The YA adaption juggernaut marches on, with seemingly no end in sight, and the latest product of this highly popular trend is The Maze Runner, based on the 2009 novel by James Dashner, which puts a science fiction spin on Lord of the Flies. Our dystopian future (it's always a dystopian future, isn't it?) this time round is The Glade, a lush green pasture surrounded by a massive and ever shifting maze, that is home to a group of teenage boys who have built a thriving, yet simple, society for themselves, despite having no memory of their life before The Glade. With the arrival of Thomas (Dylan O'Brien), life in The Glade is disrupted, as he attempts to uncover the mysteries of the maze, hoping to unravel the real reason The Glade exists.
From the opening frame, director Wes Ball grabs you and doesn't let go until the credits roll. The world of The Glade and the maze, home to the terrifying mechanical Grievers, is fantastically realised, and the movie wastes no time in bringing you fully up to speed, laying out every aspect of The Gladers society clearly and perfectly. With the set up out of the way, the film wastes no time kicking into high gear, with the first of many set pieces which uses the maze and The Grievers, disgusting monstrosities perched on spindly metal spider legs, to great effect. There is dark tone, much darker than other movies of its ilk, that hangs over The Maze Runner, and the script isn't afraid to up the stakes, bringing a real sense of danger to proceedings, and it is well served by a strong cast of young actors, including O'Brien, Will Poulter, and Thomas Brodie-Sangster, who play their roles perfectly. Much of the movie depends on their interactions, and they don't disappoint, delivering believable character that you find yourself rooting for.
The story moves forward with a great pace, throwing up twists and turns, one of them being the introduction of the first and only female Glader Teresa (Kaya Scodelario), that will keep the audience gripped and questioning what will happen going forward. The mystery behind creation of The Glade and the maze is what drives the movie, and it constantly keeps you guessing going forward. Every scenes seems to drop a new nugget of information, ever building and building, leading to a satisfying third act conclusion. Well, for the most since when we finally get our answers, we are presented with more questions, and a mishandled setting up of the sequel, The Scorch Trials, which hits our screen next year. It's the only black spot on another wise perfectly good story.
A step above the usual the YA adult fare (apart The Hunger Games of course), The Maze Runner takes a smart, if familiar, premise and builds a seriously entertaining, fantastically realised story.
From the opening frame, director Wes Ball grabs you and doesn't let go until the credits roll. The world of The Glade and the maze, home to the terrifying mechanical Grievers, is fantastically realised, and the movie wastes no time in bringing you fully up to speed, laying out every aspect of The Gladers society clearly and perfectly. With the set up out of the way, the film wastes no time kicking into high gear, with the first of many set pieces which uses the maze and The Grievers, disgusting monstrosities perched on spindly metal spider legs, to great effect. There is dark tone, much darker than other movies of its ilk, that hangs over The Maze Runner, and the script isn't afraid to up the stakes, bringing a real sense of danger to proceedings, and it is well served by a strong cast of young actors, including O'Brien, Will Poulter, and Thomas Brodie-Sangster, who play their roles perfectly. Much of the movie depends on their interactions, and they don't disappoint, delivering believable character that you find yourself rooting for.
The story moves forward with a great pace, throwing up twists and turns, one of them being the introduction of the first and only female Glader Teresa (Kaya Scodelario), that will keep the audience gripped and questioning what will happen going forward. The mystery behind creation of The Glade and the maze is what drives the movie, and it constantly keeps you guessing going forward. Every scenes seems to drop a new nugget of information, ever building and building, leading to a satisfying third act conclusion. Well, for the most since when we finally get our answers, we are presented with more questions, and a mishandled setting up of the sequel, The Scorch Trials, which hits our screen next year. It's the only black spot on another wise perfectly good story.
A step above the usual the YA adult fare (apart The Hunger Games of course), The Maze Runner takes a smart, if familiar, premise and builds a seriously entertaining, fantastically realised story.
