By Nicole Macchio – Entertainment Editor

“The Maze Runner” is the latest book-to-movie adaptation. On its opening weekend, the movie grossed $32.5 million. The YA post-apocalyptic movie is focused on the main character Thomas, played by actor Dylan O’Brien. He wakes up to find his memory has been erased, he doesn’t remember his name, and he has been placed inside a maze with a handful of other boys.

The maze, what the boys call the Glade (making them Gladiers), changes every night and keeps them trapped inside. The boys have been inside the Glade for three years and have made their own society and rules. Thomas comes to the Glade and his avid curiosity and strong headed attitude start to make things change. In this sci-fi film, the action begins at the very beginning and develops quickly thereafter.

Many fans watched this movie because of the book, and they will be pleased with the result. The movie stayed fairly true to the book, except where artistic liberty was needed. The events went by quickly, starting the moment Thomas woke up. Some parts of the plot were fuzzy; for example, the introduction of the girl made no sense to the story whatsoever. Otherwise, the movie was well-rounded.

The special effects in the movie were limited, and for good reason. The movie didn’t need them. The movie rarely used special effects, but when it did, they used them well. One of the monsters keeping the boys inside the maze was Grievers, a mechanical slimy beast that stung its victim before killing him. Where these creators were concerned, they were mostly viewed in the dark or very rapidly moving onscreen making it simple to create a real-looking threat.

Lead actor Dylan O’Brien was a perfect fit for this role. He flawlessly played the stubborn and curious teenage boy who just wanted to be free of the horrors around him. His previous roles included “Teen Wolf,” “The Internship,” and “The First Time” all they prepared him for this role. In each, he was stubborn and adeptly played an awkward teenager. Although Thomas wasn’t as gawky as previous characters O’Brien has played, he did a good job keeping a level head and making his character come to life on screen.

Will Poulter plays Gally, the unequivocal antagonist within the Glade itself. Gally was always butting heads with Thomas, doubting his actions, sticking to traditional ways. He couldn’t accept the changes that came at the same time Thomas did, for starters a girl coming up in the box and people surviving in the maze overnight. Poutler, known for his role in “We’re The Millers,” had to completely change his perspective when making this movie. His character from the previous movie was a dorky kid who only wanted everyone to get along; now he played a boy who knew what is what to be looked up to, to take charge, and Poutler did an exceptional job portraying him.

One interesting dynamic about the movie was that the boys were self-sufficient; they had created a way to live in unbearable conditions with only minimal fights. They all stuck together and the older more equipped boys helped out the younger ones, like Chuck. Chuck played an important role in the movie as a friend and guide to life in the Glade for Thomas, someone that all the boys felt responsible for, especially Thomas.

The film was always moving and constantly kept audiences guessing what was going to happen next – only to surprise them with what actually happened.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

(Photo courtesy themazerunnermovie.com)