The Maze Runner is Great but Lacking in the Story Department

Rating: 7/10 (19 September 2015)

With the second Maze Runner movie coming out I thought it would be a good time to go ahead and give my opinion about the first film. I wasn't really sure what to expect with this film other than some action and teenage angst. I've watched enough adaptations of young adult novels to know that we'll be getting that at the very least. The film is directed by Wes Ball and this was actually his first major motion picture that he directed. I'm actually impressed that the movie turned out as well as it did for a first timer. There are definitely a few flaws in the film but overall it's a pretty good movie and I would recommend giving it a watch. Let's talk about the story.
Our protagonist is a young man named Thomas (Dylan O'Brien). Thomas has just woken up in an elevator that has delivered him to a place called the Glade, which happens to be exactly what it sounds. There are other young males around and Thomas finds out that everyone that comes to the Glade has no memory of their life before entering the Glade. The Glade is surrounded by giant walls that form a humongous maze around them. A group of young men called runners go out each day to travel the maze and try to find a way out. They can't go out at night because of these creatures called Grievers that like to kill people that are in their maze. Sound complicated yet? It's not that bad since the movie spends plenty of time world building so I'll go ahead and get to the point. Thomas's arrival coincides with a major change in everyone's lives and they need to find a way out of the maze sooner rather than later.
I'll try to touch on this briefly but the characters in this film are interesting but many of these actors are quite young so they're not necessarily as experienced as some of our greatest thespians. They get the job done though and it's enjoyable to see what happens to them. O'Brien does an excellent job as the motivated and curious Thomas. He manages to convey the right amount of surprise and confusion but that's only natural seeing as how he has no memory and is thrown into a confusing situation like navigating giant mazes. Ami Ameen, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, and Ki Hong Lee are impressive in their leadership roles of the group and all bring something unique to the table. Will Poulter plays Gally, the obvious antagonist that acts like a douche for no discernible reason. He's not complicated but he does a good job with the role. Kaya Scodelario plays a young woman named Teresa that I honestly felt was forgettable. She's not a bad actress per say but her role didn't really have any purpose. We do have quite a few sequels to go through though so I'm sure we'll see more from her.
There's a lot to like about this movie. The action scenes are phenomenal and shot surprisingly well. There's no confusion about what's going on even when there's so much happening. It's nice to see a new director that knows how to keep the action in focus. The characters are also likable and it's hard not to root for them. The maze and the Glade are both great to look at and it's fun to experience this world. The movie looks great but there are a few flaws when you start to think about the story.
There will be a few spoilers here so read at your own risk. I'll try to keep them to a minimum though. What is the purpose of Teresa's character in this movie? She's not unlikable or anything but she shows up and it seems like she's important but then we find out that she was just kind of thrown in. We do have more sequels so she may become more important later on. We're also given an explanation for why the teenagers are inside the maze but it's honestly a very poor explanation. Once again, sequels coming and all that but a movie needs to be able to stand on it's own without help from sequels and this one has a bit of trouble in the story department. There just doesn't seem to be a good explanation for why these people have their memories wiped or why this ridiculous maze was built around them. Fortunately, the characters are interesting enough that it's still fun to see what happens to them.
Like I said before, the movie is great and it's fun to watch but the story is a bit too similar to something I came up with for a ninth grade English class. Who knows, they may end up unleashing this mind-blowing revelation on us in future films but this one just left me wanting more. I still have to recommend everyone give it a shot since it's actually a decent film.