The Maze Runner (2014) Directed by Wes Ball. Starring: Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Will Poulter. IMDB says: “Thomas is deposited in a community of boys after his memory is erased, soon learning they’re all trapped in a maze that will require him to join forces with fellow “runners” for a shot at escape.”
Next up in the ongoing trend of young adult book to film adaptations is James Dashner’s The Maze Runner series. The movie centers on Thomas and a group of boys that have been abandoned in a large clearing confined by a giant maze structure that borders its perimeter. The boys band together through the Lord-of-the-Flies-like circumstances in order to try and find some way of escape. Each boy joins the others one by one with a new one surfacing each month. When Thomas arrives, mysterious changes start happening within the day-to-day routine and soon all of the trapped young men are fighting for their survival.
I haven’t read the book series that this flick is based off of but it would have been something that would have interested me when I was younger. I’ve always been much more taken with mysteries than I have been with romance dramas or even survival stories. The movie delivers fairly well with layering intriguing questions throughout its run time and slowly unlocking just enough secrets while still leaving the viewer ready for what’s to come. I particularly liked our very initial introduction to the world through Thomas as the script lets him stay just enough in the dark without it seeming unrealistic. Unfortunately, that balance doesn’t stay around terribly long as characters quickly fall into a routine of spouting ulta-serious exposition. There are a lot of “We call them The Gladers.” and “We call it The Happening.” and “We call them The Blades.” You get it.
Exposition aside, the only other major detractor within the story comes from some of the more unoriginal and downright trite moments peppered throughout the film. There are a few scenes here and there that don’t feel fresh and don’t seem like they are trying to hard to do otherwise. One scene between two boys focuses on the exchange of a small totem that Boy A gives to Boy B in case he gets out of the maze. “No, you take it. You’re going to get out, I promise.” Not egregious, just a very ‘been there, done that’ scene.
THANKFULLY, and I would like to point out the emphasis there (in case the CAPSLOCK didn’t already) the performances across the board from the young actors truly elevate the material when it occasionally fails them. The diverse cast is impressive to watch and work well together on screen. Special snaps go out to Dylan O’Brien who lends depth beyond his handsome face, Thomas Brodie-Sangster who maintains a confident and assured screen presence, and my favorite of the bunch Will Poulter who not only turns in an authentic performance but totally shatters his image from last years We’re the Millers.
The most important aspect of film, the maze itself, is handled well. On a small budget, the movie manages to still feel vivid in its construction. The production design takes a stripped down approach to both the sets and wardrobe, which is overall advantageous to the story. There are also a few neat creepy creatures roaming the maze that look great.
I was always interested in the movie even when it didn’t try super hard to buck conventions. It’s fun and not too run of the mill that you figure out everything about where it’s going within a first few minutes. Yes, parts are more obvious than others, but the boys’ struggle to escape is the heart of the film and propels everything else forward. If you don’t expect the next big thing, I’m sure The Maze Runner would prove to be an enjoyable time at the movies.
