Movie felt rushed...

Rating: 6/10 (20 September 2014)

When I first learned that The Maze Runner series could potentially turn into the big screen, I immediately bought all four books (The Maze Runner, The Scorched Trials, The Death Cure and lastly, The Kill Order; this being the prequel) a month before the movie was out. There was a lot of mixed reviews regarding the books, but I still decided to grab them and fell in love, having read all three in a month on my kindle. Still working on The Kill Order. The prequel book felt different and slow in my opinion...This was obviously one of many proud moments in my life to finally have had the chance to not only READ, but WATCH the movie. Being able to compare the two was very cool. I swear I was nodding and smiling throughout the movie. However, I was a bit disappointed with the movie.
****WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW. DO NOT READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. SPOILERS BELOW.************************
First and foremost, the movie was roughly 1 hour 40 mins, not including the credits. There was a lot of character development in the books, but the movie didn't cover that part which isn't my main complaint. THE MOVIE FELT VERY SHORT AND RUSHED. The director skipped out on so many major points that could've made the movie a lot better or at least give the audience (those who didn't read the books) a better grasp of the environment Thomas & Co. was forced upon. In the book, it seemed to take forever to find the way out of the maze. In the movie it was just BOOM. BOOM. OHH, There's THE EXIT. THE END.
Just a few key points in comparison. BOOK: 1. Newt was the first to welcome Thomas after he arrives. 2. Thomas shortly discovers a mechanical insect that has W.I.C.K.E.D written on its body, multiple times in different occasions (important) 3. Thomas was given a proper tour of the Glades, all four corners had a special meaning (farm, slaughterhouse, homestead, graveyard). 4. Chuck and Thomas shared more bromance in the book. 5. Alby sacrifices himself towards the end. 6. Teresa and Thomas can communicate telepathically. 7. Thomas & Co. doesn't know about Ava Paige (director of W.I.C.K.E.D). 8. Thomas finds the exit which is a hidden portal at the edge of the maze. They would have to jump off the edge into the portal. 9. Gally runs off to the maze towards the end (important). 10. Gally kills Chuck with a knife which was meant for Thomas. Thomas reacts by punching Gally to the point where it is considered smashing instead.(important). 11. The group escapes through a bus. Saved by civilians that were against W.I.C.K.E.D 12. They enter a building (barracks) and finds food and bed and they all sleep, thinking everything is over. 13. Thomas first learns the meaning behind W.I.C.K.E.D while exploring/running in the maze. 14. The maze drawings was the key in part of finding the way out of the maze. 15. The Map Room was burned down. 16. People slept on the grass. There were HUNDREDS of people. 17. Alby was being "controlled" (important) by an unknown entity while he was being treated for getting stung by a griever.
MOVIE: 1. Gally is the first to meet Thomas in the elevator. 2. Thomas and Teresa didn't communicate telepathically. 3. There were probably half the amount of people compared to the books. 4. They find a "key" inside a dead Griever. 5. Said key opens the door to the exit. 6. Alby is killed by a Griever. 7. Alby wasn't being "controlled". 8. Gally kills Chuck with a gun and Gally gets speared by Minho. 9. Thomas & Co didn't meet the "founders in white" inside pods, per se. 10. Thomas & Co escapes via helicopter. 11. Movie ends while the helicopter is entering THE SCORCHED TRIALS. OH YEAHHHHHHHHHH!!!! SEQUEL PLEASE. MORE THAN 2 HOURS PLEASE. 12. Ava Paige fakes her death, but explains why W.I.C.K.E.D is "good" before her fake death via recorded video. 13. I counted 9 survivors (Thomas, Teresa, Minho, Newt, Frypan, Winston? and the rest).
The ending was a big twist compared to the books which I don't mind at all. Again, my main complaint was that the first movie of a potential trilogy felt very short and the director/writers skipped out on a lot of events that could've made the movie better or at least added more time to fit the 2 hour slot, just like any other trilogy-based book-to-movie adaptation. At the end of Maze Runner, there were still quite a number of kids left. Curious to see how the sequel will play out with this small group.
6/10