《迷宫行者：焦土试炼》

    Wes Ball’s adaptation of the first book from James Dashner’s “Maze Runner” young adult novels, about a group of teens thrown into a mysterious labyrinth*, could compete for the same audience as the “Hunger Games” and “Divergent” series. The second film, which tells some of the reasons behind the teens’ imprisonment*, is not as good.

    The end of last year’s “The Maze Runner” explained that the teenagers known as “Gladers” were imprisoned in the maze by the World Catastrophe Killzone Department (WCKD), a quasi-governmental security-scientific agency tasked with getting rid of a viral plague* that has killed off much of the world’s population and turned many survivors into homicidal, zombie-like “Cranks.” Fighting against WCKD and its oppressive* policies becomes the teens’ top task in “The Scorch Trials.”

    Now free of their maze after suffering several casualties*, the Gladers face the widespread breakdown of social order following a series of solar* events that have overheated the earth’s surface and destroyed ecosystems.

    After soldiers evacuate* them to an underground camp, the teens discover that their group was only one of several sent to the maze trials. Janson (Aidan Gillen), who appears to run the operation, separates the Gladers for medical exams and questioning, interrogating* Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) and sending Teresa (Kaya Scodelario) away to an unknown place.

    Befriending Aris (Jacob Lofland), an escapee from a different maze, Thomas discovers that the camp is a cover for WCKD and that Janson is working for WCKD’s director of operations, Dr. Ava Paige (Patricia Clarkson), doing medical experiments on the maze survivors.

    Saving Teresa, the Gladers break out of the underground camp, arriving at Scorch, a pitiless desert.

    Thomas plans to lead the group across the desert and into a faraway mountain range, where they hope to contact rebel group the Right Arm Camp. Along the way, they’re caught by gang leader Jorge (Giancarlo Esposito) and his protégé Brenda (Rosa Salazar). Jorge plans to sell them back to Janson, but quickly changes his idea, when WCKD attacks his camp, leading him to flee with Brenda, Thomas and the Gladers in search of sanctuary* with the Right Arm.(SD-Agencies)