The Maze Runner

Of the seemingly dozens of film adaptations of Young Adult novels vying to become Hollywood franchises, The Maze Runner is probably the most intriguing out of all of them.  It has a serious Sci-Fi premise that immediately hooks the viewer, and a genuine mystery that becomes all the more interesting as it is unraveled during the course of the film.  Sure, the movie offers more questions than answers (which will surely be answered in the sequels), but it's well made and just thrilling enough that I find myself anticipating what happens next.

The main problem going against the film is that it is similar to the many other films based on youth novels that have been turned into films lately, such as Divergent, The Giver and naturally, The Hunger Games.  All of them are set in some kind of apocalyptic future, where the hero becomes "the one" who can change the course of the world.  My only hope is that The Maze Runner does not get lost in the shuffle of like-minded films, as it's strong enough to stand out on its own.  I have not read the source novel by James Dashner, nor its sequels, but this film at least is a dark and often engaging story that seems more interested in creating a compelling narrative and a fantastic world, rather than create yet another teen love triangle in the middle of a battle for the future.  In fact, there is no love story in this film.  I don't know, maybe in future film, the young male and female lead will get together.  But for now, the movie is content on letting us explore its world.

As the film opens, a young man named Thomas (Dylan O'Brien) finds himself in a transport elevator with no memories.  He doesn't even remember his name until some time later.  The elevator he's riding on transports him to a society called The Glade, a commune established by teenagers just like Thomas who have no memory of who they are, except their names, and also no idea of who brought them here.  All they know is that they came here on the elevator just like Thomas, and whoever brought them here brings a new kid up on the elevator about once every month.  The Glade itself is a primitive society ruled by some of the elder kids in the village, like the kind Alby (Aml Ameen), who teaches Thomas their ways, and the village bully Gally (Will Poulter), who likes to push around the newcomers that show up fresh off the elevator.  Thomas is different from most of the other kids in The Glade.  Whereas just about everyone has accepted this life they have made for themselves, Thomas wants to find out the truth about why he's here, who sent him, and why he can't remember anything.

Surrounding The Glade is a massive stone maze.  The kids of the village don't know its purpose, but they know that the maze changes everyday.  They know this, because they send in select kids called "runners" to make their way through the maze and try to find if there is an exit to it.  When night falls, the door to the maze closes.  Any runner who is still within the maze when the door closes is immediately thought to be dead, as at night, bizarre alien creatures called Grievers come out and roam the maze structure.  These Grievers kind of look like the acid-spewing monsters from the Alien films, with the legs of a spider, and the stinging tail of a scorpion on its back.  Early in the film, no one knows what these creatures look like, as no one has survived an encounter with them.  But when Thomas goes into the maze to save a friend, and manages to actually kill one of the Grievers in the process, he sets about a chain of events that will not only divide The Glade as to which path they should take (should they all enter the maze and try to find an exit, or should they stay where they are?), but may also lead to some long hidden answers to many of the questions Thomas has about how all of this came to be.

The Maze Runner throws us right into the middle of the action by starting up front with Thomas on the elevator leading up to The Glade, with no explanation as to what's going on.  It may take a little while for viewers not familiar with the books to get a handle on things, but it doesn't take long to catch on.  Once the set up is out of the way, the movie moves along at a brisk pace, never getting bogged down in exposition, while at the same time never making it feel like we're completely in the dark.  First time director Wes Ball not only knows how to keep the pace and the tension building, but he also knows how to create a truly intriguing and dangerous maze for the film's young heroes to confront.  On the outside, it sort of looks like a massive stone garden wall.  But, with its constantly shifting walls and passageways, as well as the various dangers that reside within, it kind of takes on a life of its own.  The maze itself is one of the more interesting set pieces I have seen so far this year.

It also helps that the filmmakers have gathered together a talented group of young actors to tell the story, which helps, since they're literally the only people we get to see for 98% of the film.  Most of them have past screen and TV experience, so they're not exactly amateurs.  Still, the ones I did recognize had never had to carry an entire film by themselves, and they do a wonderful job here.  While some of the kids do fall into cliches (there's the bully, the stern yet understanding one, and the youngest kid who becomes a sidekick and best friend to the hero), they are at least given interesting personalities beyond just their basic description.  Also, even though the film is PG-13, I was surprised that it was willing to show quite a few on-screen deaths of some of the children who make up the society.  It does add a certain emotional impact, since the film does not use it as a cheap gimmick or shock tactic, but treats it as the tragedy it deserves to be.   

I usually detest it when a movie ends on a cliffhanger, or exists simply to set up a sequel.  It's a tricky prospect to pull off successfully.  The Maze Runner, however, handles its ending well.  It leaves us with a bunch of questions as to what's happening, while showing us a tantalizing glimpse as to what's waiting in the next installment.  The best compliment I think I can give this film is that I found myself kind of hooked, and am now anticipating the inevitable sequel, provided the fans turn out for this one.  This is one time I'm hoping they do.

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