Like a YA merging of 'LORD OF THE FLIES' and 'LOST'!

Rating: 8/10 (24 September 2014)

'THE MAZE RUNNER': Four Stars (Out of Five)
Another Young-Adult book adaptation; this one is based on the first novel (of the same name) in a post-apocalyptic sci-fi trilogy, by writer James Dashner. The film tells the story of a sixteen-year-old boy who wakes up in the center of a maze, inhabited by other teenage boys, and is surrounded by viscous mechanical monsters. It was directed by first-time feature filmmaker Wes Ball and written by first-time feature film writers Noah Oppenheim, Grant Pierce Myers and T.S. Nowlin. The movie stars Dylan O'Brien (of TV's 'TEEN WOLF' fame), Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Aml Ameen, Blake Cooper, Kaya Scodelario and Will Poulter. I found it to be pretty entertaining, and well-made, for a YA movie!
O'Brien plays Thomas; a sixteen-year-old kid who wakes up in an old elevator, in the middle of a grassy clearing, surrounded by other teenage boys. He has no memory of who he is, or how he got there, but he does remember his name, after getting in a fight with another boy (Poulter), the first night. He soon learns that all of the other boys awoke in a similar fashion and they've built a community there, which they call the Glade. He also finds out that 'the Glade' is at the center of a deadly maze, surrounded by vicious monsters. No one has ever made it out of there alive but designated 'runners' investigate the constantly changing maze everyday, before it's doors close at night. With the arrival of Thomas things start to change, for the better and worse, for the first time.
The film is a little like a cross between 'LORD OF THE FLIES' and 'LOST'. It's of course not nearly as interesting, or thrilling, as either of those cult classics but it is kind of like a YA merging of them. For a movie based on a popular teen book it is pretty dark and suspenseful. The premise is engaging and the acting is all decent enough. The film is definitely not nearly as good as the best YA movies (like 'THE HUNGER GAMES' or 'DIVERGENT') but it is better than most. Hopefully the sequels (with bigger budgets) will be even better. I'll be there.
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