Good Looking Guys and a Weak Story

Rating: 6/10 (3 October 2014)

Take your seat in the cinema and prepare to watch yet another young adult, Dystopian future successful book based film in which a group of innocent, unknowing teenagers must rebel against a government of older people with terrible morals and awful ideas about keeping the world running.
In my opinion, the Hunger Games started the trend. Its phenomenal success inspired many writers (particularly Veronica Roth - who decided by changing Katniss' name to Tris and giving her a brother instead of a sister, she'd make tons of money. And she did!) and many trilogies (always a trilogy). The Maze Runner is no exception. I went in thinking there was only one book, but when the last sentence in the film is 'It's time to begin Phase 2' I sort of realised there was at least a sequel. Yay...?
It was an entertaining mess of CGI, intense scenes with weird robotic chickens, a girl (Kaya Scodelario) with absolutely no personality and the main character, Thomas (Dylan O'Brien), being constantly confused about something and asking the others questions. Curiosity killed the cat, bro!
There were many flaws. However, the main flaw, the biggest flaw, was the ending. Throughout the film, I had so many questions. Why are they in the maze? Who put them there? Will they get out? How will they get out? What are the grievers? What is the point of this whole thing? Why did the girl come? Why is Thomas different?
The list goes on. In most films, they either answer all of your questions, or don't create so many with a confusing and over-complicated plot. I was expecting, when the menacing Ava Paige (Patricia Clarkson) came on screen, to have all my questions answered and to walk out able to write a kind review. No chance.
I'm afraid I have to spoil it in order to fully express my disappointment, so if you haven't seen the film or read the book, I suggest you skip this paragraph. Ava Paige goes on...and on...and on about how the sun burned the Earth, then everyone got this disgusting brain disease, then new people were born who could resist it, then they decided to put teenagers in the maze to test them to see if they could...uh...I don't really know, actually. Now that I think about it. And that's how, and why, they were in the maze. Then Ava supposedly shoots herself and behind her everyone in her office is being shot (that makes sense because the laboratory that the guys from the maze have arrived at has all the bodies. It's the same place the video was filmed in. But why they were being shot and who did it...well, that's a good question!) by random people. The escapees from the maze are then ushered by armed people into a helicopter and they see that the whole world is desert. Oh, and before that, Gally (Will Poulter), a not so nice guy who argues with Thomas a lot and somehow made it out of the maze alone, goes crazy after being stung by a poison that's never really explained (yet claims the lives of several characters), and shoots the adorable Chuck (Blake Cooper), who is a lot younger than all the others for whatever reason. Minho (Ki Hong Lee), a fast runner, throws a spear that kills Gally. Unfortunately, Chuck has already been shot and dies - quite tragically, may I add - in Thomas' arms. Sob, sob...pass me that tissue, would you? Yeah. Finally, at the very end, Ava Paige - who is miraculously alive - walks into a boardroom, sits down, and talks about how 'they've taken the bait' and it's time 'to begin phase 2'. BOOM! End of film. A sequel, huh? You don't say...?
Best thing I can say about this film - decent acting and hot guys. Damn; Thomas, Gally, Minho and even Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) are all pretty good-looking!
Go see it if you've read the book (I haven't, actually) but other than that, just go if your friends are going. It's not a huge loss. The ending really sucks.