Movie Review: Maze Runner

Movie Review: Maze Runner

SPOILER ALERT!

Yet again, another YA sci-fi book has been adapted into a movie. Adding to the list, The Maze Runner squeezed right under the Hunger Games and Divergent.

The movie is based on James Dashner’s first installment of his best selling trilogy. The Maze Runner stars Dylan O’ Brien as Thomas, Kaya Schodelario as Teresa, Ki Hing Lee as Minoh, Will Poulter as Gally, Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Newt, Aml Ameen as Alby, and Blake Cooper as Chuck. The cast was a mix of American, English, and South Korean actors who portrayed a group of boys (and one girl) who lived in the Glade, attempting to survive and find a way out of the maze.

One huge thing that was missing from the plot of the movie was Thomas and Teresa’s ability to have telepathic conversations. The Grievers were also a significant difference because the book depicts them as caterpillars that roll, while the movie shows them as robotic spiders. In the book, the Grievers kill off the Gladers one-by-one every night, but in the movie they kill off half of the camp in one night.

The Maze Runner successfully earned 32.5 million dollars in its opening weekend, making it the top movie in the box office. 20th Century Fox announced the release of the second installment of the series, “The Scorch Trials,” before releasing The Maze Runner.

Runtime: 135 minutes

MPAA rating: PG-13

Lion Tales’ Rating: 9/10