The Maze Runner
Based on the best selling novel by
James Dashner, The Maze Runner follows Thomas as he is deposited in a
community of boys after his memory is erased,
soon learning they're all trapped in a maze that will require him to
join forces with fellow "runners" for a shot at escape.
PLOT
The Maze
HECKA SICK!!!! The Maze was honestly
better than I could have ever imagined. I loved that it had different
layers that the runners could crawl through and climb on top of if they
needed to. It made the action sequences so much cooler! Also with The
Maze, the code changed. Many may think that this was a "f-you" to the
book but I like that it was changed. Since there was less time in the
movie to show everything, they added a simpler solution for The Maze. I
thought it worked really well. Also the final shot of The Maze from
above was so cool! It worked really well with the plot and the
characters emotions. And also, it just looked awesome.
Grievers/The
Changing
Several aspects of the Grievers and The changing was
altered. In the movie, no one had seen The Grievers before Thomas and
Minho kill one. Also, no one had gone through The Changing until Ben was
pricked and didn't tell anyone. However the Grievers were extremely
disgusting looking and I applaud whoever designed those things cause I
never want to see one in the flesh. They're just gross.
Gally's
Disappearance
In the book, Gally is taken off by a Griever correct?
So when they escape he is already in WICKED headquarters and that is how
he got a gun. However in the movie he stays behind while the others
leave to find the exit. Then the exit closes off and Gally doesn't have a
key to get to the exit since it was a part of a Griever. So how did
Gally get there in the end? Was he taken down by W|C|K|D officials or
what? It is an obvious plot hole that I am really disappointed in.
Someone needs to clarify.
Thomas/Theresa Telepathy
Thank god. I hate voice overs so that would have drove me crazy. However
you lost the sense that they knew each other and had a connection.
Would have liked to see Theresa know more about W|C|K|D. Also the scene right after
Theresa woke up and was throwing things at the boys was the best! I laughed so hard!
Bon
Fire
I really liked this addition. It added a sense of community and showed how
the boys have really evolved since getting put in The Glade. They are
having this giant celebration with booze, music, and just fun. It
worked.
WICKED vs W|C|K|D
They changed how 'WICKED'
was presented in the movie It still meant generally the same thing,
however I think visually, W|C|K|D looks better. And movies are a visual
medium.
Wall of Names
LOVE THIS IDEA. I thought it
was so great that there was a wall of all the Gladers names, and as they
disappeared or died someone would cross off the name. It really added
something to the story.
Glader Slang
I was really
disappointed with how little Glader slang was used in the movie. Other
than Thomas being called a "greenie" and a few people saying "klunk" or
"shank" that was pretty much it. They still used modern slang like
"asshole" and stuff.
Humor
I thought there was a
good balance of humor for when the movie needed it. It was not too
overpowering but it was still there so the movie didn't get too heavy.
The Banishment
I listed the Banishment as one of the scenes in the movie that I was most excited for and I have to say it lived up to the hype! I loved every second of it! It was SO GOOD!
FINAL VERDICT
This was not the best adaptation I
have ever seen. It's just a fact. However, even though some plot points
were changed around, I still thought this was a good movie. The overall
ideas were there and the same feeling you got when you read the book was
there. I still say that everyone who is a fan of the book will ike the
movie. Just don't go in expecting it to follow the book word by word,
because if you do, you will be disappointed. I loved it! I want to see
it again, and I probably will. As a movie I give it a 9.5, as an
adaptation, I give it a 7.
Watch out for more news on The Scorch Trails, the sequel to The Maze Runner, coming to theaters in September of 2015.
-Shawnee Smith
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