The trials are over and the second Maze Runner film has squeaked on by.

“Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials,” directed by Wes Ball, starring Dylan O’Brien and Kaya Scoderlario, cements its place as a middle-of-the-road teen dystopian series.

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There have been three successful teen dystopian series adaptations: The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner and The Divergent series. This is also the critical order of the franchises.

No matter what happens, The Maze Runner films seem to be stuck right in the middle. They are neither great nor bad.

This series has always been fantastic at unique, exciting and multi-layered world design. 

Part of the world is cold and militaristic, while the other is scorching and desolate. Both help the overall tone of hopelessness, and make the film more original.

Ball brings brillant design and action to “Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials. The movie that begins with high octane action and thrills, never burns itself out. 

The action keeps you feeling for the characters. Everybody in this film is bland and milquetoast, yet the adventure helps you connect with them. Whether it is running away from zombie creatures, militarized agents or ruthless gangs, “Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials” grabs you at every turn.

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This movie fails with its characters.  Specifically, Thomas, the main character, is one of the worst protagonists of these teen adaptations.

It is not O’Brien’s fault, but rather the weak script. Thomas does not do anything when the action happens and he seems to be indifferent about it. To say he stands and watches with a stupid look on his face is an understatement.

Even at the end, when the character has a chance to defend his way of thinking, and create a plan to save his friends, Thomas lets the villains walk over him and barely accomplishes a single action.

Stars: 3 out of 5

Jacob Pierce can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @JacobPierce1_DE.