The Maze Runner (2014)
- Oct 9, 2014
- 2 min read
Directed by: Wes Ball
Starring: Dylan O'Brien, Aml Ameen, Ki Hong Lee, Blake Cooper, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Will Poulter, Kaya Scodelario
Premièred in 2014 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, released in the UK on October 10th 2014.
Thomas wakes up in the middle of a maze, and he and the other 'Gladers' search each day for a way to escape. Though when the first girl, Teresa enters the mix, everything changes and the pressure is on to escape. The latest in an ongoing run of YA dystopian book adaptations, The Maze Runner has a familiar storyline, with a solid cast.
The odds are against the film, following on from the ongoing success of its predecessors. Where films like Hunger Games and Divergent were exciting and compelling, The Maze Runner takes a long time to get the story going, matching the source material quite well in terms of pacing but making for a drag in visual terms.
When we get them, the action scenes are well shot, the acting is solid, and the characters are compelling. In truth though, it feels very much like more of the same thing we've had in other films.
Where Maze Runner truly succeeds is in adaptation. Naturally in crossing media, there are elements that have to be dropped and depending on the source, it can sometimes lead to a very different story. The Maze Runner is extremely faithful, matching not just in plot and theme, but also in experience. Everything essential was kept, underdeveloped moments were expanded upon, and anything unnecessary was left out.
Fans of the series will have much to enjoy, and newcomers will have an intriguing concept to invest in. Unfortunately the market may just be overrun at this point for the film to have much of an ongoing impact.
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