The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner, the first full length feature film from director Wes Ball is an incoherent, jumbled, empty vessel of a film. I have never read the book and maybe those that have will enjoy this film. For those in the same boat as me will be you may find this movie quite confusing. I'll admit that I found the premise interesting, which is the reason why I saw it but I could have missed it and been just fine. I was originally going to give this movie two and a half buckets of Killer Korn, but the more I thought about it the more I realized it deserved no more than a solitary bucket.









The Maze Runner is the first major film by Wes Ball and it looked like it. The movie initially come across as one that seems worthy of your time, attention, and money but the more you think about it the more you realize just how weak it is. The plot holes are massive and the ending is head scratching at best. Maybe those questions are answered in The Maze Runner Chapter II: The Scorch Trials which is currently in pre-production but I doubt that is a movie I'll be seeing since this one did not impress. The Maze Runner stars Dylan O'Brien as Thomas and the movie opens up with him wildly overacting. He's ascending in an elevator and has no idea where he's going, where he came from, or who he even is. He doesn't even remember his name. All he knows is that he has to get out of the little compound where there lives a collection of other boys all around the same age, and out of the maze. The leader of this Lord of the Flies type situation is Alby, played by Aml Ameen and he breaks down the rules and regulations to Thomas and they are to be obeyed no matter what. Thomas Brodie-Sangster plays Newt and is Alby's second in command. He takes Thomas under his wing. Thomas reveals to Newt that he wants to be a maze runner, a group of boys led by Minho, played by Ki Hong Lee that run the maze during the day to map it and see if there is a way out.

Thomas becomes a maze runner after throwing himself into the maze after dark to help Minho save Alby who runs the maze after a runner get's infected and is expelled from the "island". Thomas survives the night and actually kills a creature known as a "griever", something that is extremely hostile and was believed to be invincible. Thomas' stature grows after that and all seems well but that doesn't last long when the only girl is introduced to the island with a note proclaiming that she will be the last one. That's where the story really starts falling apart. So many things happened that just didn't make sense that made the movie that more unbelievable. Teresa, played by Kaya Scodelario was the only girl amongst a horde of boys in their sexual prime and there was not one instance of sexual tension or frustration. Not one boy flipped out and tried to attack her, which would have made sense if the majority of the boys were gay but even that was never spoken on. It was like everyone was neutered in some way, or the producers just chose to ignore the obvious realities of that situation.

The ending of The Maze Runner made absolutely no sense and while I'm most certain the book answered all the questions the movie created, again though if you've never read the book then you will more than likely be just as lost as I was. This film was soulless and not even remotely interesting. The score by John Paesano far too often sounded like a melange of other scores from other composers, completely devoid of anything original. I would definitely skip The Maze Runner and encourage you to read the series of YA books by author James Dashner. I'm sure you'll have a far more enjoyable time going that route and I'll see you at the theater.