The Maze Runner (2014)
Running time 113 minutes
Genre: action-adventure, science fiction, fantasy
Directed by Wes Ball
Written by Noah Oppenheim & Grant Pierce Myers
Stars Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Ki Hong-Lee and WillPoulter

Synopsis(courtesy of Rovi on Fandango):
Based on the best-selling novel by James Dasher this action thriller for young adults follows a boy named Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) who finds himself trapped within a giant deadly maze with a group of other young people. While he has no memories of his life prior to being in the maze (not even his own name) , he is plagued by nightmares about a shadowy organization known only as W.K.C.D. and hopes that these fragments of dreams will help him discover the secrets of his past and a way to escape.

The Maze Runner is the first book in a young-adult , post-apocalyptic, science fiction trilogy of the same name by James Dasher.

Expanding on the storyline a bit: it follows 16-year-old Thomas (portrayed by O”Brien) who awakens in a rusty elevator with no memory of who he is , only to learn that he has been delivered to the middle of an intricate maze (with numbered paths no less) along with a slew of other boys who have been trying to find their way out of the ever changing labyrinth- all while establishing a functioning society in what they call The Glade. This society is reminiscent of William Golding’s ” Lord of the Flies” and the maze of the Labyrinth on the island of Crete in Greek mythology.

The film features strong performances from the young cast- particularly O’Brien in the lead and Will Poulter as Gally, his chief antagonist. There are some striking visuals of the Glade and the Maze, and the film has an intriguing premise and a refreshingly dark tone to its dystopian setting. It is a departure from “The Hunger Games” kind of display.

A sequel The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials is set to be released late next year.

The ratings are really spread: 7.5/10 on Imdb, 56/100 from Metacritic and 63% from Rotten Tomatoes but since most of the reviews are from old fzrts like the present writer- you can take them with a grain of salt. It’s an entertaining ride… Cheers

LINKS
rottentomatoes.com/m/the_maze_runner
en.wikipedia.com/The_Maze_Runner_(film)
newa.moviefone.ca/2014/09/18/the-maze-runner-family-review/
variety.com/2014/film/news/maze-runner-24-million-opening-weekend-1201309615
imdb.com/title/tt1790864/
themazerunnermovie.com