It's Alright - Leaving you wanting to know what happens Next!

Rating: 8/10 (20 September 2014)

"The Maze Runner" is the latest in a slew of Young Adult Novel Series to come to the big screen – Following "Twilight", "Mortal Instruments", "The Hunger Games" and "Divergent". Outside of "Mortal Instruments", all of them have been hugely successful at the Box Office, with "The Hunger Games" getting the most critical praise, and deservedly so in my opinion. Like "The Hunger Games" and "Divergent", "The Maze Runner" seems to take part in a Dystopian future. I read the first book, on which "The Maze Runner" movie is based, after I saw the first trailer. While not into the book as much as "The Hunger Games" Books and the first "Divergent" Book (Haven't read the others yet), I still liked it. The movie adaption mirrors my feelings for the most part on the book. The movie was not great, but it was alright, and at the end – You want to know what happens next. The movie opens with a teenage boy, played by Dylan O'Brien, ascending upward in a freight elevator. The elevator opens to a bunch of teenage boys. O'Brien's character does not remember his name, nor his past. He is told all of the boys went through this, and he will remember his name in a day or two – and this comes to pass, eventually remembering his name is Thomas. The boys are all living in a community, with a grassy square, they have named "The Glade", surrounded on all sides by giant concrete walls, one of which opens to a Maze. The oldest boy dates back 3 years being there, with a new boy a coming up in the elevator every month, along with supplies. Some of the boys, named "The Runners" explore the Maze during the day, in hopes of finding a way out, but must return to "The Glade" at night, before the doors close, and creatures they call "The Grievers", who they haven't seen, but heard, come out in the Maze. Anyone who has not made it back before the doors closed has been killed by "The Grievers". For those who read the book, there are some changes, but the narrative is generally followed. The young actors all do pretty well. As I said the movie was alright. Sometimes I though additional parts were needed or parts needed to be elongated to make it a great film. But in terms of setting the table for the series (I admit presumably – I will be starting the 2nd book soon), and in wanting to know what happens next – Mission Accomplished. 3 out of 4 Stars.