Maze Runner Double Feature

Last night I spent most of the evening in a darkened theater watching a double feature with a very rowdy crowd and I had so much fun!  It began with the re-release of The Maze Runner which I enjoyed even more than the first time I saw it.  Then came a screening of the sequel, The Scorch Trials.  This book is my least favorite in the trilogy (does the prequel count?).  In fact, I stopped reading it in the middle because I had a difficult time imagining what was going on.  So, once again, rather unusually, I liked the movie much more than the book because it is visually stunning!  The Scorch Trials begins exactly where The Maze Runner ends (so it was advantageous to see both movies back to back) with Thomas (Dylan O'Brien) and the other Gladers being rescued by a paramilitary group led by Janson (Aidan Gillen) and taken to a subterranean bunker.  They learn that the earth has been scorched by the sun and a plague, known as the "Flare," is decimating the population.  Thomas and the others are immune to the plague which is why W.C.K.D. put them into the maze in order to study them.  Janson promises them that he will keep them safe from W.C.K.D. but Thomas grows suspicious and eventually helps the group to escape when he learns that Janson really works for them.  While on the run they must brave a hostile environment, such as dust storms and lightning storms, as well as "Cranks," those suffering from the "Flare," and rival gangs out to turn a profit as they look for a resistance group called the Right Arm hiding in the mountains.  Not a lot of plot advancement happens in this movie but it sure is entertaining to watch the characters run from one disaster to another.  As I mentioned, the special effects are amazing, especially during a chase scene with "Cranks" (who look a lot like zombies) through a toppled skyscraper!  Once again O'Brien gives a great performance as Thomas but the other characters kind of fade into the background (I was disappointed not to see more of Minho), other than Brenda (Rosa Salazar), who has some fantastic action sequences.  It has been quite a while since I read the book (and I struggled to finish it), but it seems like there are a lot of differences between it and the screenplay (the Right Arm?)  Purists might disagree but I think the changes are all for the better because I really did enjoy this adaptation more than I thought I would, definitely more than the book.  I would recommend this movie with the following provisos:  it might be better if you haven't read the book and it might be helpful if you watch The Maze Runner again before you see it.