Tired of the girls in YA adaptations having all the fun; why
not try The Maze Runner? Though Katniss may still wear the crown for the most
kickass protagonist in recent memory, it’s a testament to how far science
fiction has come that The Maze Runner feels currently refreshing for having a cast
of mostly male teens fighting and fending for themselves in a dangerous future
world.
Teen Thomas awakes to find himself being lifted into the Glade,
a beautiful green open space surround by the giant grey stone walls of an
impassable maze. With no memory of who he is or how he got into the lift, he is
immediately encircled by the group of wild boys who populate the Glade. There
is friendly leader Alby, big brute Gally, scrawny second in command Newt and a
younger fat kid named Chuck to name a few. The ‘Gladers’ have made a peaceful
and stable community for themselves under the leadership of Alby but Thomas’
entrance stirs things up between the boys, particularly as Thomas begins to
break the rules and heads into the maze without permission.
The Maze Runner is full of terminology invented for its
mysterious dystopian set up. The Lord of the Flies like tribe of boys are
divided into groups with only the ‘runners’ being allowed to into the maze to
try and map it and find a way out. In the maze, they meet partly mechanical
arachnid creatures known as The ‘Grievers’ who send the boys mad if they are
unlucky enough to be stung. Until Thomas arrives, no one has survived a night
in the maze as the doors close each night, giving runners only a limited time
to spend exploring the maze each day.
It’s a set up that wears its influences on its sleeves.
There is plenty of Lord of the Flies, a little splash of The Beach, and a
central premise highly reminiscent of The Cube. Not only that, but this film
version of James Dashner’s book looks like it owes a debt to more than a few
video games in its occasionally computer generated Doom-style aesthetic.
However despite its derivativeness, The Maze Runner feels fresh enough
(particularly no doubt to its younger target audience) to maintain attention.
Wes Balls’ direction and the screenplay and score zip along so that the film moves
at such a stunning pace, that even at nearly two hours, it never allows time
for ennui to set in, or for audiences to pick at the exposition heavy plot.
The mystery at the heart of this maze may not add up to much
but The Maze Runner has action aplenty. It is amazing how exciting the good old
fashioned sight of running can still be, even if occasionally the characters
are clearly surrounded by digital effects. The performances are solid with Will
Poulter particularly showing his range when compared to his performance in recent
comedy We’re the Millers and Dylan O’Brien making a decent hero, even if the
character of Thomas isn’t that interesting.
The Maze Runner sprints along, finding a way through its
myriad of influences to become something breezily entertaining, if not totally
satisfying by the time it reaches its end.
