With the ongoing and uneven trend of film adaptations of Young Adult novels since the early days of the Harry Potter and Twilight movies, it was inevitable that The Maze Runner – first published in 2009 - and its subsequent sequels would be one of the multiple stories to be brought to the big screen, what with it following the same vein as the immensely popular Hunger Games franchise (which reaches its supposed conclusion later this year). But unlike the other numerous adaptations of its kind last year – including fellow franchise Divergent, mega-flop The Giver and the aforementioned Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part One – The Maze Runner was surprisingly well-received, with the upcoming sequel The Scorch Trials quickly announced and rushed into production ahead of its release later this week. But one year, can the trials and tribulations of Thomas and co. stand out against the multiple films it borrows from and start an appealing franchise?
When Thomas (Dylan O'Brien) wakes up in the middle of a maze with no recollection of his name or where he came from, he's introduced to a selection of males who live and work in a small grassy area known as the Glade, lead by Alby (Aml Ameen), and is quickly shown around the area and the job roles they run – ranging from farming to attempting to route the maze around them (called Runners). But just as Thomas begins to settle there and survives a night stuck in the Maze and its creatures, things in the Glade take a funny turn as the first reported girl in Glade history (Teresa, played by Kaya Scodelario) turns up ahead of the allocated arrival time and with some recollection as to who Thomas is. With time in the Glade running short and tension already high between Thomas and enforcer Gally (Will Pouter), he must strive to lead the others against the Grievers inside and take everyone through the Maze – no matter how many fall in the process...
Does the story ring any bells? Well it should, with the enclosed area and murderous gaming arena having heavy ties to The Hunger Games, while the hinted mysteries of an evil dystopian government borrowing from both Games and Divergent amongst countless others. But films with similar plots can often hold up well on their own...except that The Maze Runner doesn't seem to be aiming for much higher than that, often attempting its own twists and turns which ultimately fail to make much sense alongside with the ongoing sequel-baiting it consistently features. It doesn’t offer much fresh material, and while some instances of levity do offer some interesting sequences and a mere handful of action sequences suggest some fun can be had, it quickly subsides to a sub-par storytelling mechanism which trudges through its near-two hour runtime at a marginally slow pace.
Much in the same way as the aforementioned Lionsgate money-making machine The Hunger Games, similar criticisms can be made for the film's direction by Wes Ball – his first feature directing gig. Often featuring some very shaky camera work during pivotal sequences such as the final escape, his debut is by no means a terrible first showing, as he does well during the various discussion points throughout any scene set within the Glade. But as a film which bases itself primarily on its multiple action beats, there's either very little excitement to be had or he's showing so much that he can barely hold his own excitement.
Perhaps best known for his role on the TV adaptation of 80s film Teen Wolf, Dylan O'Brien does do an admirable job playing the overly inquisitive Thomas, who in this early stage of the franchise – like all YA adaptations of its kind – doesn't seem like he fits the bill of hero all that well. Because this is a series in which the character will evolve over multiple films instead of just the one, we'll let that slide a little, as O'Brien does what he can with what limited resources he has to act on. By his side as the only noteworthy female character who isn't a rehash of another YA character (out of a mammoth two females in the entire film for so far unexplained reasons) Teresa, who again seems there out of more of an obligation to future storylines more than anything, or just to add some form of female voice to the picture, and even what's offered by actress Scoldelario isn't particularly strong stuff. As for the rest of the male-centric cast, while it is a refreshing change to have the group be multi-cultural unlike many usually white-washed casts, it would be good if they were distinguishable outside of "that guy from Doctor Who and Game of Thrones" (Thomas Brodie-Sangster), 21st Century Chunk from The Goonies (Blake Cooper) or necessary antagonist (Will Pouter). Nothing noteworthy out of the lot of them.
The Maze Runner may be one of the more successful stories to come out of the forever-expanding Young Adult novel adaptation treadmill, but it doesn't exactly learn from its contemporaries' mistakes, what with its overabundant sequel-baiting and similar character beats as countless others before it. Direction is a little messy, and a somewhat likable cast unfortunately beaten down by some of their irrelevancies, but that's not to say that there isn't some level of enjoyment to be had, even if it is only marginal. 4/10.
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