Grade: B
Nothing says “instant blockbuster” like the end of the world. At least, that seems to be the trend these days.
“The Hunger Games,” “Divergent” and “Ender’s Game” are just a few of the sneak peeks into what a society scarred by war or epidemic would look like. And now ready to play the game we have “The Maze Runner.”
“The Maze Runner” is about a group of boys trapped inside a giant maze. Their only safe place is the very center, called the glade. Some of the boys have been there for up to three years. Trapped in the glade, they build their homes and grow their own food.
Every month a new boy arrives with a month’s worth of provisions.
The boys arrive with no knowledge of who they are, where they’re from or why they’re there. The only piece of information they eventually gain is their first name.
MTV’s “Teen Wolf” star Dylan O’Brien plays Thomas , the newest boy to arrive in the glade.
Thomas isn’t like the others. He’s curious. He wants to know what’s in the maze, who trapped them there and why.
In a matter of days Thomas manages to change the game of the maze. A new arrival shakes the peace of the glade, the rules of survival shift and new enemies rise.
O’Brien’s performance is stellar. He pushed the boundaries of the typical pretty boy teenage actor.
His role was not that of a beautiful, brooding hero.
Thomas is vulnerable, scared and curious, and O’Brien showcased these expressions and emotions brilliantly with every facial tick and stutter.
Not a single dime was wasted on the production of “The Maze Runner.” There were a variety of camera shots that provided the audience in-depth views of the glade and the maze.
Special effects were tasteful and not overwhelming.
The sound design was pleasing. There were no melancholy songs with words to distract from the action.
My biggest issue with the film pertains to the hair and makeup department. We’re dealing with a large group of teenage boys living in little huts, yet they were all clean, shaved and maintaining fabulous haircuts.
A little more effort in that area could have greatly increased the sense of authenticity of the situation the boys were in.
The ending was frustrating. It felt as though the writers were rushing to answer several questions while trying to tease for the next installment.
You’re not given enough time to process the scenes before it’s moving on to something else.
I didn’t have high hopes for “The Maze Runner,” but I found it compelling.
You’ll leave with many questions. And if those questions don’t drive you to see the next film, I congratulate you, because I will be going crazy for the next year.
In the meantime, O’Brien’s career is definitely something to keep an eye on.
I look forward to seeing him branch out of the science fiction world to see what he’s really made of.
