The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner

Starring Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Will Poulter

Directed by Wes Ball

The Story:
Thomas (Dylan O'Brien) finds himself on an elevator heading up to an unknown destination.  He arrives in the middle of a lush, green valley surrounded by other young men, and he has no clue as to his identity, where he is, or how he got there.  He's instructed by the leader, Alby (Aml Ameen), that they're in a place called the Glade, which is surrounded on all sides by huge walls.  These walls open during the day, and inside there's a labyrinth of mazes from which no one has ever come out of.

Thomas is intrigued, and when he sees a few other boys emerging from the maze, he learns that some of them have been designated as Maze Runners - sent to go into the maze during the day to map it out, even though at night it changes.  His constant inquiry draws the ire of Gally (Will Poulter), who wishes for everything to remain the same as it has been.  One day, Thomas runs into the maze as it closes and finds a mystery inside the maze, while also learning that there could be a way out.  However, his investigation draws consequence, as then Teresa (Kaya Scodelario) - the only female - is brought into the Glade the way Thomas was.  Then the maze doors don't close at night, allowing what's inside to attack the boys within.  Thomas soon discovers that they have to escape the maze, or die inside it.

The Synopsis:
The Young Adult Novel craze has several aspects that are practically universal: a dystopian future, a strong-willed main character, a revolution of the status quo, and more questions than answers.  "The Maze Runner" - based off a young adult novel series by James Dashner - fits all the criteria, which is why it seems so familiar.  It's "The Hunger Games" and "Divergent" all wrapped into one, taking from both and being both better and not-as-great as the others - but then again, this is just the first in three films.

Whereas "The Hunger Games" turned Jennifer Lawrence into a household name and skyrocketed her to international fame, "The Maze Runner" has a more forgettable lead in Dylan O'Brien's Thomas.  Even though both characters - Katniss and Thomas - have the same basic personality traits, Lawrence delivers a more selfless, self-sacrificing hero than O'Brien's Thomas.  Both enter the unknown willingly, but Thomas has a more sense of entitled bravado than Katniss, making him a bit more annoying.  Yet both are far and above better than Shailene Woodley's Tris, the forgotten middle child of the young adult novel-turned-movie craze.

All three films feature teenagers in the midst of peril, and all focus on a futuristic world where they're surrounded by walls.  In "Divergent," the walls keep them from seeing what's happened to the outside world.  "The Hunger Games" has walls set to keep the combatants within a defined perimeter.  "The Maze Runner" is more intriguing because the walls actually move, and create a new sense of amazement and wonder.  It constantly changes, adding an intellectual aspect that the other films don't.  Plus there's the added sense of mystery within the maze - what terrifying things inhabit it, who put them there, and is there a way out?  These questions hound Thomas and the others, and make for a more exciting tale.

Whereas "Divergent" and "The Hunger Games" slowly introduce us to the main protagonist and builds up the suspense, "The Maze Runner" thrusts us right into the thick of things - no drawn-out dramatic introductions, just immediate action.  The first scene is Thomas whizzing up the elevator, and we don't know who he is, what he's doing there, or where he's going.  Right from the get-go, we're hooked into the story.  Unfortunately, the story tends to repeat itself and the film would've been better if it was more lean and trimmed, especially since it's spanning three different books.

Another thing all three films have in common is the internal struggle, a character that we love to hate.  "The Hunger Games" had that in Alexander Ludwig's Cato, while in "Divergent" it was Miles Teller's Peter.  Here, it's Will Poulter's Gally that we love to hate, due to his annoyingly typical attitude for such a film as this: the one who desires power, gets jealous at the turn of a hat, and is just otherwise unpleasant.  That is another weakness to this film, in that it seems to require such a character even though it's not entirely necessary.

Thankfully, that's merely an afterthought, because the majority if the film is spent with the mystery of the maze, and that's the strongest point the movie has going for it.  We want to know what's inside, and what's on the other side, as much as those stuck in it do.  Even though we forget the characters' names, we still have a connection to them (most of them anyway) and root for their success.  They're interesting characters delivered by great performances, adding some dramatic aspects that other films of the like don't have.  It's a lot like "Lord of the Flies" for a new generation.

The technical aspects of the film are beautiful, especially for a first-time director.  Wes Ball was given a titanic assignment for his first feature-length film, and he did an outstanding job.  Thankfully, he's directing both sequels, so they'll be a sense of continuity that other trilogies don't have when they're directed by different people.  The maze is lavish, looming, and loaded with mystery and fear.  The creatures inside are terrifying, and the costume designs help add to the "Lord of the Flies" motif.

Besides the maze itself, the mystery surrounding Thomas is a vital aspect to the film.  While some of the other boys have been living in their small part of the world for over three years, it takes Thomas just three days to shake everything up and find out what's really happening.  Adding to the allure is visions Thomas has of what happened before, which, of course, are choppy and incoherent.  Then Teresa arrives, and she seems to know Thomas from the outside, adding to the enigma of Thomas's character and affecting his interactions with the other boys.

Then the ending.  While the first two acts were strong and filled with action and suspense, the ending had a lot to be desired.  Yes, it's not an "ending" because there's still two more films, but the reasoning behind everything seems so profoundly stupid, and doesn't make a whole lot of sense.  Hopefully this will be resolved in the other films.

The Summary:
While not as great as "The Hunger Games," "The Maze Runner" has its own charm due to great performances, suspense from the get-go, and a rousing mystery.  Like the maze itself, the film is a puzzle that demands to be solved, and we've only gotten one-third of the pieces so far.

The Score: A-