I've got the Conch now Piggy!

Rating: 6/10 (2 October 2014)

I had heard a lot of hype about The Maze Runner (2014), which is the latest young adult series to be adapted for the big screen, so naturally I was expecting the worst. The worst being something similar to Twilight or Divergent and more than likely including gratuitous amounts of scenes where the predominantly twenty- something-year-old male cast would be shirtless.
I will not say that The Maze Runner was a landmark science fiction film or even in the top echelon of action-suspense films, but it was thoroughly entertaining. There is obviously a lot that was borrowed and clichéd about the film, but it didn't disappoint. To dumb the premise down to a young adult level, basically a group of 'teenage' boys wake up with no memory in a Central-Park-like grove that is surrounded by a giant maze. Naturally this Lord of the Flies-esque society wants to find a way out, but have managed in the meantime to create a harmonious society without killing their own version of Piggy. Long story short, the 'Neo' character of the story arrives to throw things into disarray because he wants to go run the maze and speed up their exit from the grove. Like I said, it's not the best plot in the world, but the inclusion of giant metal spider-like things definitely increases the tension.
Directed by Wes ball, the movie stars mostly people you've probably never heard of and that kid from Love Actually, Thomas Brodie- Sangster. The film's protagonist who I was actually pleasantly surprised with is Mr. Dylan O'Brien, apparently known for taking his shirt off and being 'eye candy' for tweenage girls. Sorry ladies, there are no washboard abs featured in this movie, better stick with Magic Mike. Either way, I thought he actually did a pretty good job as Thomas. Though having never read the book, I can't speak one way or the other about what that should entail. All I can say is that, as the protagonist, I probably would have followed him to my almost certain death. In fact I couldn't help but thinking throughout the entire movie that if he hulked up a bit, he would make an excellent Commander Shepard if a Mass Effect adaptation were ever possible.
At any rate that's essentially the movie. Some kids run around a maze trying to avoid spiders and find a way out. I was initially worried, though also intrigued, by how the story began to develop, as it paralleled the basic premise of Dark City (1998), what with the waking up with no memory and trying to figure things out in a place that's constantly changing gimmick. I actually read a number of reviews heralding The Maze Runner as a beautiful crossover between Dark City and Lord of the Flies. That gave me a good chuckle, but I have to dash your hopes at such a crossover as this story isn't remotely as engaging as watching John Murdoch elude the Strangers.
The Bottom Line: It's on the good side of the Hunger Games – Divergent spectrum though it's an outlandishly silly premise. The visuals and acting are decent, the action engrossing, and you'll feel fairly entertained until the obligatory cliffhanger since its a series. Then if you're over the age of 16 you'll be faced with the dilemma of either buying a young adult book, or simply waiting at least a year to find out what happens next. My prediction would be to not get your hopes up and simply forget about the series until the next movie comes out. Repeat as needed for additional sequels.
Read this and other reviews on DriveInZeppelin's website