Stars Dylan O’Brien, Aml Ameen, Ki Hong Lee, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Will Poulter, Kaya Scodelario, Blake Cooper With Patricia Clarkson Directed by Wes Ball There is a glut of these movies lately (Divergent, The Giver - both of which I passed on), so why did I bother with this one? Well, check this out… That short is why Wes Ball was selected to direct this film, and he brings his visual aesthetic with him to his first major directorial effort. It is especially evident once our character enter the maze itself. So, from a visual stand-point, the movie gives some eye-candy, particularly with the design of the maze itself while reflecting the somewhat dystopian setting. Yes, it’s another one of those slightly sci-fi flicks with teens fighting for survival in either a dystoopian or totalitarian society, based on a trilogy of Young Adult books. A simple catch-phrase that has been attached to this movie is “The Hunger Games meets Lord Of The Flies” - an rather unfair comparison. For one, there is no life or death competition driving the story as in The Hunger Games. Bell himself has described the movie more as "Lord of the Flies meets Lost" a more apt description. The movie opens with our amnesiac lead being deposited into “The Glade” and as he learns about his new surroundings, the audience gets introduced to the world as a whole. The little society that exists is made up of only boys of varying ages - hence the Lord of The Flies reference. The Glade is located at the centre of a massive maze that apparently changes it formation every night. Among the members of the society are the Maze Runners, individuals who enter the maze to explore and find a way out. No prizes for easily guessing where the story heads after that. The set-up and premise is intriguing enough and the young stars deliver superbly on all counts. Dylan O’Brien (from TV’s Teen Wolf) is sympathetic enough as Thomas, our titular lead, whose curiosity of the maze itself becomes the fulcrum that drives the plot, as does the mysteries of the past. Every one of the characters were deposited into The Glade with no past save for their names, and with no rhyme or reason. They simply exist. Standing out among the cast are Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Newt, the second in command, and Will Poulter as Gally, something of a security conscious tough-guy. Poulter shines and continues to prove himself as a powerful young talent since his debut in Son of Rambow followed by The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of The Dawn Treader and being just about the funniest in We’re The Millers. Also notable are Ki Hong Lee as the lead Maze Runner, Aml Ameen as Alby, the leader of the pack and Blake Cooper as Chuck, the youngest member of the tribe. Kaya Scodelario injects a little oestrogen into the proceedings, but the nature of the story - and the pacing by default - leaves no time for any romantic plots or triangles, which is a relief. The creature effects is impressive but the production design of the maze itself takes the cake; it’s very impressive. The action beats work to drive the story even if the plot is a touch predictable. Still, the presentation and direction by Bell works to serve the story and deliver a decent enough movie. Not quite up to The Hunger Games, a touch better than its sequel, though I can’t compare it to the other two movies mentioned earlier. In all, it is better than I expected, and Bell has positioned himself as a director to watch. Rating ***1/2 /5
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