Yet another made-for-kids drama...

Rating: 5/10 (28 July 2015)

Yet another made-for-kids drama...
Boy wakes up and finds himself in a "tribe" of boys, locked behind high walls. Only way out is through a huge maze which is guarded by giant spiders. Before even thinking of escaping, there is an internal power struggle to deal with...
The movie has a mildly interesting plot setup - the maze - but beyond that it is fairly dull, derivative and dumbed down for kids. Pretty much Lord of the Flies meets Starship Troopers, though far less gritty. Basic plot, conventional direction. Has its moments of genuine intrigue and tension, but those are few and far between.
Only surprising thing about this movie is that it doesn't star Shailene Woodley and/or Miles Teller...
Then, worst of all, it doesn't really end - the whole thing is set- up for sequel. So pretty much the same prolonged, anything-to- deprive-clueless-teens-of-their-dollars bs as with The Hunger Games.
On that note, that's about the best thing I can say about this movie - at least it's better than The Hunger Games, though it doesn't take much. Shorter movie, and less Disney-like. Also not a blatant rip- off of Battle Royale...