Why the hell are they in this maze? That is pretty much the only reason why I wanted to watch this movie. I wanted the answer to that question.
And just so you don’t get disappointed, like some teenage girls in the cinema I was in. This IS based on a book series so there WILL be sequels and the question may or may not be answered.
At least I don’t trust the answer I got!
A giant, ever-moving maze is actually quite cool (or scary)
***no non-obvious spoilers***
What is this film?
“The Mazerunner” (2014) is (another) dystopian, kinda-sci-fi movie based on a popular young adult book series where young adults fight for their lives in weird, dystopian set-ups. Oh, and there is usually some love, a neglected theme in this movie, but I’m sure we will get to that in Phase 2.
The movie starts off with our hero Thomas waking up as he is pulled by a cart to the surface of a glade surrounded by huge walls and a group of ragged-looking Neverland boys staring at him. He doesn’t remember anything before this moment.
This is quite the intriguing set-up, and if you want to watch the film you really shouldn’t know any more beyond this point. I won’t give away any big plot points in the review, but the less information you have, the more intriguing the storyline of the movie will be.
The question is, do you really want to watch another movie that stands in the grand shadow of “The Hunger Games“? Right after the failure of “Divergent”? (what movie? check out this honest trailer to remember!)
Is it any good?
Meh.
The twists and turns of the plot are quite intricate and sophisticated, and sometimes, there are no way to predict where it’s actually going to go, which is a good thing. You think you know the status quo on things in this world, but you never really do.
Except that the grand solution to why they are stuck in the maze in the first place is a bit common or unsurprising. If it is actually the solution though. It could be a mind fuck.
It is a shame, however, that the same complexity and care hasn’t been thought out when it comes to the characters. On this note, the film suffers from being an adaptation of a young adults novel where apparently characters don’t change or are simply good or evil.
How boring…
The ending that ruined it for me
I’ll have to admit, I was kind of into this movie, bad characters and all. It is fast paced, intriguing and unexplainable things happen and you really want to figure out what the hell is going on.
But the end just kills it.
The end is shit for a couple of reasons.
1. A character goes far out of the scope of his own characterisation.
He is built up as a person who believes in staying in the glade and live there forever. Why try to get out of the maze when they can all survive in the security of the glade? You can’t build this person up as such a stubborn believer of this view and then have him break it for absolutely no apparent reason.
Maybe the reason fell out in the editing… I don’t know.
2. I also could have been without the person who dies at the end.
I am sure Thomas and this guy has a meaningful relationship in the movies, and therefore it makes sense to kill him off to up the stakes. But really, in the movie, it just feels forced. It feels like the only reason this character existed, was so that at this moment I would cry.
I didn’t cry. They killed off the fat kid. Shocker! (whops! spoiler).
Don’t get me wrong they tried a bunch of times to create some bond between Thomas and this character, and on some of the fourteen-year-old girls in the cinema it worked.
Maybe I’m just too old for this shit.
The pathetic excuse of a female character
What is this? The 1950s?
Fair enough that in the glade there are only boys. That makes it more fun when suddenly a girl, Teresa, is thrown into the mix, arriving unconscious on the cart.
But did she really need to be:
1. A Kristen Stewart look-alike
2. A useless whiner
3. The one who stands around looking while the guys do all the work
I thought we were past these tropes by now. It is so boring and so passé.
What is wrong with being a builder?
When are teen movies going to stop evangelising stupid and rather useless traits?
In this movie, “the Runners” are the best boys. The fast ones, the strong and apparently smart ones. The builders, the guys who build the houses they all sleep in, are the dumb and lazy ones.
In what world is this actually true?
I don’t know many builders, but the ones I do know are smart and sharp. They have to know a lot about physics and engineering to do what they do. Being a builder should be way more respected than it is today. In the situation in the glade, it is way more useful to be a builder than someone who can run and map the Maze while it is open during the day.
Yes, the runner might get you out, but in the mean time, the builder will keep you dry (and don’t even get me started on the farmer who will keep you fed).
I would love to see a movie where the builder or farmer is the hero. Please.
Is it worth a cinema ticket?
If you’re going to watch it, it might as well be in the cinema as the Maze looks truly spectacular.
And you can have some fun listening to the where the laughs and other reactions come from the fairly young crowd.
Note that my boyfriend loved this movie as well did his brother. So generally if you are fine with interesting plot and don’t care that the characters learn something, then you will be fine.
They did however start thinking it was worse after a discussion with me 😉
What mood should you be in?
You should be a teenager that hasn’t already seen Hunger Games or Divergent to truly enjoy this movie.
Some of the stereotypes are really worn out and characterisations are flat, but what it lacks on that part it makes up for in plot.
The plot changes the entire world that we are in about three-four times, which makes for interesting and unpredictable watching.
Further Watching
Just wait for more Hunger Games movies to come out. It’s only about a month and a half. You can survive the wait!
The Meh Cast who act a lot like Twilight knock-offs or Hunger Games casting rejects
Who am I?
I’m a freelance writer who likes to go to the movies. But I don’t like it when I waste my money on a bad film. I need to bitch about those movies.
If I see a movie that is absolutely worth the trip to town, 130 NOK ticket (£13/$20), popcorn and drink expenditure, then I need to rave about it!
And since I want to watch all the movies in the world, you can waste less of your time, check in with me and only watch the good ones.
In these New Release blog posts, I will pick a movie currently in the cinema in Norway at random, and tell you if it was worth a cinema ticket. It might be good, but does it deserve so much of your time and money, and does it benefit from a big screen and a huge crowd?
I actually buy tickets myself (unless I can get my boyfriend to be generous) and don’t have the luxury of being invited to pre-screenings, so my New Releases will be a bit late. Hopefully they will still be in a cinema near you 😉
Why do I think I can talk about movies?
With an over average interest in movies since watching Star Wars as an 8 year-old, and with some background in the industry, I know at least a little bit about what it takes to get a movie made, and have loads of opinions about what makes them great.
But no matter my merits, it is whether or not you agree with my taste in movies (or my boyfriend’s, whose opinion will be noted if opposing my own) that will make these reviews beneficial to you.
Where can you find the film?
“The Maze Runner” was released in Norway on 19th of September and it is still on as of today.
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