The Maze Runner

The Gist: Thomas wakes up with total amnesia surrounded by a bunch of other guys around his age. Their living space is enclosed by very tall stone walls that border an enormous maze from which they tell him no one ever escapes. Thomas decides to try to solve the maze in order to break free, but the maze has a will of its own.

The Maze Runner is based on the book of the same title. It's a young adult novel that spawned a series and has been turned into a movie after the amazing success of The Hunger Games.

While The Maze Runner doesn't match the Games movies (neither in terms of interesting story nor at the box office), it's still a rather well made thriller with a few nice twists and some decent acting. Oh, and a lot of eye candy...

Super cutie Dylan O'Brien struck gold by landing top billing on this series, and does an admirable job of delivering lines in a credible way, even when they're a bit trite. Patricia Clarkson, a very good actress, is chillingly good in the role of is-she-isn't-she the villain.

The Bottom Line: The Maze Runner is a rather enjoyable popcorn movie, just don't expect too much from it.

Grade: 6