Movie Review - The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner  $$$ ½

 

 

PG-13

113 Minutes

Starring: Dylan O’Brien, Ki Hong, Lee, Will Poulter, and Kayda Scodelario.

Director: Wes Ball.

 

I hadn’t read the book, but the trailer looked cool so I decided to see the movie and am glad I did. Now I need to read the book. 

Thomas wakes up in an elevator. He doesn’t know who he is, where he is, or pretty much anything else. He finds himself in a glade with a bunch of other teenaged boys in the center of a mammoth maze. The question on the minds of the boys in the maze and the audience as well is why are they there? That is enough to keep your attention throughout this movie and wanting to see the next one in the series.                

            Here is how I rated the film:

1. Fun – If you like a movie that places you squarely in the middle of a mystery then you should like this film. I did. The drive to find out what was going on kept me riveted.

The Maze Runner gets a Full MB for keeping me guessing.

            2. Story – This is an interesting story. The premise of placing a bunch of teens in the middle of a maze as some sort of experiment, and possibly more, is unique enough to be refreshing when so much of what we get out of Hollywood is remakes of what we have already seen. 

            The Maze Runner gets a Full MB for a an intriguing storyline.

            3. Technical – The set looked great and the special effects were excellent. In this situation it is more about setting the mood for the story and I think they accomplished that quite well.

            The Maze Runner  gets a Full MB for putting me into a brand new environment.

            4. Acting – The acting didn’t really stand out. Everyone was compentent enough that their acting didn’t get in the way of the story, but failed to grab my attention—with the exception of Aml Ameen as Alby and Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Newt. I really enjoyed watching both of these actors on screen and look forward to seeing them do more.

            The Maze Runner gets Half a MB for acceptable acting.  

            The Maze Runner gets a rating of 3 ½ Movie Bucks. I suggest seeing it at a matinee or other discounted showing. It is a little intense in a few scenes and may not be appropriate for very young children, but I do recommend it to anyone who enjoys watching a mystery unfold.  

                        Randy’s Rating System 

$$$$   = Full Price    See this movie right away and pay full price, it’s worth it.

$$$     = Matinee      Catch this as a matinee or other discounted showing.

$$        = Discount     Wait until this movie reaches a discount theater near you.

$          = Rental         Wait until this movie reaches your local video rental outlet.

0          = No Sale       Don’t see this movie at any price.