Monday 11 May 2015

Monday Movie Madness: The Maze Runner

So I've decided to try out a new feature on my blog, and as you've probably already guessed from the title, it's going to be about movies ;). Since the A to Z Challenge ended I've been trying to think up ways of keeping my blogging schedule going, so this weekend I sat down and had a brainstorm for blogging ideas, other than just writing about my, well, writing. I managed to come up with a couple of ideas I hope you'll like :).

The first of these ideas is Movie Madness - a post that will hopefully (if all goes to plan and I don't lose interest like I did with my book reviews feature...) take place every Monday. The idea behind it to have a chat about any movies I've watched over the past week - because believe me, I watch A LOT. While I'll endeavour to keep this as a weekly feature, I'm not going to put a load of pressure on myself; if I watch a film, great, if not, well I'm sure I can think of something else to blog about.

I'm actually more excited to show you the badge I made especially for this feature. It occurred to me during the A to Z Challenge that when I blog, I really don't tend to use pictures which can make my posts look a bit boring. So I've decided to jazz it up a bit:



What do you think? Is it weird that I'm strangely proud of it...?

Anyway, let's move on to the actual point of this feature: films. The movie I want to talk about this week is The Maze Runner.



The Maze Runner is a film based on the popular YA book series by James Dashner. It follows the story of Thomas, who has no recollection of who he is or where he comes from. When he wakes up in The Glade, an encampment surrounded by a terrifying stone maze, it's up to him and the other boys imprisoned there to find their way out before it's too late. But with the maze resetting itself every day, and terrible creatures called Grievers roaming the corridors at night, is it already too late for them to escape?

I haven't read this series, but despite my reservations from the reviews I've read about the books, I did enjoy the film. The story was fast and action-packed, and there was always something going on which kept my interest. Thomas' relationships to the other boys was fascinating; I loved seeing how he interacted with those boys who had been in The Glade for three years and how they took to his presence. Some of them welcomed him with open arms, others, well, not so much.

However, I do have to admit that there were a couple of things I didn't enjoy so much. For one, I had to look up the name of the main character as I wrote this post because he was kinda forgettable. He seemed like your average YA hero - pretty to look at, but not an awful lot going on behind the scenes. When he enters The Glade, the other boys deliberately keep important information from him, which he seems to accept without too much of a fight. If it was me, I'd be screaming at them to tell me what was going on.

While I did enjoy the overall premise of the film, I couldn't help feeling like it was all a tad ridiculous. Apparently this story is set in a dystopian world which has been ravaged by nuclear war...that's pretty much all we're told in the film, and I couldn't help feeling like if this world was real, surely the government wouldn't squander resources on a giant maze designed to kill the youngest and healthiest survivors of the human race? Can you imagine how much manpower, building materials and time it would take to build this:



Maybe this idea and the concept behind the maze is explored in more depth in the books, but I wasn't very satisfied by the lack of explanation in the film.

Overall, despite making me scoff a few times (such as when one boy unveils a miniature wooden sculpture he's managed to craft of the maze - tell me, how was this possible if the maze is always changing?) this film isn't bad - if you're looking for a bit of escapism for a rainy afternoon and you enjoy other YA films such as Divergent or The Hunger Games, then you'll definitely enjoy this too.

Have you seen the Maze Runner? What did you think of it? Have you read the books? What films have you been watching this week?

20 comments:

  1. I have neither read the books nor seen the movie. I have the books, though. Just haven't gotten around to reading them yet.

    I watched the movie Sneakers this past week. It's a film from 1992 (starring Robert Redford) that I just love. I saw it on the TV listings and just had to stop and watch it.

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    1. I haven't heard of Sneakers, I'll have to look it up :). I love 90's films. Let me know what you think of the books when you get round to them!

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  2. I have both good and bad things about this movie and the books. I haven't read them or seen the movie. I think I'd see the movie before picking up the books, but that's only because I usually don't read the trendy books.

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    1. From what I can gather, the film is *apparently* better than the books - which is a surprise as I often find it's the other way round! But I'll have to read the book and see :).

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  3. I have both good and bad things about this movie and the books. I haven't read them or seen the movie. I think I'd see the movie before picking up the books, but that's only because I usually don't read the trendy books.

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  4. Hahahaha! I'm such a space cadet when it comes to films... basically if something is entertaining, then I love it. I'm never the one thinking hard about plot holes and inconsistencies. It's only when someone points it out that I'm like, "Oh duh." *face palm*

    But you're totally right about all those resources... and the mini maze. HA! I guess the books explained things better... (at least I think they do... it's been a while since I've read them). Anyway, you should still read the books, I thought they were pretty good!

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    1. Hahaha! I'm normally the same! It's only if it's completely glaringly obvious that I'll notice it lol. Cool, I'll definitely check the books out :)

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  5. I'm like you. Too much of a skeptic to suspend my believe and enjoy most YA films like Divergent, Maze Runner and The Hunger Games.

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    1. I didn't used to be so bad - normally I really like them and I'm willing to let a lot go if the film is entertaining, but maybe I've just seen too many films of similar genre/theme lately :(.

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  6. I guess the film would be a good bit of fun but I'm not sure I'd read the books. Anything that's a big deal I don't tend to take to... Harry Potter, Twilight, Divergent, yes I've tried the books of all these and seen a few of the films... Hunger Games I haven't and will probably skip too! On the other hand, I think your blog badge is pretty cool and I think you could get some other people joining in with Movie Madness, you should open it up!

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    1. I'm a complete sucker for YA trends lol!! Or I used to be...since Divergent, I haven't really found anything else 'big' that's completely captivated me. I think my expectations are so high, I can't help but be disappointed. Thanks :)! I'll see if I continue with it, and if I do, I might open it up :)

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  7. I haven't seen The Maze Runner, but I heard it's awesome. I do think films like this are for people who really loved the book, otherwise all those little characteristics don't come though and the MC can start to feel like an Average Joe.

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    1. That's exactly how I felt - I was like, what's the big deal with this guy? And yet, I absolutely love Tris/Katniss, but that's because I love the books!

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  8. I haven't seen The Maze Runner, but I heard it's awesome. I do think films like this are for people who really loved the book, otherwise all those little characteristics don't come though and the MC can start to feel like an Average Joe.

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  9. If I weren't so worn out on the dystopian stuff, I probably would love this one!

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    1. I know what you mean - when you've got your dystopian mojo back, I definitely think you should watch it :)

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  10. I agree with Stephanie! I've seen bits of this movie, and I wasn't really that interested in the books, though my younger siblings loved them. I'm kinda done with dystopian plots at the moment.

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    1. I feel your pain - dystopian can be great, but it is starting to wear a little thin now. Once you've had a break from the genre, you should try and watch the film again and let me know what you think :)

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  11. My sister loved this movie and hopes they make more in the future. I enjoyed it too. You should be proud of your badge. Monday Movie Madness sounds like a great idea to me. Congratulations!

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    1. I have a feeling I heard somewhere that they're making a second film, but I could be wrong! Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you :)!! Let's hope I can continue it haha

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