The Maze Runner

Rotten Tomatoes

Movie Info

When Thomas wakes up trapped in a massive maze with a group of other boys, he has no memory of the outside world other than strange dreams about a mysterious organization known as W.C.K.D. Only by piecing together fragments of his past with clues he discovers in the maze can Thomas hope to uncover his true purpose and a way to escape. Based upon the best-selling novel by James Dashner. (c) Fox

NY Daily news

The Maze Runner” is so clearly an attempt to cash in on the craze for YA adaptations that you may feel your standards drop almost immediately. The movie sits somewhere between “The Hunger Games” and “Divergent” in quality — and rips them both off thematically, with a little “Lord of the Flies” thrown in for extra literary cred.

Fortunately, though, director Wes Ball and his outstanding young cast work unusually hard to counter the derivative feel.

Dylan O’Brien is Thomas, a teen who wakes up to find himself in a strange land populated only by boys. Alby (Aml Ameen) is the leader, who keeps order with steady Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) and hot-headed Gally (Will Poulter).

As Thomas’s bunkmate Chuck (Blake Cooper) explains, they have been kidnapped and dropped in a lush glade, with no instructions other than to survive. So they grow their own food and make their own laws until they figure out why they’re there. 

The primary rule is to respect the towering wall that surrounds them. Every morning, the wall opens and the fastest boys — the “runners” — explore the stone maze beyond, in hopes of finding an exit to the outside world. And every night they return before the wall closes, and the maze’s hideous monsters come out to hunt.

Thomas is doubtful about this plan. It hasn’t worked so far and answers none of his questions about the labyrinth or its unseen creators. But as he pushes limits, luring the monsters and exploring their territory, the dangers increase.

There is no complex subtext here, no engaging base on which to rest this simple plot. The maze’s evil creator (Patricia Clarkson) exists solely to move the action forward. The group’s only girl (Kaya Scodelario), who arrives toward the end, is so underused she feels like a token gesture.

But the actors are exceptionally strong, especially for unknowns starring in a young adult thriller. Each one finds a way to make his stock role stand out, and feel real. Making his feature directorial debut, Ball tries hard to keep us engaged, with deft pacing and urgent action scenes that seem smartly tailored to the movie’s teen audience.

No, there’s nothing new here. But sometimes it’s enough to be merely entertained, rather than amazed.

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