The Maze Runner: Review

Teen fiction being adapted for the big screen is rapidly becoming one of the biggest film genres around. It arguably took off with the release of Twilight back in 2008 (although I'd prefer to think The Hunger Games was the real success story), and has shown no signs of slowing down. Now with The Maze Runner, we're presented with yet another story revolving entirely around young adults set in a dystopian world. But is it any good? 

Thomas (Dylan O'Brien)

The film begins with a boy whom we eventually learn is called Thomas (Dylan O'Brien) rising up in an elevator. He has forgotten everything about his past, and is struck with overwhelming fear and uncertainty. Soon, Thomas appears in the middle of a large, square field, and is surrounded by other boys of his age. He has found himself in what is referred to as "The Glade", and must set about finding a way out. The first boy found himself trapped here three years prior, and since then more and more boys have arrived - all without their memories. The Glade is surrounded by colossal stone walls - which is where the 'Maze' part of the title comes in - and some of the boys are given the title of 'Runners', whose job is to map out the course of the maze in an attempt to find their way out. Some members of their small society are more than happy to remain where they are, but the arrival of Thomas sparks some rapid (and occasionally frightening) changes. 

The first thing The Maze Runner gets right is its absence of unnecessary introductions. As soon as the movie begins, the main protagonist is thrust into unfamiliar surroundings, which makes his predicament relatable in the sense that you as the viewer are also unaware of what's happening. The film keeps up this sense of mystery for quite a while, with only rare flashbacks giving hints at the context of what is happening. Eventually it shows a little too much which lets you piece things together - lessening the effect of the ending - but doesn't reveal completely everything. This keeps you interested to a certain extent for the entirety of the movie, which is lucky, as none of the performances are particularly memorable in the sense that they would be able to carry the film on their own shoulders. Nobody is particularly 'bad' as such, but most of the characters are either generic stereotypes or utterly forgettable. The main character of Thomas is interesting in that you want to discover what led him to find himself in The Glade, but that's all. 

As the maze is in the title, you'd expect it to play a key part in the movie, and although it's obviously an important story element, I would have liked to have seen more of it. Giving away every aspect would naturally ruin the mystery behind this gigantic structure, but I hope that the blatantly referenced sequel will expand more upon this. Also, the monsters within the maze are simply referred to as 'Grievers', which also carries a certain level of mystery to it, but they turn out to be mechanical scorpion monsters. There's nothing wrong with this, but a bit more variety would have kept things more engaging throughout the entirety of the film. 

Verdict

The Maze Runner is successful in keeping you interested for the majority of its length, but little more. The conclusion to the story is blatantly to set-up an inevitable sequel, which feels a little cheap, as it means that this first instalment can't properly stand on its own. In the end, it's a fun time and a good way to kill a few hours, but results in being pretty forgettable and lacking in much personality. 

"Every morning when those doors open,

the runners look for a way out."