Transported to a remote fortified outpost, Thomas and his fellow teenage Gladers find themselves in trouble after uncovering a diabolical plot from the mysterious and powerful organization WCKD. With help from a new ally, the Gladers stage a daring escape into the Scorch, a desolate landscape filled with dangerous obstacles and crawling with the virus-infected Cranks. The Gladers only hope may be to find the Right Hand, a group of resistance fighters who can help them battle WCKD.
Max Nicholson's, at IGN, review compares the first movie and sequal, then gives his opinion on what happens in The Scorch Trials. "I was pretty lukewarm on The Maze Runner when I first watched it. While the movie, helmed by first-time director Wes Ball, had gorgeous visuals and some strong performances, it didn't really "grab" me like it did others. The world of Maze Runner contained big ideas, but they felt restrained in the little box from whence they came. And I mean that literally, since most of the film took place in a labyrinthian prison called the "Glade." However, the new sequel, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, breaks down those barriers and allows the series to explore everything it has to offer -- which as it turns out is quite a bit."
His verdict is, "The story is much lighter this time out, but Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials nevertheless improves upon the first movie. The world is bigger, the stakes are higher and there's a lot more to sink your teeth into. While some of the characters don't really click -- most notably the bad guys -- the visual scope and exploration give the sequel some much-needed breathing room. It's still easy to draw comparisons to other young adult fiction like The Hunger Games and Divergent, but unlike the first Maze Runner, this second installment stands apart."