Growing up when I did, I read more than a few book series. It seems there is a producer or more like eight out there who are trying to make every popular book series into the next big blockbuster. The problem though lies in the fact that every one of these series of novels that become the flavor of the month all seems to have the same story, just dressed a little different. Look at “Hunger Games”, “Divergent”, and the terrible “The Giver” you have a dystopian future, where you take a group of kids, set them in dire situations and either make them fight each other, or fight the system, either way these films have more in common than pop songs of today. Not wanting to miss out on the party another popular novel series makes it way to the big screen, the only question is what does it bring to the table?
In “The Maze Runner” we enter the world in darkness, with only sounds of moving gears surrounding us. We soon see light and a group of boys welcoming a stranger, a stranger who cannot remember anything. He soon finds out that his memory will not return, but he will remember his name, Thomas (Dylan O’ Brien). Everyone in this camp has settled into jobs that help them survive. You have Alby (Aml Ameen) who has been chosen as the leader and his second in command Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) who welcomes Thomas and explains what is happening. All of these boys live in an area surrounded by a giant maze, a maze that they send runners daily in order to find a way out. For three years they have found nothing, but Thomas changes all of that. His curiosity leads him to question the way of life that all the boys are used to, and when a girl named Teresa (Kaya Scodelario) shows up with a note in hand, everything changes for good.
Knowing the idea behind the film, I was expecting the usual drop a group of kids in a bad situation and see who survives story. Not letting me down the novel written by James Dashner does exactly that, with the story being brought to the screen by writers Noah Oppenheim, Grant Pierce Myers, and T.S Nowlin. “The Maze Runner” doesn’t just follow every other YA story idea in the last few years, it can even be boiled down in simpler terms. Have you ever wondered what a movie about a group of mice that has to run though a maze, while being watched by a group of scientist would look like? Well wonder no more because that is what “The Maze Runner” is, and unfortunately it’s just as interesting to watch white coats watch mice run. Mix in a little “Lord of The Flies” into the equation and you have this film in a nutshell. Director Wes Bell making his feature film debut makes the perfect cookie cutter film, something that is not meant as a compliment. There is really nothing redeeming about this movie at all, at least “Hunger Games” and “Divergent” have two very good actresses in it. As for this film I would rather watch real mice run though a maze, than to ever have to watch this film ever again.
Brian Taylor
