcherson as the tortured Peeta, or even the de-wigged/jumpsuit-wearing Banks as Effie bringing a comic element to the movie. Additionally, how the scenes by Hoffman as Plutach complicated by his far too untimely death in the real world affected the production of this movie (dedicated to his memory) were accomplished is really impressive.

Bottom-line, this movie brings a young adult’s novel to life for adults of all ages. It touches at times too lightly and at other times with some effect on subjects that are of concern and germane to today’s world, and primarily with the deft acting skills of Jennifer Lawrence, it brings to life the emotional scars such a story might well lay on anyone, even a young adult heroine.