Maze Runner- movie review by Chris Stuckmann

Full-text transcript of the Maze Runner review:

[00:00:00] The Shining plus the Lord of the Flies, plus the labyrinth, minus the humor, the maze runner. So since all of us were begging and salivating for yet another young adult novel to be transitioned to the big screen, we have the maze runner. This is Hollywood’s new thing for sure. Young adult books being transitioned to the big screen. I mean, ever since Harry Potter and Twilight exploded, every book ever there was written for a teen audience that is even remotely popular is going to be on the big screen. The maze runner tells the tale of a group of kids who are locked in this small little area. It’s all trees, all forest. They have to learn how to build everything themselves. They don’t know why they’re there. Their memories are erased of their past. But around this small forest like enclosure is a gigantic maze filled with these things called grievers. They’re all very fearful of going into this maze, even though they know that’s the only way they can escape. There are selected few people called runners who, as you would expect, are very good at running, who are allowed to run through the maze and figure out its various inner workings and what our main character, Thomas, arrives. He starts changing things for the better because there’s just something different about him. So you may have noticed earlier I was sort of talking crap about young adult novels being transitioned to the big screen because that is what is happening nowadays. It seems like there’s one every week. I mean, we just had the giver a few weeks ago.

[00:01:15] And so I walked into this movie very skeptical because lately a lot of these just feel like cash grabs gratefully for a large portion of this movie. It didn’t feel that way at all. I actually thought this was a pretty well directed movie with a very good lead performance by young Dylan O’Brien, who I thought was excellent in the movie. The movie opens very intense. He’s on this elevator’s leading up to this place and all of a sudden all these young kids are looking at him. He has no idea where he is and he has to learn all the rules of this area. He’s making new friends. And then the maze sequences are actually very impressive and a little bit suspenseful. These griever creatures. I like that stuff a lot. Even though the CGI was a little obvious from time to time, some aspects of the Maze Runner, particularly the first two acts I really liked, Wil Poulter is particularly really good in this movie. You may remember him from We’re the Millers, where he played a more comedic role. He was actually really great in this movie and so was Dylan O’Brien, as I said. And their adversary like relationship definitely added something to this movie. That being said, is this movie drew to a close? I thought it lost a lot. I really kind of hated the ending of this movie. And there is a very common defense that I hear for things like this. People say, well, it’s in the book.

[00:02:17] It’s in the book, so, I mean, it’s fine, right? No, this is a film, a filmmaker adapting certain pieces of a book just because they’re in the book doesn’t necessarily mean it works in the movie. The book is its own thing. And if the book works, that’s great. But it’s the filmmakers job to make it work for the big screen. And I didn’t think certain aspects of the way this film ended worked at all. In fact, there is the most obvious. We’re going to have a sequel set up scene than I’ve ever witnessed. I think there’s a line that’s said by a character that sets up this whole sequel thing. That’s the most obvious thing ever. The guy sitting behind me went. It just felt so out of place that felt like Norm MacDonald from Billy Madison was all of a sudden there and he was just like, oh, yeah, there’s got to be another one. My other big problem with the movie is actually the big ending. When you finally find out what’s happening, why everyone can’t remember things, what they’re doing there. It was very predictable. I predicted it from the very beginning. It was like the first thing I thought of, the first rational thing I thought of for why it’s all happening. That’s why it’s happening. And then certain ways that they explain it were the most far fetched things that completely took me out of the movie going experience. It doesn’t matter to me if that’s the way it was in the novel.

[00:03:29] This is a film. I’m critiquing the film, not the book. And the movie just did not make it work. It didn’t make it plausible. It didn’t make it believable. It really sucked me out of the more realistic experience that I had had up to that point. That being said, the movie does look good. There are some really good running chase sequences. The director has a very swift look for this movie and it looks very sleek and it feels fresh a lot of the time. But the drama and the stakes didn’t feel real enough. They didn’t feel high enough. And towards the third act, the way it ended just really deflated it for me. I’m going to go the maze runner a C plus. I like the first and the second act. Dylan O’Brien was good in the movie, as is Will Poulter. It’s a good looking movie, but the third act just really went south for me, unfortunately. So guys, let me know. He thought of the Maze Runner book or the movie. If you’ve seen it already. What’s your opinion on this whole young adult novel to big screen thing, Fifty Shades of Grey, which isn’t even a young adult novel. And that’s coming up. What’s happening? Oh, man. I’m probably gonna have to watch that, too, guys. I also want to give a big thanks to Hulu Plus Dotcom for sponsoring this video and for continuing to sponsor my channel. I really, really appreciate that. If you guys go to Hulu Plus Dotcom, Chris Duckpin, you can get two weeks of Hulu Plus for free.

[00:04:41] My gift to you through Hulu. It’s that easy. I’m just giving you guys two weeks of Hulu Plus for free because you guys are awesome. Definitely check them out. They’re getting the South Park library this September. How incredibly awesome is that? They have tons of original content. The Criterion Collection on Hulu Plus is astounding. It’s really cool for film lovers like you and me. Go to Hulu Plus dotcom slash Chris Duckmanton. You can get two weeks of Hulu Plus for free. My gift to you also really quick, something that I’ve been doing lately for you guys on my Twitter is giving away digital copies of movies that I have because I just want to give things to you guys seriously, like you guys have done so much for me. The least I can do is every once in a while give away a digital copy. I’ve already given away V for Vendetta and the talented Mr. Ripley. And right now I’m giving away my digital copy of the raid to one of the best action movies this year. So far, all you gotta do is go to my Twitter and read tweet this tweet and follow me. That simple. I want to give things to my viewers like you guys are awesome. And you really do mean a lot to me. And I thank you for that as always, guys. Thank you so much for watching. And if you like this, you can click right here and get stuck organized.