By Kyle Osborne
This week, 2 films that are driving right down the middle of the road, neither terrible nor terrific, but certainly appealing to the narrowest part of their respective audiences.
The Maze Runner gets off to a compelling start, as a late teen dude finds himself waking up in a Lord of the Flies kind of setting—only this land of lost boys is inside huge high walls. Our main character, Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) can’t remember anything about his life apart from his name, and the same goes for his new found compatriots, who’ve done a great job of organizing something of society. And, speaking of the lads, this young acting cast are credible and competent.
Once a day, a door in the wall opens, and so-called runners, appointed for their ability to memorize and move quickly, enter this giant maze in an effort to make a map, one piece at a time—if they don’t make it back to the door by closing time, they’re never heard from again.
The movie does a good job of enveloping you in its self-contained environment, though I was personally disappointed in what the guys end up battling inside the walls of the maze itself, but then again I’m always disappointed when the enemy ends up being…..well, of course I can’t say.
The Maze Runner has a decent ending too, except that, without giving anything away, it definitely seems that you have just sat through a “Part One” of something, which is sometimes exciting for viewers and sometimes leaves them hanging by their fingernails from a cliff—or perhaps a “Wall” in this case.
Oh, and like about every third film released this year–it’s based on what they call “Young Adult Fiction.” Remember when every movie was adapted from old TV shows? I guess this is the new that.
2 ½ Out of 4 Stars for The Maze Runner. It’s rated PG-13
Watch The Official Maze Runner Trailer.
What’s the other film opening this week? Glad you asked—read the review of ‘This Is Where I Leave You’