The Scorch Trials recently hit shelves on DVD/Blu-ray, and if you’re considering investing in the Blu-ray for the special features, we highly recommend it.

Most movies these days are released with special features giving you an in-depth look into the behind-the-scenes moments of a film. Some are better than others, but Scorch Trials’ Blu-ray is chock full of excellent bonus material any dedicated fan will be proud to own.

The audio commentary

All commentary tracks are not created equally. When you listen to a film’s commentary, you expect to learn how the movie was made, listen to fun stories from the cast and crew, and notice things you had never noticed before. Sometimes a commentary track feels more like a master class in film editing. Not that some people won’t find that interesting, but it goes over the average fan’s head.

The commentary track on The Scorch Trials features Director Wes Ball, Screenwriter T.S. Nowlin, Producer Joe Hartwick Jr., and Film Editor Dan Zimmerman. Their enthusiasm of and appreciation for the source material and its adaptation is contagious. Oftentimes the four of them will talk over each other to share their favorite moments, but rather than being distracting, it gives you an idea of how invested they are the Maze Runner series.

And, of course, the commentary is full of fascinating information about how they made the movie, why they chose to film a scene a certain way, and how they got around difficult conditions. Some absolutely gut-busting moments include: CGI pee, Poopy Bear, and getting the cast to agree to hang upside down for two day. Not to mention Ball’s constant teases of what certain moments mean in terms of the overall story and how it ties into the third movie. What a tease!

Deleted and extended scenes

Deleted scenes are often cut to save time and for pacing. Though a good line or a great shot can often hit the cutting room floor, they may also live again in the special features on the DVD/Blu-ray. In the case of Scorch Trials, while it makes sense why each of the scenes were cut, the commentary track from Director Wes Ball tells us why it had to go, but also why he was sad to see it leave.

A few scenes in particular that never made the movie are fun to watch, as they either call back to a moment in The Maze Runner or further build upon the complicated and deep relationships these characters have with each other.

Featurettes

Look no further than the Gag Reel if you like you bonus features to be heart-warming and hilarious. Packed with bloopers, it featured a good array of the cast being hilarious and terrible at remembering their lines. A surprise comedic star is Dexter Darden (Frypan), but O’Brien is, of course, always a delight.

If you want to get into the real heart and artistry of the film, the “Secrets of the Scorch” featurette is a six-part documentary about the making of the movie. Wes Ball and Wyck Godfrey make numerous appearances to talk about how it all came together, with cameos and interviews from the cast, crew, and author James Dashner (whom we spoke to about Scorch Trials earlier in December). A featurette like this is what fans live for, as it shows off great behind-the-scenes moments as well as explains how everyone involved in the movie overcame numerous obstacles to bring us such a great film.

Some of the visual effects features also come with a commentary track, which is always highly recommended, especially when Ball is narrating. The thought that he and writer T.S. Nowlin have put into adapting this movie is astounding. If you weren’t aware of how carefully the creators behind the Scorch Trials film treat the source material, you will have a new appreciation after listening to what they have to say during the bonus features.

Will you be picking up ‘The Scorch Trials’ on DVD/Blu-ray?