Overview
Set in a post-apocalyptic world, young Thomas is deposited in a community of boys after his memory is erased, soon learning they're all trapped in a maze that will require him to join forces with fellow "runners" for a shot at escape.
Yet another teen movie about a dystopian future (is there any other kind in the movies these days?) in the spirit of The Hunger Games and Divergent, with a little bit of Lord of the Flies thrown in to boot.
It is not a terrible movie. The acting is strong enough, and with a significant budget ($34m) the SFX are certainly more than acceptable. But the storyline is just not engaging enough; the ‘why & what is really going on’ would be the interesting bit to lift this movie to another level, but unfortunately that is only touched upon, with a bit more of the veil lifted towards the end of the movie. A missed opportunity in my opinion.
Teens will probably enjoy it though; it is not boring, it is just not engaging enough. The sequel (Maze Runner: Scorch Trials) is currently filming, due September 2015. Maybe they’ll get to the interesting bit of the story then…?
- Does it have a hook? It could have had one, but they don’t use that bit of the story very well. So no, not really.
- Is it entertaining? Sure, but in a popcorny way only.
- Should you watch it? Whatever. No loss either way.
Cinematography: Decent, but never impressive.
Soundstage: Fine but there is no feeling of immersion.