Maze Runner, based on the book written by James Dashner, centers around a group of kids alone and being tested in a post-apocalyptic world. Yes, this does sound like half the other movies and shows coming out doesn’t it? The protagonist, Thomas (Dylan O’Brien), begins the movie in an elevator accelerating upwards. The doors open and he’s in a meadow surrounded by other kids. The catch is, like the others before him, he’s lost his memory except for his name.

Right out of the gate (see what I did there?) he makes an enemy of Gally (Will Poulter) but manages to befriend most the rest of the camp including the leader Alby (Aml Ameen) and the awkward Chuck (Blake Cooper). While being shown around the camp by Chuck, Thomas notices the maze: massive walls that pen in the children with the only way out being into the maze.

Everyone explains to Thomas how no one is supposed to leave the camp except for the Runners, whose job it is to map out the maze and try to find a way out. Thomas finds out why the maze is restricted to the camp when a Runner is stung by a Griever; a large, stinging monster that inhabits the maze at night

To make things worse, the same elevator that brought Thomas and the rest of the guys into the maze comes up again, this time for the last time. It leaves a girl, Theresa (Kaya Scodelario) with a note saying “She is the last one”, which lets the boys know that their monthly ration of supplies from the mysterious people sending up the elevator will no longer exist.

Thomas starts to take charge alongside Alby, trying to find a way for them all to survive.

As well as the book did, and as good a read as the book was, I can’t say that I was as impressed as I could have been with the film. It left you wanting more from the ending, even the book did that. It was very obviously made with a sequel in mind.

The overall acting was good; Kaya Scodelario and Dylan O’Brien did very convincing jobs of being terrified when the elevator opened up to the strange world in the maze and they had no memories.

Acting besides, everything seemed a little cookie cutter. The escapes from the Grievers were cool but lacked a scare factor of “oh man, he might not make it!” Thomas seemed to adequately know the maze, while having never having been in it before, on his first time under attack from the Grievers to escape them. He was pushing through tight spaces, jumping from ledge to ledge, very typical action film staples.

The entirety of the movie reeked of a run of the mill action film that could have been made better had it followed the book better and emphasized the creative factors that make the series unique rather than going for cool action and drama.