• The Maze Runner (2014) -- Entertaining waste of a compelling concept with annoying characters, 5/10. ~~ Movie Night Reviews ~~ Your host, and film critic Jonathan Paula reviews everything from opening day releases, recent DVDs, upcoming trailers, and classics from years past. Each "Quick Review" is an excerpt from a full episode, which airs on the Jogwheel channel every week. ~~ Watch More Reviews ~~ Browse By Year ----- ****** Browse By Rating --- ****** Trailer r Reviews ------- ****** ~~ Other Channels ~~ Jogwheel (Main channel) --- ****** Jon's World (2nd channel) -- ****** The Microwave Show --------- ****** uStream Live Shows ---------- ****** ~~ Social Media & Merch ~~ Twitter ---------------------------- ****** Facebook ----------------------- ****** Instagram ----------------------- ****** Patreon -------------------------- ****** Letterboxd ---------------------- ****** T-Shirts -------------------------- ****** ~~ Technical Credits ~~ Created by ------ Jonathan Paula Camera ---------- Panasonic HMC-150 Microphone ----- Sennheiser ME 66 Software --------- Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2014 Computer ------- ****** • Jogwheel Productions © 2014 • ~~ Review Script ~~ The inaugural installment in a brand new young-adult film series, this picture was released stateside on September 19, 2014 - where it earned $340 million, ten times its modest budget. Based on James Dashner's novel of the same name, this science fiction dystopian action thriller was directed by Wes Ball. It's the same old song-and-dance we've seen a half dozen times before: blending elements of "The Cube" with "Divergent" and/or "The Hunger Games" into a lesser, and more familiar effort. In an unspecified time - I'm guessing the distant future - a group of teenage boys struggle to survive inside a small forest community, that's completely surrounded by a gigantic "maze". Each member of the 'Lord Of The Flies'-esque group is given a responsibility, with the strongest and fastest of the lot assigned to run the maze itself; mapping it for clues, information, or a possible exit. This concept is intriguing enough, but it's handled with such mediocrity and lack of sincerity, it's hard to take seriously, let alone fear. The cast of hunky adolescents are led by Dylan O'Brien, who besides looking ten years old than his 16-year-old character, does a generally poor job of convincing anyone he's leading-man material. His co-stars are nothing but a bunch of overly macho, Henley-wearing idiots trying to figure out why they don't remember life before they became the proverbial rat chasing the cheese. As the resident bully, Will Poulter is particularly irritating: constantly obfuscating progress with his boneheaded stubbornness and weird looking eyebrows. I just wanted to reach into the screen and punch him in his stupid pug-nose. Introduced halfway through, Kaya Scodelario - a poor man's Kirsten Stewart - offers nothing to the story, not even a trite romance plot. Annoyingly, everything in the young-adult novel adaptation has to have some dumb proper-noun name... the "Grievers", the "Changing", the "Box", the "Creators", the... how about "Just Stop Already"? Despite its exposition-heavy first act, and attractive meatbags who can barely act... this PG-13 rated picture does deliver some unique thrills and serious action towards the end. A sequence where O'Brien and his requisite minority friend are quickly navigate a series of closing gates is quite exciting, and shot particularly well. But it's frustrating that despite the size and scope of this gigantic arena: no one ever actually gets lost in it... in fact, they seem to know their way around in the dark rather effortlessly. Moreover: it never poses a threat to any of the characters... it's just a bunch of cold-looking concrete, covered in moss, with the occasional obstacle course. It feels less like a "Maze" and more like one of Double Dare's "physical challenges". Too bad Marc Summer wasn't around to narrate for us. Indeed, one individual warns our hero that "No one survives a night in the maze."... but guess what happens the next time someone gets trapped in there? And while it sets up a pointless sequel (ugh...) the picture does at least provide a solid resolution to the bizarre questions you find yourself asking during its 113 minute run time. The somewhat believable narrative chugs along with some forgettable music and ideas: but redeems itself with a sharp and distinctive visual style. Fans of dime-a-dozen dystopian dramas will feel right at home with "The Maze Runner", which is an entertaining waste of a compelling concept with annoying characters. I thought it was just ALRIGHT. ~