The Maze Runner, directed by Wes Ball, is an action packed thrill ride that provides a straightforward, more simple look at the original book. The movie combines drama, suspense, action, a little bit of comedy and sci-fi to make a movie that will satisfy all viewing groups. The one problem I experienced was how the events in the movie skip around quite a bit compared to the book.

I have read the first and second book, The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials. Anyone who has read the first book will realize that the events in the movie are out of order. If you are not expecting the movie to be completely accurate to the book, then your experience will be phenomenal. On the flip side, if you are expecting it to be exactly like the book, then you are in for quite an awkward time at the movies.

If you are sensitive of spoilers, the next four paragraphs are spoiler heavy. Please skip to the eighth paragraph if you are not ready to hear the plot of the movie.

The Maze Runner is a movie showcasing the life of Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) in a gigantic glade surrounded by the world’s biggest maze. Everybody in The Glade has had their memories wiped, leaving them only with their name. With a seemingly impossible puzzle, the “Gladers” face many problems.

The maze moves every night, making it harder and harder to memorize. Although these problems seem quite prevalent, the biggest problem they face are the Greavers.

The Greavers only come out at night, making them the reason that the maze runners go back to The Glade daily. Greavers are giant spider like monsters, with slimy bug like bodies and mechanical robotic arms, that sting their prey, infecting them with their poison. When someone is stung, they go through something called “The Changing”, which makes them lose their mind, but also receive memories of their past life, and visions as well.

Thomas goes through the changing, and receives an injection that saves him, and the new found memories of his past life. He and the only female Glader, Teresa (Kaya Scodelario) are found out to be associated with the group of scientists called WCKD (or WICKED) who put the gladers in the place that they currently stood, as a test to study brain activity. The Gladers were also used by the scientist to develop a cure for the new sun flare caused disease, The Flare (further described in the second book, The Scorch Trials).

Even though the movie is not completely book accurate, it does cover most of the book very well, just in a jumbled order. However, I personally understand where the director was coming from, because of the small amount of time that was received to make a long book into a two hour movie. If the audience would think of it in this way, it would be easier to see why the events are in a very different order than the book.

The movie ends with Thomas and the Gladers escaping the maze, and completing the trials they were put on. Even though there is a second trial ahead of them, there is a great joy of escaping the almost impossible task.

Overall, The movie, The Maze Runner is well worth watching if you aren’t expecting it to be exactly like the book (as most movies are not). I rate this movie four stars, for it is well put together for such a lack of time. The movie also has a spectacular soundtrack! The amount of action and special effects is phenomenal, and the drama and suspense are quite similar to that of the book, making it one of my personal favorite movies of 2014.

The Maze Runner is rated P-13 for intense elements, thematic events and some sci-fi violence.

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For more reviews, read the May 13 article, Lewis interprets mythology, changes point of view