THE MAZE RUNNER (M)
★★★½
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What is it with the rush of dystopian young-adult, science-fiction movies lately? Doesn't anyone think there's any hope for the future? Or is this just cunningly designed to appeal to the perennial concern of adolescents that adults are keeping them down while screwing up the world they will inherit?
Anyway, The Maze Runner – based on a book by James Dashner – is intriguing and entertaining. Unlike Divergent and The Hunger Games, the protagonist here is male – indeed, the whole show is heavy on testosterone. A teenager (Dylan O'Brien) wakes up on an elevator with no recollection of who he is or what's happened to him. He is released in a grassy glade to join a bunch of other teenage boys who have suffered the same fate over the past three years. He soon recalls his name Thomas – but nothing else, apart from strange and fragmented dreams that don't seem to make any sense, so the others fill him in on what they know: they're stuck in this place, living a communal lifestyle in which everyone has a part to play, with one new boy arriving every month. They're led by Alby (Aml Ameen), who was the first to arrive.
At one end of the glade is the maze, a massive, mysterious stone structure that opens up each morning and closes each night and is the source of scary noises. Only designated members of the community – known as runners – are allowed to undertake the dangerous task of entering the maze to map it and try to find a way out. Thomas is curious about the maze and – inevitably – he will enter.
The film sets up an interesting scenario, partly reminiscent of Lord of the Flies, although these older boys work together better than their younger, British counterparts, despite the influence of a few, like the belligerent Gally (Will Poulter), who are risk-averse and prone to blame Thomas for certain events that occur – including the arrival of a girl (Kaya Scodelario) with a note saying she will be the last. The young actors are good although some, like Scodelario, seem underused. The creation of the film's world is impressive, with information doled out bit by bit. Some of the revelations in the latter stages seem a bit much and a lot is left unanswered. However, the ending is designed for a sequel, which will presumably fill in some of the blanks.