A start of a new franchise.

Rating: 7/10 (23 September 2014)

After following the Maze Runner for several months I was excited to finally have a chance to watch the film, and I have to say that I was pleasantly satisfied. As a fun Summer popcorn flick, The Maze Runner effectively kept me engaged throughout. The main protagonist, Thomas, played by Dylan O'Brien, is easy to root for as he struggles to uncover the secrets of the Maze. O'Brien's performance is compelling yet not over the top; often these post-apocalyptic films can suffer from protagonists that are far too melodramatic. Ki Hong Lee, as Minho, was probably the most refreshing character out of the bunch. It's obvious when you're watching the film that the filmmakers want you to notice Minho, but the film does a very good job with slowly introducing him, balancing out a level of mystique and curiosity in regards to who Minho is and what he already knows about the Maze. In addition to the two main leads, Aml Ameen and Will Poulter, who respectively portrays Alby and Gally, offers interesting personality dichotomies which further enhances the difficult obstacles that Thomas, our main protagonist, must face head-on as he uncovers the awful secrets of the Maze. Lastly one of the most intimidating and menacing characters in this film is the Maze itself. The filmmakers have done a excellent job giving life to this inanimate killing machine, constantly leaving me wondering what new and sadistic traps lied ahead for the seemingly helpless runners.
If character development is one of Maze Runners strongest suits than the actual plot is likely the Achilles heel. That being said, the plot isn't a complete mess, however, there were moments that left me scratching my head, releasing me from the world of the Maze, which was disappointing since the world itself was utterly captivating.
While I watched the film I couldn't help myself to draw comparisons to the Lord of the Flies and the Hunger Games. The community within the Maze will probably draw heavy comparisons to the characters and dilemmas that were portrayed in the Lord of the Flies novel. As for the Hunger Games comparisons, The Maze Runner affectionately tries to replicate it's bigger brother's tone and mood, and possibly it's success, by shooting the film in a similar style, i.e. film grains, shaky camera, and etc. But overall neither of these comparisons hurt the film at all, actually it perpetuated my fondness for the film since I'm a fan of both source materials.
When it comes down to it, the Maze Runner plays it safe, following the typical Hollywood clichés that have succeeded within the genre, at the same time effectively giving me as a viewer something new. This film is far from revolutionary, but expect to see a growing franchise that will hopefully learn from some of it's initial mistakes and expand upon it's own source material, and maybe challenge the likes of the Hunger Games franchise.