#REVIEW: “THE MAZE RUNNER”

Review by Jonathan Godfrey for Mr. Will Wong

Young Adults, curious Adolescents confused by the world around them. A key demographic regarding contemporary Blockbusters; a band of boys trapped in a labyrinth.  The Maze Runner is Fox‘s latest stab at scoring a celebrated Franchise. As the introductory installment it offers us an enigma, and teases us with keys to solving it.

Teen Wolf‘s Dylan O’Brien plays Thomas, the Story’s central Protagonist. Thomas enters the stage immediately. Pitch-black, but sonically tense, Thomas moans with fear until the movement which inspires it stops. The calm is followed by light, the light of day. A plush forest opens itself up before him, filled with Boys living like Men and surrounded by walls as steep and slick as skyscrapers.

The Glade is what the boys call it. The Maze is what surrounds it. Thomas soon learns that though The Maze is filled with danger it is the only means to discovering life outside of the Glade. Some Boys are inspired by Thomas’ curiosity, others are worried by it. Drama ensues thereafter, as does action and the arrival of the unexpected. It’s a slice of Sci-Fi with a side of Teenage Angst.

Allusions to the Lord of the Flies are apparent. One-liners seem a bit rampant, but the joy in the Journey is nevertheless evident. Wes Ball, an upstart Director, does his work to spin a yarn that is both accessible and excitable. The Supporting Cast: Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Will Poulter, etc. do well to flush out the emotional landscape. All in all the Film has the means to capture a younger Audience and lead them into the future. Take a run in the maze yourself and see if it’s something worth getting lost in.

20th Century Fox Canada release THE MAZE RUNNER on Friday, September 19, 2014.