Aerin Johnson
Editor in Chief
I hurried myself and sister in the AMC Theater. We were already running late but made it in to the theater during the credits. I sat down quickly with anticipation.
I had waited since eighth grade to see this. The lights became dim, my focus went to the screen, where played the opening scene of “The Maze Runner.”
“The Maze Runner,” originally a book series by James Dashner, came out on Sept. 19. It is one of the many movies based off dystopian novels that have come out as movies in the past few years (including titles such as “The Giver,” “The Hunger Games” and “Divergent”).
In the beginning, Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) enters the Glade, a small area surrounded by the huge walls of the ever changing Maze. Thomas enters the Glade with no memories of who he is or where he came from. He learns from Alby (AmlAmeen), the leader of the Gladers (an all the young men who arrive in the Glade via box), where he is and how the place works. Soon, the Gladers’ lives are interrupted when a Maze Runner (a person who searches the Maze for a way out) gets stung by a Griever (the creatures who run through the Maze). After that Alby is stung and a young woman is sent up in the box. The Gladers don’t know what to make of it, but life as they know it is over.
The effects in this movie are horrifyingly outstanding. The grievers are simply terrifying looking like something out of the movie “Alien.” They are referred to when Thomas first enters the Glade, but you never see one until he enters the Maze. Even though you know the griever is coming it still scares you. When you first see the Maze move, you begin to feel the same anticipation Thomas does as he runs through it.
Though there are many differences between the book and the movie, both are amazing. If you are stickler and have to stick to the rules set by the book (I have many a friend who acts as such), don’t go see it unless you haven’t read the book for a while. However, if you’re like me or haven’t read the book (it’s okay if you haven’t!) and just want to see a good action movie, go! It’s exciting, though sometimes a bit slow paced, and you’re sure to get in deep.
The movie was directed by Wes Ball. “The Maze Runner” is PG-13 and is 113 minutes long.
