maze runner christian movie review

The Maze Runner

Reviewed by: David Criswell, Ph.D. CONTRIBUTOR

FEAR, Anxiety and Worry —What does the Bible say? Answer

bravery, courage

Play our MAZES (in our KidExplorers section)

Sequels: “ Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials ” (2015) and Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018)

“M aze Runner” is the latest in a long line of Young Adult Fiction novels being converted into big screen adaptations. Without the expense of a big Hollywood star and the following of the books, Hollywood can make relatively low budget films and still yield big budget returns. Of course, this is not B-movie, and its budget reflects that. “The Maze Runner” is a suspenseful film that will appeal to its target audience, but it is also a film which touches upon much much more. I say “touches” because its true message is never fully explored in the film.

In “The Maze Runner,” teenage boys appear with no memory of the past. They find themselves in a plush Glade with only one escape, a giant maze which holds deadly creatures, called “Grievers,” who kill all who venture into the maze. When a new boy appears and begins to question the “rules” which were created to protect the citizens of the Glade, things begin to change. Is there a way out of the Glade? What is the reason that they were all placed in the Glade? What is their purpose?

Sometimes when a book is translated into a movie a lot is lost in translation. “The Maze Runner” is a fine film, but I fear that the book contains much allegory and messages which were lost in this adaptation. Without having read the book, I can only speculate, but “The Maze Runner” is filled with subtleties lost in celluloid. The most obvious is that “The Maze Runner” is ***SPOILER*** about humans who are really test subjects in a giant maze, like mice in an experiment. ***END SPOILER*** Of course, you probably knew that from watching the trailers. This very issue stirs up many questions.

Characters from the film ponder if they are really in control of their lives or if someone else is controlling things. Are things “meant to be?” To what extent do we have control in our lives. It also explores issues in the human race, such as complacency, fear of change, and apathy. Some people have become so used to the way things are in the “Glade” (the plush land to which the children are trapped) that they no longer truly wish to escape. Subconsciously, and even consciously, they don’t want to leave, for they are more afraid of the unknown and of change than of the horrors they have grown accustomed to.

In terms of parental guidance, it is clear that this film is targeted to teens, not children. The film is far to intense and violent for young children. In fact, this film would surely have been rated R for some violent scenes in years past. The most obvious is the scene of a dead Griever whose body appears like road kill. One of the boys even picks up its organs to pull a piece of equipment out (the creatures are half animal and half machine). Other scenes of violence, including some blood, are prevalent, but the goriest parts involve the Maze creatures.

There is no sex in the film, as there is only one woman in the entire film. Her part doubtless expands in the sequels, but in this film there is no romance to be had. It is therefore likely to appeal to young men more than young women. Language is also minimal, with cuss words being “shank,” “G*d-d*mn” (2), OMG (1), hell (8), damn (2), s-words, *ss (2), and SOB (1).

One other issue which appears in the film is never resolved (setting it up for a sequel), but it involves the phrase “wicked is good ” which is often repeated, and appears in the dreams of the hero. I cannot reveal much more without at least a minor spoiler, but it does appear that the film’s characters are “gray” rather than reflecting truly good and evil. Such is the result of human sin . The viewer may take this as he chooses, for the plot is not resolved at the end of the film.

“The Maze Runner” is a film which will appeal to fans of suspense and mild horror. It is also a science fiction film with many analogies and subcontext themes which never fully emerge in the film. It can certainly bring up important topics such as a predestination and free will, as well as our desire to accept the familiar and becoming too comfortable with what we have known our whole lives. Jesus does not ask us not to question our world or surroundings, but to trust that there is an answer whether we know it or not. Faith is about trust, not ignorance. Jesus wants us to seek answers, but those answers are to be found in Him. Of course, these words are no where to be found in the film, but context makes them appropriate topics for teenage kids who will see the movie.

Violence: Extreme / Profanity: Moderate / Sex/Nudity: Minor

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers .

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Maze runner series: a christian response.

High octane, fast-paced adventure books for teens , the Maze Runner books raise interesting questions if readers can stop long enough to ponder.

The Maze Runner Series by James Dashner. Delacorte.

• The Maze Runner . 2009. 375 pages.
• The Scorch Trials . 2010. 394 pages.
• The Death Cure . 2011. 368 pages.
• ( The Kill Order ; a prequel. 2012. Not covered in this review.)
• ( The Fever Code ; another prequel. 2016. Not covered in this review.)

Reading Level : Teens , ages 12-15

Recommended For : Teens, ages 14 and up

When Thomas arrives in the Glade, in a box, he is utterly bewildered. All he remembers is his first name. No other memories: no last name, no parents or family, no idea where he is or why. The other boys in the Glade only increase his confusion as they talk in words he doesn’t know, about things he doesn’t know (“Grievers” and the “Maze”). Thomas is a smart kid who catches on quickly; he’s also a spunky kid who refuses to back down from bullies or shirk the duties of justice.

The boys are trapped in a Glade surrounded by high walls. Outside the walls, the Maze surrounds them on all sides. The goal: to escape the Maze. As Thomas regains memories, reconnects with a girl named Theresa, and uses his brain, he suddenly see the way out. But the way out demands supreme faith and courage. In succeeding books, Thomas and his friends must continue to bring to bear all their reserves of courage and wisdom as they continue to seek a way out, a way forward.

Big Questions in the Maze Runner Books

The Maze Runner books, at their core, raise big questions: Who do we trust? How do we know who to trust? How do we even know what is really true? What is reality? Who are our friends? And yet, the Maze Runner books are so chock full of action (including zombie-esque “Cranks,” a lab-created disease called the Flare, crazy technological weapons, nefarious government organizations, drastic climate change from sun flares, and more), that the deeper questions get a little buried. Readers barely have time to process what has just happened before they’re racing, alongside Thomas, through yet a new danger. As is often the case with series like this, the first book is the best and works as a stand alone. The successive books get caught up in the action and spinning readers along without satisfying conclusions. Readers are left with more questions than answers.

These books are BIG business. Movies have been made, and the books are best sellers. They’re worth reading alongside your teens if “all” their friends are reading them. Sure the language is crass. Yes, they’re crazy violent in parts. But overall, they are relatively tame compared to much teen literature, especially when compared with other zombie stories or dystopian/apocalyptic stories. Quick reads, they will appeal to reluctant readers, readers who may be struggling to keep up, or readers who have such a heavy academic load that they need a little “brain candy” at the end of the day. But do take the time to ask your teens what they think. Probe a bit deeper: there is no adult authority in this series that Thomas and his friends can trust. It’s up to them, and they continually have to choose NOT to trust the authority figures. The Maze Runner series alone isn’t going to cause teens to reject authority, but a steady diet of similar titles starts to plant seeds….

Considerations:

• Violence : People are wounded and die, often in gruesome ways. The series as a whole is quite violent.
• Images : Plenty of blood and assorted graphic imagery is used for the violence. These books aren’t illustrated, but there IS a movie version.
• Language : Very minimal profanity/vulgarity in terms of the usual words we suspect, but copious made-up slang terms that are transparent stand-ins for the usual suspects (in terms of vulgarity; there is little to no real profanity). For example, “klunk” is used in the following scenarios: “Go take a klunk.” “Klunkhead.” Etc.
• Sexuality: Overall, these books are pretty tame for a contemporary young adult series. A little kissing here and there; Thomas finds himself conflicted over two young women and obviously wishes for more of a relationship with them, but it’s portrayed more as a genuine relationship rather than simply lustful thoughts. All in all, it’s very much in keeping with the average teen sensibilities.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5

• Worldview/Moral Rating: 3 out of 5
• Literary/Artistic Rating: 3 out of 5

Related Reading From Redeemed Reader

• A Resource: Lord of the Flies : a Christian Response
• A Review : MindWar by Andrew Klavan , another sci-fi thriller for teens (but one that is highly recommended)
• A Review: Shepherd Suspense Novels by Andrew Huff , real-world action that reads like a movie (fast-paced, nail-biting!)

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• Entertainment /

Movies & TV

The maze runner: movie review.

Feeling trapped? Discover the path to true freedom.

I’ve seen the future. There are a few dozen teenage boys and a giant concrete wall.

That’s the grim reality of The Maze Runner , the latest young adult novel to be snatched by Hollywood and churned into a new franchise for tweens and teens.

What's The Maze Runner all about?

The Maze Runner begins in a rising elevator. Lead teen Thomas (O’Brien) wakes up with no recollection of his past, and is “delivered” to The Glade, a place occupied by sharp-stick-carrying adolescent boys that sits next to a concrete maze. There’s much confusion at camp – the gents have very little understanding of why they are there, or the purpose of the labyrinth. A couple of the boys are “runners” who check out the maze by day but must exit before night because as we’re so plainly warned, nobody has ever survived a night in the maze.

Of course, until now.

Determined Thomas isn’t keen to sit around all day in the forest. He wants answers. He manages to twist the arms of the other boys to let him run the ever-shifting maze, fighting off Grievers (think a rejected Michael Bay idea for some weird spider-style Transformers) in the process.

Mysterious walls and mediocre acting

The one thing that The Maze Runner has going for it is the mystery. I hadn’t read the novel so I really had no idea what to expect behind the concrete walls. And even though clues are revealed slowly, don’t expect all the answers before a sequel. You have been warned.

Conceptually, it’s quite a different beast to other book adaptations however what it misses is a strong lead. O’Brien doesn’t have the acting chops of Shailene Woodley in Divergent or Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games and so I often found myself not really caring for his plight. The action plods along at points and is really let down by forced, unimaginative dialogue that explains things that don’t need explaining.

The path to true freedom

The inhabitants of The Glade are vulnerable in their society. They rely on the elevator to bring them goods, they have no idea how to get out, and nobody can remember much beyond three years ago other than their name. But it’s clear there’s something greater out there. The maze is spoken of like a force, or a god, and is feared as such. The boys try and work out patterns, clues, in the hope that one day they might escape the monotony of life and truly be free. Freedom is the goal, but they don’t know how to obtain it.

Our God isn’t a nasty force that keeps secrets of freedom to himself, but actually delights in sharing his plan of salvation with us. He revealed himself and his plan in his Son Jesus who died to give us freedom from the punishment our rebellion against him deserves. We are no longer held captive by our sin, but we are set free. Colossians 1:22-23:

But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.

Our Bibles reveal to us so much about God’s plan of salvation. When we trust in Jesus, we aren’t trapped in a maze or stuck in a rut, distant from God anymore. We are made right again, freed from our sin, and freed from accusation.

To be free we need to trust in Christ and in him alone. I think it’s incredible that our loving God delights in revealing this wonderful news to us.

This review was originally published at  Reel Gospel .

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The maze runner, common sense media reviewers.

Dystopian tale offers high-stakes action, mystery for teens.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

The movie encourages challenging authority and que

Thomas is an exemplary role model because he's

Violence is on par with the source books and simil

Occasional language includes "s--t," &qu

The guys in the Glade drink an unspecified drink t

Parents need to know that The Maze Runner is based on the first novel in James Dashner's best-selling young adult trilogy. The movie, like the book, is a cross between Lord of the Flies , Ender's Game, and The Hunger Games and should appeal to fans of the books and of star…

Positive Messages

The movie encourages challenging authority and questioning complacency -- to take risks when necessary and to defend the powerless. Themes include courage, friendship, and teamwork.

Positive Role Models

Thomas is an exemplary role model because he's willing to risk his position in the group, his safety, and even his life to help lead the others out of the Maze. He makes friends and alliances easily and is able to stand up against authority, voice his doubts, and question why the boys have complacently remained in the Glade when they should have been searching for a way out of their imprisonment. Alby is a kind and generous leader who wants to do what's best for the members of the Glade, and Min-ho and Newt are both courageous and curious members of the group.

Violence & Scariness

Violence is on par with the source books and similar YA-based dystopian thrillers. Teens rally together to kill huge, mechanized, spider-like monsters called Grievers. Characters die from being stung or otherwise killed by the Grievers; others die after being shot or speared, and a whole roomful of adults is found dead. The scenes of the Grievers killing the boys are particularly frightening and horrific.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Occasional language includes "s--t," "a--hole," "son of a bitch," "bastards," "damn," and "oh my God!"

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

The guys in the Glade drink an unspecified drink that's strong and makes Thomas scrunch up his face, but it's unclear whether it's alcohol or not.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Maze Runner is based on the first novel in James Dashner 's best-selling young adult trilogy. The movie, like the book, is a cross between Lord of the Flies , Ender's Game , and The Hunger Games and should appeal to fans of the books and of star Dylan O'Brien ( Teen Wolf ). There's more strong language ("s--t," "a--hole," "bitch") in the movie than in the book, which featured mostly made up curse words like "shuck" and "klunk." Unlike many other popular teen movies, The Maze Runner doesn't highlight a central romance (at least in this installment), but it definitely includes the same amount of intense violence -- some of it teen on teen, some of it creature on teen, and much of it weapons based. Characters die, and the scenes in which the mechanized Grievers kill the boys are particularly disturbing. Main character Thomas is a strong role model, helping his friends and standing up to authority when necessary. And there are clear themes of teamwork, courage, and friendship. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (40)
• Kids say (254)

Based on 40 parent reviews

Very violent and involving gang killing of a boy

What's the story.

THE MAZE RUNNER is a dystopian thriller based on James Dashner 's best-selling YA book trilogy. The action starts immediately, with an elevator taking a scared teenage guy, Thomas ( Dylan O'Brien ), up into the unknown. When the doors open, he's introduced to the Glade, a mysterious all-boy commune surrounded by an even more mysterious Maze that changes every day and is home to killer mechanized bugs called "Grievers." Every month, the elevator delivers supplies and a new amnesiac resident. None of the imprisoned boys can remember anything but their names, with the newest guy being Thomas. He learns that the Glade residents are divided into groups with specific jobs -- builders, farmers, healers, and the bravest of the group, the runners who go out into the Maze hoping to map it. Thomas' arrival coincides with a series of strange occurrences, the strangest of which is the too-soon arrival of another "greenie," a girl ( Kaya Scodelario ) who has a note attached to her. ("She's the last one ever.") Realizing that their prospects of surviving without any more supplies are slim, Thomas convinces a small group to face the dangers of the Maze and look for a way out of their bizarre captivity.

Is It Any Good?

As adaptations go, this one is quite faithful to the book, which should please its loyal readers. But those who haven't read the book may be dissatisfied with the lack of fully developed characters and overly compressed pacing. The story's types and tropes will seem familiar to anyone who's seen other YA-based dystopian movies: the super-precocious protagonist who can do exceptional things (in this case, accomplish in three or four days what the rest of the guys couldn't in two or three years); the sense that the adolescents are pawns of cruel, unfeeling adults; the violence that leaves teens dead; and the idea that no one really knows what's going on. Unlike Divergent and Hunger Games , which explain what happened to the post-apocalyptic society from the start, The Maze Runner is more of a pin-hole mystery -- you find out little by little what's actually happening until the very end, and even then, it's just a primer for a second installment.

O'Brien has always been a standout actor (he routinely steals the show on Teen Wolf ) . Here he's good at the connections with the other guys, all of whom are played well by the cast of young actors -- particularly head runner Minho (Ki Hong Lee), leader Alby (Aml Ameen), second-in-command Newt ( Thomas Brodie-Sangster ), and the youngest of the Gladers, chubby and charming Chuck (Blake Cooper). The problem is that there's not much depth to the many supporting characters because the movie focuses solely on Thomas, whom the audience doesn't know (he doesn't know himself) but still has to root for, since he's the only one willing to break rules to get out of the Glade. Then there's Scodelario, a nuanced young actress ( Wuthering Heights ) who's wasted on the tiny role of Teresa, the only girl ever to be sent to the Glade (this isn't Peeta and Katniss or Tris and Four). The action sequences are genuinely heart-pumping (and violent), but the overall story falls a bit flat once it's clear that the Lord of the Flies aspect is secondary to the mystery of who or why these boys are in this horrible prison. Those hoping for a satisfying solution will have to keep their fingers crossed that a second movie will be made ... or just resign themselves to the fact that some of these first books work as standalone stories, and some have to be experienced in their entirety to make sense.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the popularity of movies based on dystopian YA novels. Why do you think adaptations like The Maze Runner are so appealing?

For those who've read the Maze Runner book, how does the movie compare? Was it faithful, or did the movie go in a different, unexpected direction? What was left out that you missed, and what was added that you enjoyed?

There's more language in the movie than in the book. Do you think language is as important concern compared to violence and sex? Why or why not?

How did the movie's violence impact you? How does it compare to what you've seen in other, similar movies?

Which characters are role models ? What character strengths do they demonstrate?

Movie Details

• In theaters : September 19, 2014
• On DVD or streaming : December 16, 2014
• Cast : Dylan O'Brien , Thomas Brodie-Sangster , Kaya Scodelario
• Director : Wes Ball
• Inclusion Information : Female actors, Latino actors
• Studio : Twentieth Century Fox
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Topics : Adventures , Book Characters
• Character Strengths : Courage , Teamwork
• Run time : 113 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : thematic elements and intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, including some disturbing images
• Last updated : April 25, 2024

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Movie: The Maze Runner

Christian review, production values.

Plot Details: This Review Reveals Minor Details About the Plot.

Run, Dick, run.

Plot overview.

“Greenie” is a clean slate emerging (“Rise and shine”) from a cage elevator into a glade inhabited by other teen­aged boys, enclosed by high concrete walls. He runs for the gap (“Hey, we gotta runner”) but is tackled before he makes it. His memory had been wiped, as had every­body else's, before he was sent up here. The others assure him he'll get his name back in a day or two. In the mean­time, they explain their situation: We eat here; we sleep here; we build our own shelters; once a month a new recruit arrives. The three rules of their society are: Do your part; never harm another Glader; never go beyond these walls. “Welcome to the Glade,” they tell him. “We're trapped here, aren't we?” he replies. “For the moment.”

When he remembers his name Thomas (Dylan O'Brien), he carves it on the wall along­side some thirty-six others who'd arrived during the last three years, a few of them having been crossed out . Those are the ones who'd gone out­side the wall into the sur­roun­ding maze and hadn't made it back by night­fall when the walls close up (“If you're trapped in the maze over­night, the Grievers get you and you die.”) Only a special cate­gory called “runners” are even allowed to explore the maze during the day. They've mapped its every angle but so far have not found a way out.

I suppose a rat in a maze has no idea how he's being played, but we humans can at least speculate on “every­thing that's happened to you … every­thing we've done to you … it was all done for a reason.” This is a single-generation test group, all white except for Alby (Aml Ameen of “ Red Tails ”), but although he's the black minority member, he's in the top dog slot by virtue of his having arrived first. They're all males except for one latest arrival (“It's a girl!”) Teresa (Kaya Scodelario). Here the chick is actually a minority (of one), not just a pretend minority in the world where women with the greater longevity out­number men. The only way out is through the maze, if there even is an exit. And there lies the danger of death. It looks to me set up as an experiment to discover how this group—and there may be others—will exchange liberty for security. If they stay in the glade, they are safe. Or are they?

My guess is since they are allowed to remember their own names, their controllers might be vain enough to use the real name of their organi­zation, or at least its initials, on matériel they send up: W.C.K.D. (pronounced wicked in half-remembered murky dreams.) The ‘D’ at the end would be for Department , of course. There aren't that many words starting with the beginning ‘W’. We can pretty much discount Welcome and Welfare . That leaves either World or Weapons depending on whether its a govern­mental department or one of the military-industrial complex. Hey, take your pick.

In tenor this movie resembles the song, “ Ghost Riders in the Sky .” A cowboy heard the “mournful cry” of the ghost riders, just as we hear the fell cry of the Grievers. The cattle were mechanical hybrids whose “breath was made of fire and whose hooves were made of steel.” I don't think those Grievers were any­thing natural, either. The curse of the ghost riders was “they had to ride forever … trying to catch the Devil's herd.” Here in “Maze” after having exhausted all other possibilities, they are left with the option of killing a Griever to find out what they are up against. At least they're not in cowboy hell, this seems more like hippie Purgatory with eventual escape possible through suffering.

Since we're clued in on the makeup of the study group, and since they are confined to a compound, it wouldn't hurt to ask our­selves if perhaps they have a Jewish component. Aside from Thomas the only one with a quint­essential Jewish name—they only go by first names or nick­names—is Ben (Chris Sheffield.) He's the one with a murky memory of Thomas (“This is all your fault. I saw you.”) that surfaced when he was stung by a Griever. It's the Jews' history and tradition that give them their identity. In this movie the camera shots of the Grievers focus on their mouth and feet. The mouth is ravenous, not one for chewing the cud. The feet are a single spike, not a cloven hoof. Both criteria define them as "unclean" per Jewish dietary rules, not that one would want to hunt them with spears in the first place.

Concerning the plot there is a weird correspondence to Malachi, at the end of the Old Testament, that every Jewish boy is familiar with: Growing up “as calves of the stall” ( Malachi 4:2 ) is their essential lot, “Tread[ing] down the wicked” ( Malachi 4:3 ) is their goal with W.C.K.D. , and following the camp rules ( Malachi 4:4 ) is their existence. The linch­pin is, ( Malachi 4:5-6 ) “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” Thomas came from an earlier realm, as would Elijah. There was rumor of a world catastrophe that sparked the extreme measures of this experiment. All that the kids retained was their names given to them by their fathers & mothers. A young boy named Chuck (Blake Cooper) made a figurine for his parents even though he says, “I can't miss them, because I don't remember them.” This may seem awful thin, but remember that's all the link we're given, so we might want to take its formulaic nature seriously.

There's a rich tradition of Elijah as a precursor, and Thomas does show up just ahead of Teresa. Elijah's remembered by Jews every year at their seder by a chair left empty in anticipation of his arrival. The first Pass­over was marked with blood of the passover lamb spread on the lintel and door­posts of the house to avert the avenging angel after the first­born. In “Maze” it is Thomas and Teresa they want to stake in front of the door to the maze as “an offering,” risking the judgment of Ex. 22:20 , in spite of them having a goat they could have used ( Lev. 3:12 ). Alby is the "first­born" Glader, in much jeopardy.

We should consider that Joshua led the Israelites to surround and defeat the double-walled city of Jericho. Here this group is surrounded by the double-walled maze. Joshua's battle was in fact immediately preceded by a Passover feast (Joshua 5:10.)

Thomas followed wisdom being a “curious one,” along the lines of the wisdom book, ( Sirach 4:16-19 )

If a man commit himself unto her, he shall inherit her; and his generation shall hold her in possession. For at the first she will walk with him by crooked ways, and bring fear and dread upon him, and torment him with her discipline, until she may trust his soul, and try him by her laws. Then will she return the straight way unto him, and comfort him, and shew him her secrets. But if he go wrong, she will forsake him, and give him over to his own ruin.

Thomas first had some tricky trials, and then he proceeded straight to his goal. His wisdom was as the saying goes, When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Those Grievers were some tough fruit to squeeze. And, What­ever doesn't kill us only makes us stronger. Potent medicine he took and he didn't know if the anti­dote would work.

Here is an illustration of the biblical story: ( Eccl. 9:13-15 )

This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me: There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.

However heroic and wise Thomas comes across as, he's largely disregarded by his peers who love the status quo. I have no idea what the scientists think, because they're not fully explained, just that there's room for a sequel (“It's time to begin phase two.”)

“ The Maze Runner ” (2014) was directed by Wes Ball. Its screenplay was written by Noah Oppenheim, Grant Pierce Myers, and T.S. Nowlin. It was based on James Dashner's YA novel, The Maze Runner . In the book the organization's letters were: WICKED ; it was changed some for the movie but it was still wicked.

It stars Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, and Will Poulter. These were not seasoned actors so don't expect the moon, although they did a credible job. O'Brien, Brodie-Sangster, and Poulter were well cast. The CGI was spot on, adding an aura of sci-fi menace to a gothic maze surrounding a bucolic glade. MPAA rated it PG-13 for thematic elements and intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, including some disturbing images. The theater's surround-sound was really effective in the maze.

Review Conclusion w/ Christian Recommendation

“The Maze Runner” was a nice tidy adventure. I don't think the book version could have been any better, though I didn't read it. Although it's not a movie great, it's well worth the viewing and has some inter­esting scriptural subtext. As long as you're not so sensitive as to be easily shook, I have no problem recommending it. The worst cursing was the expression, “What the hell!” But what did you expect them to say?

Movie Ratings

Action factor: Edge of your seat action-packed. Suitability for Children: Suitable for children 13+ years. Special effects: Well executed special effects. Video Occasion: Fit For a Friday Evening. Suspense: Keeps you on the edge of your seat. Overall product rating: Three stars out of five.

Works Cited

Scripture quoted from the King James Version . Pub. 1611, rev. 1769. Software.

Apocryphal scripture taken from The Septuagint with Apoc­rypha : Greek and English . U.S.A. : Hendrick­son Pub. Originally published by Samuel Bagster & Sons, Ltd. , London, 1851. Print, WEB.

Copyright © 2014, Earl S. Gosnell III

Permission is hereby granted to use my Christian review --with credit given, of course--in intellectually honest non-profit educational material.

Any particular questions or requests for permissions may be addressed to me, the author.

Epinions logo is trademarked, used by permission.

• The Maze Runner

Cinema Faith Grade

I pretty quickly decided this wasn’t my type of movie thanks to the trailer – a bunch of teenage boys stuck in some kind of maze getting mauled by sci-fi machines.

Written by James Dashner, The Maze Runner is a novel initially published in 2009 and developed into a movie in 2014 by 20 th Century Fox.

In early 2016, despite my initial reaction, I sat down to watch The Maze Runner . I haven’t read the novel – I believe changes were made to develop it into a movie. My mind was blown by the depth and perplexity of this movie.

The Maze Runner is shrouded in mystery that slowly unfolds; however, by the end, there are still elements that remain unclear and have me itching to watch the sequel.

Dozens of teen boys live in The Glade: a space that is surrounded by the walls of a maze. This community is extraordinary because of its isolation and the provision of limited resources all being controlled by something external and unknown. The addition of a teen boy with complete memory loss and some resources every 30 days adds spice to the dynamics that has developed over a 3-year period.

Each new addition to this community goes through a process of testing, compliance, and acceptance. Initially they are held at arms length, making sure they come into line with the rules that have kept the community safe, functional, and comprehensible.

The Greenie in the Glade

On arrival to the Glade as the new boy (the fresh lad is always labelled “greenie”) Thomas finds himself unable to remember his name and with no memory of who he is and how he got there. He is catapulted into the prison cage after his attempt to ‘run off’ when first set loose in the Glade.

The curious nature of Thomas is adored by many – as if some of the boys had been waiting for a challenge to the leadership scheme and someone bold enough to push past what has been discovered to bring an end to the enigma and a hope for the future.

Gally’s Glade

However not all the Glader’s are impressed by Thomas. Up until this point the rules had been adhered to and there was security. One boy leading the plight against Thomas is Gally. He presents as the toughest, biggest, and physically strongest Glader.

Driven by fear, Gally cannot imagine a life without (the assumption of) his power and control and the security that life in the Glade has afforded him. Thomas on the other hand begins the escape plan almost as soon as he arrives. This move activates the fear within Gally and some of the boys whom he is able to rally alongside him.

Gally declares himself a “child of the Maze.” His desire to keep the boys in the system that has defined who he is turns into an imposing expectation on the rest of the Gladers. In our own lives we can find ourselves living out this same fear. We live within the walls of our safe zones and don’t dare to seek out or listen to different views. We avoid unexpected turns in the maze and the effect of welcoming challenges that might change us forever. We generally don’t like our system of walls being challenged. We will defend them and justify them and be fearful of what lies beyond.

Hope Rising

At one point, Thomas is expelled from the community and disciplined with a night in their prison with no food. Those supporting him don’t want him disciplined but realize due to his actions he has broken the rules of the community and so must adhere to the consequences. Those against Thomas want him banished to get him out of the way. But they also know he will be back the next day with even more determination.

Thomas is intent on finding an exit in the maze. He believes there is a way out.

The hope and determination that propels Thomas and his belief that escape is possible gives the other boys hope and elation at the possibilities, not to mention satiating Thomas’ hungry curiosity. People that stretch the boundaries of ‘the norm’ and ‘the expected’ are fun to be around and possibly scare us because of their confidence in hope. Not only that, they have experiences and growth opportunities that people like Gally fear or just don’t understand. There is something within the fearful that desperately desires to be like the hopeful. Sadly it can play out in destructive ways like jealousy and conflict.

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)

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Belinda's creative writing pieces were first published in a grade two collective book. Since then she has always enjoyed expressing herself through writing and also performing in local theatre company productions and church drama teams. In 2010 she was invited to write articles for Press Service International which culminated in her winning the 'Basil Seller's Australian Young Writer of the Year Award' in 2015. Belinda sees God and His themes in movies and everyone in every day life and loves the vision of cinemafaith.com. She also writes articles about God's inclusive love and the church for periecho.com. Her current home is on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia.

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Stop me if you think you’ve heard this one before: In a rigidly structured dystopian future, one plucky teenager dares to think for himself, shake up the status quo and start a revolution–or, at least the beginning of a trilogy.

Such is the stuff of “The Maze Runner,” which hews pretty closely to the YA-novel formula that’s reliably produced so many hugely successful film adaptations in recent years. And, indeed, director Wes Ball ’s film is based on the best seller by James Dashner . It features a similar structure, hits some recognizable beats and includes some character types that will seem pretty familiar to anyone who’s seen the “Hunger Games” films, or “Divergent,” or “The Giver.”

But its roots stretch back further to classic, allegorical literature about frightening utopias, especially “Lord of the Flies.” While there’s no Piggy and no conch, the teenage boys who populate this eerily idyllic society have formed their own leadership and their own rules, and they think they’ve achieved a peaceful sense of order.

That is, until Thomas shows up. Actually, he doesn’t even know his name is Thomas at first. Dylan O’Brien (MTV’s “Teen Wolf”), who resembles a young Rob Lowe , plays the confused young man. At the film’s start, he finds himself rising quickly in a big, rickety freight elevator that’s also loaded with supplies. (The film’s sound design is quite startling and effective; it puts you on edge from the earliest moments.)

When he arrives at the top, he steps out into a sprawling, grassy square known as the Glade, which is surrounded on all sides by imposing and impossibly high concrete walls. Dozens of handsome, young men of various ethnicities wearing various shades of the same long-sleeved shirt work together cooperatively in the sunshine–building huts, gardening, cooking, etc. It’s like the world’s hottest, grungiest Benetton ad.

Like the others before him, Thomas has no memory of who he is and no idea how he got there. But as the newest arrival to the Glade, he is dubbed a “greenie” and duly hazed until he can prove his worth to the key figures he meets. The charismatic Alby ( Aml Ameen ), who was the first to arrive, is the de facto leader. Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) is his impish right-hand man. Gally ( Will Poulter ) is the muscular bully. Chuck (Blake Cooper) is the wisecracking chubby kid.

And Minho ( Ki Hong Lee ) is the head of the runners: fleet-footed boys who dare to enter an opening in the giant walls and explore the maze that lies behind them. It’s vast and treacherous but at least navigable in the daytime; at night, it closes up, changes paths and devours anyone foolish enough to remain trapped. No one has survived it overnight and no one has exited the other side.

Naturally, Thomas is intrigued.

And what’s intriguing about “The Maze Runner”–for a long time, at least–is the way it tells us a story we think we’ve heard countless times before but with a refreshingly different tone and degree of detail. Ball, whose background is in visual effects, doesn’t overload his feature debut with a lot of glossy, high-tech imagery. Not for a while, anyway. Much of the film’s charm comes from its rough-hewn aesthetic–a tactile nature that’s both industrial and organic–and the way it takes its time vividly establishing an environment.

When Thomas eventually does enter the maze–no spoiler there, folks, it’s in the title–it produces some moments that are truly harrowing and filled with non-stop, near-death peril. (This is a super-violent PG-13, but then again, the young readers who are the target for these books know what’s in store for them.) The beasts who dwell there are incessant, ravenous and very, very fast. I won’t divulge what they are, but I’ll only say that they’re extremely cool looking and scary as hell.

All of which brings us to the ending. Man, that ending. What a misstep. It’s so incredibly frustrating, because everything was going so well until then. The third act brings some mystery with the arrival of the first girl ever sent up in the elevator: a strong-willed brunette named Teresa (Kaya Scodelario), who seems to know Thomas already.

But The Big Reveal of what happened to these kids, who trapped them in this place and what their purpose is ends up being pretty over-the-top even for sci-fi. A lot happens in the film’s final minutes to the extent that it makes “The Maze Runner” feel like it has several conclusions. Some of them feature some unintentional hilarity when shock and fear probably were in the game plan. And they squander the formidable and versatile Patricia Clarkson in only a few moments as the chilly, nefarious mastermind of the maze.

Presumably, she’ll figure more prominently in the sequel. Because, oh yes, it’s coming. You will not have to wander around looking for it for long.

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series "Ebert Presents At the Movies" opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

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The Maze Runner (2014)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, including some disturbing images

113 minutes

Will Poulter as Gally

Aml Ameen as Alby

Ki Hong Lee as Minho

Thomas Sangster as Newt

Dexter Darden as Fry Pan

Kaya Scodelario as Teresa

Chris Sheffield as Ben

Joe Adler as Zart

Dylan O'Brien as Thomas

Patricia Clarkson as Ava Paige

Jacob Latimore as Jeff

• Grant Pierce Myers
• Noah Oppenheim
• T.S. Nowlin
• James Dashner

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• Enrique Chediak

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The Maze Runner Video Movie Review

• Updated Sep 19, 2014

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The Maze Runner is yet another entry in the genre of teenage dystopian novels-turned-movies. Does it distinguish itself, and does it offer anything of value to young adult viewers? Crosswalk's Shawn McEvoy and Ryan Duncan give us their take. Read Christian Hamaker's full-text review for Crosswalk.com here .

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Film Review: ‘The Maze Runner’

Mercifully restrained in the CGI department, Wes Ball's feature debut reps a solid adaptation of James Dashner's YA fantasy novel.

By Ella Taylor

Ella Taylor

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As world-creation YA pictures go, “ The Maze Runner ” feels refreshingly low-tech and properly story-driven, based on James Dashner’s popular 2009 fantasy novel. Much of the action unfolds in a large field, and the spidery thingies that crawl out of the woodwork to afflict a band of boys trying to escape a mysterious confinement have an old-fashioned, bio-mechanical charm. Though the pacing drags a bit in the first hour and there’s not much character development unless you count the cast’s bicep-building hours at the gym,  Wes Ball ’s feature debut builds solidly to an exciting battle finale and a big reveal that doubles as coming-of-age parable. Though the addition of a lone girl feels tacked on, if the film doesn’t beef up the summer’s watery box office, it won’t be for lack of female bums in seats. Girls flock to action and horror these days, especially when they come plentifully stocked with the comely likes of “Teen Wolf’s” Dylan O’Brien and his band of muscled bros.

“The Maze Runner” plunges in — as it must, or give the game away to the five teenagers who have not read Dashner’s bestselling novel — with room-shattering noises off as a buff young fellow (O’Brien) is transported in a cage, he knows not where or why or by whom, to a landscape that, at first blush, closely resembles an Outward Bound campsite. Indeed, those who remember their days at summer camp with fondness may wish to linger in the Glade, a huge field dotted with handmade lean-tos, knotted ropes and tanned, ax-wielding, ethnically diverse boys who make fun of the baffled new arrival, who has momentarily forgotten his own name.

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A helpful hazing brings it back, and Thomas quickly, if not quiescently, acclimates to the Glade, which for all its bucolic beauty is edged with sinister creeping vines (the film was shot in rural Louisiana) and surrounded by walls too high to scale — and one tantalizing opening. Egged on by the regulation bully (Will Poulter), most of Thomas’s fellow Gladers come on like obedient frat boys, crossed with “Lord of the Flies” castaways trying to improvise social order in the absence of adult authority. Except that nothing could be more antithetical to can-do American individualism than the bleak British fatalism of William Golding’s novel. On more fronts than one, “The Maze Runner” tells a different story, an old-fashioned American tale of one boy whose resourceful courage, refusal to obey rules, and emergent leadership skills carry a raggedy army of prisoners to freedom and responsibility for a catastrophically fallen world.

Though he operates his own CGI company, first-time director Ball handles special effects with impressive economy, as they pertain organically to the story. If anything, the action dawdles a bit for its first hour, dwelling on setup until at last Thomas, accompanied by a muscled pal (Ki Hong Lee) with whipped hair, breaches the forbidden opening in the wall and enters the dread Maze, which has no exit and from which no one returns unscathed.

Only then do we meet the Grievers — giant, hairy, tarantula-like critters that patrol this dank labyrinth, dispensing sticky stuff and nasty stingers that kill and maim on demand. Back and forth go Thomas and company between these two, building courage, resolve and ingenuity as they go. The last girl on Earth shows up to lend a hand, mysteriously murmuring Thomas’s name and raining missiles on the boys from the treehouse where they hold her. More Kristen Stewart than Jennifer Lawrence, Teresa (played by Kaya Scodelario of the British television series “Skins”) is enchantingly rumpled, un-buffed and equipped with only a hard stare from her striking blue eyes.

Scodelario’s one-of-the-lads brio is a touch wasted here, for Teresa adds little to the story other than to jog Thomas’ memories of whence he came and spur him on to mobilize the troops for a climactic battle to free themselves from the Maze. The great Patricia Clarkson bows in all too briefly to upend the team’s sense of their past and their future. If the rites of passage feel a touch perfunctory and hasty — well, you can never go wrong telling teenagers that they’re different, special and chosen to lead a broken world forward into “The Maze Runner, Part Deux.”

Reviewed at 20th Century Fox Studios, Los Angeles, Sept. 8, 2014. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 113 MIN.

• Production: A 20th Century Fox release and presentation of a Gotham Group production made in association with Temple Hill Prod., TSG Entertainment and Dayday Films. Produced by Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Wyck Godfrey, Marty Bowen, Lee Stollman. Executive producers, Joe Hartwick Jr., Edward Gamarra, Lindsay Williams.
• Crew: Directed by Wes Ball. Screenplay, Noah Oppenheim, Grant Pierce Myers, T.S. Nowlin, based on the novel by James Dashner. Camera (color), Enrique Chediak; editor, Dan Zimmerman; music, John Paesano; production designer, Mark Fisichella; art director, Douglas Cumming; set decorator, John Danniells; set designers, Michelle C. Harmon, Wright McFarland; costume designer, Simonetta Mariano; supervising sound editors, AI-Ling Lee, John A. Larsen; re-recording mixers, Ron Bartlett, D.M. Hemphill; visual effects supervisor, Sue Rowe; visual effects producer, Scott Puckett; stunt coordinator, Troy Robinson; assistant directors, H.H. Cooper, Mirashyam Blakeslee; casting, Denise Chamian.
• With: Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Will Poulter, Patricia Clarkson, Aml Ameen, Ki Hong Lee, Blake Cooper, Dexter Darden, Chris Sheffield.

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MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE

"the ends don’t justify the means".

What You Need To Know:

Miscellaneous Immorality: Strong miscellaneous immorality such as main henchman is on a power trip and is very cruel and selfish, scientists experiment on young people immune from zombie virus that spreads rapidly to find a cure for those who’ve caught the virus, people revolt but to their own destruction, and discussions about whether the ends justify the means, but movie sides with the idea that the ends don’t justify the means.

More Detail:

MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE is a rousing conclusion to the trilogy of stories about a group of teenagers who find themselves battling a wicked scientific organization rounding up and experimenting on teenagers to find a cure for a virus that turns people into cannibalistic zombies. The action and suspense are non-stop in MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE, which also has a strong Christian, moral worldview, but the movie has a lot of foul language and a couple apparent plot holes, plus the ending doesn’t quite deliver a totally satisfying, redemptive victory for the good guys.

THE DEATH CURE opens with a spectacular action sequence where Thomas, the leader of a group of teenagers who have escaped the clutches of the villainous scientists, is trying to save a group of youths kidnapped by the evil scientists and chained in a train car. Thomas is especially trying to find and save his friend, Minha, who’s on the train, which is speeding to the final remaining urban refuge in America.

After an incredibly difficult rescue, Thomas and his friends are finally able to free the teenagers trapped on the train, but the bad guys are able to take Minha. Against the advice of the oldest good guy, who’s trying to get a large boat afloat to leave the continent with scores of young people immune to the virus, Thomas decides to go to the final urban refuge. Some of his closest friends come with him, including a young man named Newt, who’s starting to succumb to the virus.

At the city, Thomas and his friends discover that the group of scientists, who call themselves WCKD (or “Wicked”), have walled off the city from thousands of people. Jensen, the evil man in charge of their security, viciously keeps the masses of starving and desperate people out of the city. Thomas also discovers that Theresa, the young female scientist who betrayed him and his friends, is helping “Wicked” experiment on Minha to find a cure.

Thomas devises a plan to sneak into the city and rescue Minha, but the people outside the city are ready to revolt. Moreover, they’ve amassed a lot of weapons for a final assault.

The action is virtually non-stop in MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE, and the production values are top notch. The cast does a good job handling the action and the story’s various conflicts.

THE DEATH CURE has a strong Christian, redemptive, moral worldview. The good guys, led by Thomas, put their lives on the line to save or help their friends. Also, the main moral message of the movie is that the ends don’t justify the means. In addition, the movie contains some other Christological metaphors. For example, the attempts to find a cure for the zombie virus focuses on finding immunities in the blood of people who have antibodies in their blood to fight the virus. Eventually, it turns out that [SPOILERS FOLLOW] Thomas may have the antidote to the virus in his own blood. However, during the action-packed third act, the filmmakers drop this possibility. Heroes die who may have been saved by the antidote, and the good guys are unable to save the whole human race, just themselves and their friends who survive.

There also seem to be a couple plot holes in the movie. For example, at one point toward the end, the lead female scientist in the city says the virus has become airborne. If that is true, however, wouldn’t the good guys need to fashion a serum antidote from Thomas’ blood to save those who aren’t totally immune? Another plot hole is that the movie never seems quite clear about whether or not Thomas seems to be the only one who has total immunity from the virus. Apparently, there is a serum that staves off the virus, but it’s not 100% effective. Thus, the movie seems a little unclear about some of the details.

MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE has a lot of intense action violence. In one scene, three or four people infected by the zombie virus swarm one person and it’s implied but not shown that they’re eating the person. DEATH CURE also has lots of foul language. So, MOVIEGUIDE® must advise extreme caution.

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The Maze Runner review – ‘The Prisoner meets The Last Starfighter with giant spiders’

Poor dialogue is redeemed by fine action sequences in this latest addition to the young adult dystopian thriller genre

Will Poulter: ‘Hanging out in Soho House LA, that’s my worst nightmare’

T he post- Hunger Games teen dystopia genre continues to flourish with this solidly serviceable adaptation of James Dashner’s 2009 bestseller – the first in an inevitable trilogy (now with added prequels). Misleadingly pitched as Lord of the Flies meets Lost (it’s actually more like The Prisoner meets The Last Starfighter – with giant spiders) this finds 16-year-old Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) waking up in the mysterious Glade where similarly amnesiac young residents live in fear of the Grievers – monsters who maraud the only exit route, a huge killer labyrinth. The arrival of feisty lone girl Teresa (Kaya Scodelario) bearing a note that reads “She will be the last” convinces some of the group that it’s time to take their chances in the maze, despite the protestations of stroppy Gally (Will Poulter), who treats the new arrivals with hostile suspicion. Overall this is efficiently handled YA thriller fare, lacking the interpersonal/political depths of The Hunger Games perhaps (at least in its first instalment) and sharing the clunkiness of Divergent ’s dialogue (way too much cod-futuristic naming), but generally redeemed by feature first-timer Wes Ball ’s forthright action sequences. It’s worth noting that fairly extensive cuts, sound-edits and reframings were required to earn a 12A certificate from the BBFC, which initially deemed The Maze Runner to be to “tonally” more within the realms of the 15 rating, due to sustained threat and crunchy fight sequences. The cast certainly give it some welly, with top marks going to the versatile Poulter, who makes the most of an unsympathetic role (“the closest thing the film has to a villain”(“the closest thing the film has to a villain”, as he told the Observer last week ) to which he brings depth, intrigue and interest.

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The Maze Runner Review

The Maze Runner is a superior entry in Hollywood's onslaught of adolescents versus future dystopia films. It's interesting, well acted, well directed, and delivers a highly original outcome.

The Maze Runner is a superior entry in Hollywood's onslaught of adolescents versus future dystopia films. Having suffered through Divergent and almost nodding off in The Giver, I didn't have any expectations for The Maze Runner ; nor was I familiar with the series of books. The film is genuinely engaging with an ending that caught me off guard. It has solid performances from the lead actors and builds tension effectively through measured pacing. Director Wes Ball does an admirable job in his feature film debut. The Maze Runner is the best film of this genre since The Hunger Games.

Thomas (Dylan O'Brien) wakes up in a metal cage in the middle of a field. He has no memory whatsoever and is in a state of sheer panic. Surrounded by a group of taunting boys, he's comforted by Alby (Aml Ameen), the leader of his newfound community. Thomas is informed of a horrifying fate. The boys are trapped in the center of a giant maze, that closes overnight, and undergoes significant changes under darkness. No one has ever survived a night in the maze because they are killed by creatures called Grievers. Every month, the cage rises out of the ground and deposits supplies, along with a new boy. The "greenie" regains the memory of his name, but remains ignorant of any event before the maze.

Thomas struggles to settle into the maze society. He's constantly at odds with the alpha male Gally (Will Poulter), but develops a friendship with the young Chuck (Blake Cooper), a kind boy that dreams of meeting his parents. Thomas has disturbing visions of events in a laboratory, experiments. He breaks societal protocol and enters the maze. Only runners, led by Minho (Ki Hong Lee), who are responsible for mapping the maze are allowed to enter. Thomas and Minho share a terrifying night in the maze, where they kill a Griever, and become the first boys to survive the night. The next day, the cage rises unscheduled with a surprising newcomer and shocking ultimatum.

The Maze Runner succeeds as a thriller. Though marketed as a young adult film, it's intense and perilous. The audience sees the maze through Thomas's eyes. Dylan O'Brien is very good, conveying the myriad of emotions any individual would feel under such bizarre circumstances. He quickly learns they are consequences. Children die as the secret of the maze unfolds. The losses threaten group stability and the community factionalizes as the peace is disrupted. This psychological dynamic is fleshed out with skill and realism. The Maze Runner reminds me of Lord of the Flies. While that is a totally different story, the idea of children creating their own society is accurately depicted.

This is a spoiler free review, so I'm steering clear of giving any hints to the ending away. But I will say that it's pretty interesting. It certainly wasn't anything near what I expected to happen. It's rarer than a bloody steak that a film completely catches me by surprise, so that in itself is refreshing. Walking in, I conceptualized The Maze Runner to be like the classic Greek story of Theseus and the Minotaur. Apart from the maze, it's nothing like that at all.

The Maze Runner is a good film. It's interesting, well acted, well directed, and delivers a highly original outcome. I can't speak to how similar it is to the source novel, but I have a feeling that those fans will really like this film. I also hope it does well at the box office so the remaining books are adapted.

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Book Review

The maze runner — “the maze runner” series.

• James Dashner
• Dystopian , Futuristic , Science Fiction

Readability Age Range

• Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Random House Inc.
• ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2011, and more

Year Published

The Maze Runner by James Dashner has been reviewed by Focus on the Family’s marriage and parenting magazine . It is the first book in “The Maze Runner” series.

Plot Summary

Feeling drugged, Thomas wakes up in an elevator car with no memory except his name. He finds he is part of a community of about 50 teen boys called Gladers, and all share the same pattern of memory loss. Their leader’s name is Alby. In an artificial environment built as an experiment by unknown, unseen scientists called Creators, they live in the Glade, and their lives revolve around trying to solve the Maze, a gray stone structure with walls hundreds of feet high. Entrances to the maze automatically close at the same time every night, which protect the Glade from Grievers — large part-animal, part-mechanical monsters that bite, sting and sometimes kill.

Occasionally a Griever stings one of the boys. If the victim returns to the Glade in time, he can be injected with a serum that saves his life; but it causes a strange, painful process. The boys call it the Changing — when part of the victim’s memory returns — but those who have lived through the Changing all agree that the real world is one they don’t want to return to. The few boys who have undergone the Changing say they have seen Thomas in it, and they are convinced that he is bad or perhaps a spy.

Chuck, the youngest in the compound, is assigned to Thomas to help him acclimate. He is the only one to offer Thomas friendship. Thomas spends his first couple of days learning the ropes and various work positions, such as Baggers and Sloppers . Runners are the boys who daily run through the Maze, and when they return just before night, they map the section they ran since each night the walls move, reconfiguring the Maze. The group has been working for two years to figure a way out of the Maze. Thomas notices that parts of his new life somehow seem familiar, with fleeting impressions of memories just out of reach. He feels driven to be a Runner.

Every month, a new boy arrives in the elevator. But on Thomas’ second day, the elevator brings a teen girl. Nearly comatose, Teresa has little memory remaining, and it is quickly fading. She remembers that she is being sent as a trigger to begin the end of life in the Glade. Later, when Teresa emerges from her coma, Thomas discovers that Teresa can communicate telepathically with him, and they deduce that they must have known each other before their arrival.

One evening, as time draws near for the walls to close between the Maze and the Glade, two of the runners have not returned. As the walls nearly finish closing, Thomas sees the two runners but realizes they won’t make it. Breaking the No. 1 rule to never leave the Glade at night, he squeezes through the walls at the last second, and he is terrified to find himself in the dark silence of the Maze. Miraculously, Thomas and the two runners survive their night in the Maze by outwitting several Grievers. Because no one has ever survived before, Thomas becomes a hero and then is promoted to Runner.

The end to life in the Glade is triggered when they all awaken one day to the absence of what they thought was a sun, and the fact that they exist in a fabricated place seems more apparent. Supplies stop arriving, and the walls stop closing, compromising their protection from the Grievers. The community is thrown into a panic. They learn that the Grievers plan to kill one child a day until they’re all dead.

Thomas finally decides that the best way to solve the Maze is for him to get stung and endure the Changing in order to retrieve some of his lost memory. His plan succeeds when the Grievers invade the Glade. Thomas goes through the Changing and learns from it that the boys in the Glade have above-average intelligence and are part of an experiment to test for survival of the fittest. The Creators took them from their homes when they were young, following a catastrophic event called the Flare. Some of them have had their brains altered. The ones who survive are to be used for an unidentified but important purpose. He also learns that he and Teresa were part of the group that planned the Maze.

Thomas comes up with a dangerous plan to escape. The plan works, but half of the group dies in the process. Their escape from the Maze ends in a confrontation with two of the Creators, who mind-control another boy who had disappeared earlier from the Glade. The boy throws a dagger aimed at Thomas, but Chuck moves in front of it and is killed. Suddenly an apparent rescue group arrives on the scene with weapons, shooting and killing one of the two Creators. Then they flee, along with the kids. They board a bus and drive for two hours to a new location. During the ride, a woman tells Thomas and Teresa about the outside world’s catastrophe: A massive solar flare scorched the earth, leaving millions of people dead and diseased. Much of the earth has become a wasteland. She tells them that this group they are with now is against the Creators and their testing of children. Book one ends with a memo from the World in Catastrophe: Kill End Department (WICKED), known to the kids as the Creators (scientists). It says that what the adolescents just lived through was only the first stage of their trial.

Christian Beliefs

Wooden crosses serve as grave markers. Alby refers to God in a discussion with Thomas.

Other Belief Systems

Authority roles.

The Creators believe the end justifies the means, even to the point of allowing children to die. The woman scientist at the end tells Thomas and the group that “everything happens for a reason” after Chuck dies.

Ever since the Glade’s last leader died, Alby has led them. Though he and all the boys have experienced being the newbie or Greenie, Alby doesn’t have any empathy for Thomas, and he is short on politeness. He recognizes his shortcomings as a leader after he’s gone through the Changing. In the final battle with the Grievers, Alby is the first to sacrifice himself. He hopes to draw away the Grievers from the rest of the boys and prefers death to a return to life in the real world. Newt is second in command. He tempers Alby’s gruffness and is often the voice of reason.

Minho is the Keeper of the Runners and stands up for Thomas after Thomas saves his life. However, when he and Thomas spend the night in the Maze, Minho runs away, reasoning that their chances for survival are better if they split up.

Profanity & Violence

Invented slang and mild profanity are used, such as clunk, shuck-face, shuck it, runtcheeks, slinthead, wettin’ yourself, crap, holy crap, shut your hole, fart, butt, bloody, klunk (another word for poo ) and shank appear throughout.

One of the boys is banished to the Maze and certain death when he is placed in a leather collar at the end of a long pole, then shoved into the Maze just before the walls close. In the graveyard, Thomas sees the remains of a boy who had been sliced in half by an unseen force during an attempt to escape back through the elevator. Ben, who is undergoing the Changing, attacks Thomas. Alby appears and shoots Ben with an arrow that enters Ben’s cheek with a “wet thunk.” His blood is black like oil, and his finger twitches. Thomas then retches violently.

The Changing process is gruesome and is described in detail a couple of times with severe seizure-like symptoms and bulging, discolored eyes and skin. Alby tries to choke himself during his Changing. Alby gets a gash on his head, which bleeds into his eyes. Plenty of screaming, stabbing, bleeding, slimy yellow goo, etc. happens in the final battle with the Grievers.

Chuck throws himself in front of Thomas to save Thomas from a thrown dagger. His death is described in detail as the dagger buries itself in his chest. Thomas holds Chuck as he convulses then dies, and Thomas’ hands are wet with blood. Thomas then flies into a rage and attacks the boy who threw the dagger, beating him with his fists until he lies still and senseless. Then a group of people shows up with guns. One of them takes aim and kills one of the Creators, leaving her bleeding profusely. They continue shooting at the other Creators before fleeing, taking the Gladers with them. They board a bus that runs over a hysterical woman, the wheels thumping over her twice.

Sexual Content

When Teresa arrives in the lift, one of the boys shouts that he’s “got dibs” on her. When one of the Med-jacks bends over Teresa to check for a heartbeat, another boy shouts he gets the next “shot” at her. Alby warns everyone not to touch her. Thomas feels a chill sweep through his body when Teresa shakes hands with him, holding his hand for a long time. While Teresa is mentally communicating with Thomas, she suggests that perhaps they had been lovers at one time. He senses a pleasant chill that causes him to trip and fall while he’s running the Maze. In spite of there being plenty of room on the bench, Teresa presses her body next to Thomas when she goes to sit with him. Thomas squeezes Teresa’s hand to reassure her as the battle with the Grievers begins. With separate rooms assigned to them for the night, Thomas telepathically tells Teresa that he wishes she were in his room.

Discussion Topics

Get free discussion questions for this book and others, at FocusOnTheFamily.com/discuss-books .

Additional Comments

Suicide mention: One of the boys says they all ought to slit their wrists rather than try to fight all the Grievers in an escape.

Movie tie-in: Producers often use a book as a springboard for a movie idea or to earn a specific rating. Because of this, a movie may differ from the novel. To better understand how this book and the movie differ, compare the book review with Plugged In’s movie review for The Maze Runner .

You can request a review of a title you can’t find at [email protected] .

Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of a book’s review does not constitute an endorsement by Focus on the Family.

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Review: ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ monkeys with a durable sci-fi concept, to smart ends

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Since Charlton Heston first gazed upon the remnants of the Statue of Liberty on a sandy beach 56 years ago, the “Planet of the Apes” movies have remained popular. Their appeal is the opportunity to explore complex characters and social issues within the franchise’s allegorical representation of our world. They’re not escapism, but reflection.

The best “Apes” movies offer insight into ourselves and the world that we’ve created, and so does the latest installment, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” the 10th in the series, which manages to encompass everything we love about these movies into one sprawling story.

After the franchise ran its course in the 1970s and with the 2001 Tim Burton one-off , screenwriters Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver nailed a reboot in 2011 with “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.” Directed by Rupert Wyatt, the film featured the story of Caesar, an intelligent ape who leads an uprising, a callback to the 1972 installment “The Conquest of the Planet of the Apes.” Embodied by Andy Serkis in a truly remarkable motion-capture performance and created digitally by the artists at the New Zealand-based Wētā FX, the memorable Caesar was beloved by audiences, especially as his story deepened over the course of two sequels, “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” and “War for the Planet of the Apes,” both directed by Matt Reeves.

Now, in a film set hundreds of years after the events of “War,” “Kingdom” feels like both a reboot and a sequel, and an opportunity to set off a new cycle for the 2020s. Director Wes Ball, who previously helmed the surprisingly great “Maze Runner” movies, proves a worthy successor to what Reeves cemented for the franchise, delivering a character-driven story that wrestles with issues of equality, morality and diplomacy, punctuated by intense action sequences.

On this ape planet, the human population has been decimated and rendered dumb by the same virus that made apes intelligent and capable of speech. Our hero is the young Noa, (a terrific Owen Teague), an adolescent ape from the Eagle clan, who live in harmony with nature, training large golden eagles. Noa’s dreams of becoming an eagle master like his father are dashed when his village comes under attack by a gang of masked apes armed with cattle prods. Left for dead, Noa sets off alone in the hope of rescuing his loved ones.

It’s a classic hero’s journey as the young naïf leaves home and learns the harsh truth about the world. He connects with a guide along the way, Raka (Peter Macon, a scene-stealer), a wise orangutan who teaches him the legend of Caesar and a message of unity among apes. When a feral human girl (Freya Allan) tags along, Raka encourages Noa to show her compassion — she’s just a dumb human after all.

The trio achieves a fragile unity based on Caesar’s teachings, but are soon ripped apart after they are captured and taken to the coastal compound of Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand), a power-hungry cult leader who has twisted Caesar’s words into violence and manipulation.

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As he proved with “Maze Runner,” Ball has a knack for rendering a kind of stylish, youthful dystopia, and the point of view and aesthetic of “Kingdom” speaks to that. Written by Josh Friedman, this is a story about a young leader shaken from his nest and taught about the way the world works in cruel ways. The sheer scope of the storytelling and the sophisticated world-building is awe-inspiring on the big screen. The remnants of human civilization are overgrown with verdant greenery, presenting our own lost world in a new way. At the chaotic ape colony on the beach, rusting hulks of massive ships loom out of blue waters, contrasting with red sails and white sand. There is beauty among the terror and an element of anxious unpredictability thrashing our characters like the waves that crash against the cliffs.

But the deft spectacle would be nothing without the characters and performances. The film kicks into gear with the introduction of the winning Raka and escalates with Proximus Caesar’s swaggering entrance as a charismatic preacher who has twisted a messiah’s words into hate. But Noa is the heart of the film, his clear green eyes rendered with such emotion by the artisans at Wētā, conveying hope, horror, betrayal and ultimately acceptance.

Ball and Friedman’s ambitious storytelling is a bit overstuffed, offering a plethora of different issues with which to tangle: anti-gun messaging, religious metaphors, questions about our relationship to technology, individual rights. But they set up an exciting world centered around a new ape for us to believe in, at least for this moment.

Katie Walsh is a Tribune News Service film critic.

'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes'

Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence/action Running time: 2 hours, 25 minutes Playing: In wide release Friday, May 10

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The Maze Runner Reboot In Development With Original Director Returning (With 1 Difference)

• 20th Century Studios is rebooting The Maze Runner franchise with a new adaptation in the works.
• The movie is being described as a " sort of continuation " of the original trilogy with previous director Wes Ball onboard as a producer.
• Transcendence scribe Jack Paglen is in talks to write the script for the reboot.

Nearly 10 years after the previous adaptation trilogy first launched, 20th Century Studios is developing a reboot of The Maze Runner franchise. James Dashner's dystopian YA novels first made their way to the screen with the 2014 movie of the same name, led by Dylan O'Brien as a teenage boy who wakes up with no memory inside a grass area known as the Glave, following him as he works with the others there to escape the vast maze surrounding them and learn who is behind their imprisonment. Though garnering mixed reviews from critics, the trilogy was generally a financial hit, grossing a combined $949 million against its combined $157 million production budget.

The Hollywood Reporter has brought word that the studio has entered the early stages of development on The Maze Runner reboot. The new adaptation is said to be in talks with Transcendence scribe Jack Paglen to write the script for the movie, with original director Wes Ball returning as a producer alongside original trilogy producers Ellen Goldsmith-Vein and Lee Stollman of Gotham Group and Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen of Temple Hill. Sources report that the movie will neither be a redo or sequel to the original trilogy, but instead be a " sort of continuation " that will also feature " the elements that made the first movie connect with its audience ."

Can The Maze Runner Reboot Continue The Recent YA Resurgence?

The announcement of a Maze Runner reboot may come as a surprise to some, considering the original trilogy of movies ended in 2018, bringing the new project just under a decade after its finale. However, it does come at a time in which the YA genre is enjoying something of a resurgence on both the big and small screens, with studios looking to recapture the success they enjoyed with the likes of the Harry Potter and Twilight franchises.

8 Biggest Franchise Questions Maze Runner 4 Can Answer

This trend began with the revival of the Hunger Games franchise in the form of the adaptation of Suzanne Collins' prequel novel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes , and Disney+'s reboot of the Percy Jackson franchise into a TV series . Though garnering the lowest reviews of the dystopian series, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was a financial hit, grossing over $337 million against its $100 million production budget, while Percy Jackson scored much better reviews from critics than its 2010 and 2013 movie predecessors. The latter's success even earned a season 2 renewal from the streamer, with author Rick Riordan recently confirming that filming is set to begin in Fall 2024.

In addition to The Maze Runner reboot, Warner Bros. is currently developing a reboot of the Harry Potter franchise for Max, while Netflix is teaming with Greta Gerwig for a new Chronicles of Narnia adaptation . Given 20th Century Studios and Disney look to be mounting Maze Runner for a theatrical release, its potential success will be vital to whether this trend of the YA genre's resurgence will continue with other franchises. However, with Ball onboard as a producer and gearing up for his own franchise revival in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes , which has seen large acclaim in its early reactions, it looks to be starting on good footing.

Source: THR

The Maze Runner

Conceived as a book series by author James Dashner, The Maze Runner is a sci-fi multimedia franchise that gained mainstream popularity after the release of its first of three films. The series focuses on a group of young men trapped in a maze with no knowledge of life outside their strange prison. The survivors, led by protagonist Thomas, attempt to piece together their shattered memories and find a way out of the towering maze.

Created by James Dashner

First Film The Maze Runner

Cast Will Poulter, Walton Goggins, Dylan O'Brien, Patricia Clarkson, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Nathalie Emmanuel, Ki Hong Lee, Kaya Scodelario, Giancarlo Esposito, Barry Pepper, Aidan Gillen

Character(s) Frypan (Maze Runner), Ava Paige, Minho (Maze Runner), Newt (Maze Runner), Teresa (Maze Runner), Thomas (Maze Runner)

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A New Maze Runner Movie Will Revive The Franchise

20th Century Studios has lined up a screenwriter for a Maze Runner movie that will revisit the world of the previous films.

By Blair Marnell on May 6, 2024 at 7:06AM PDT

In 2018, Maze Runner: The Death Cure wrapped up 20th Century Fox's adaptation of James Dashner's Maze Runner trilogy. But the next chapter in the franchise is now in development. Via The Hollywood Reporter , 20th Century Studios is negotiating with screenwriter Jack Paglen to write a new Maze Runner film. Paglen's previous credits include Alien: Covenant and Netflix's adaptation of Mark Millar and Olivier Coipel's The Magic Order, which was cancelled before production began.

THR's story calls the new Maze Runner film a "reboot," but revival is the more accurate term since this is reportedly not a remake of the first novel. Nor is it a direct sequel to the trilogy. Instead, it will be a new story that takes place in the same world with some connective elements between the latest film and the movies that came before it. It's similar to the way that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes continues the reboot timeline that began in 2011's Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

Teen Wolf's Dylan O’Brien starred in the original Maze Runner films as Thomas, a teenager whose memory was erased before he was placed in an encircled area known as the Glade alongside teenage boys who were just like him. The only way out of the Glade was through a deadly maze that few of the boys managed to survive. Thomas' ability to navigate the maze led him to become a leader among his group as they unraveled the conspiracy behind their imprisonment.

Since the new film won't be a sequel, O'Brien and the other cast members from the trilogy aren't expected to return. It's also unclear if the new movie will be based on Dashner's Maze Cutter novels, which are sequel stories that takes place decades after The Death Cure.

Wes Ball, the director of The Maze Runner trilogy, will produce the new film alongside Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Lee Stollman, Wyck Godfrey, and Marty Bowen.

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‘kingdom of the planet of the apes’ director wes ball on the franchise’s future and what he’s directing next.

After helming three consecutive 'Maze Runner' features, the filmmaker is now pondering if more 'Apes', a potential 'Legend of Zelda' movie (or both) is the right call.

By Brian Davids

Brian Davids

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[The following story contains mild spoilers for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes .]

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'lord of the rings' anime feature, dc's 'creature commandos' set for warner bros. presentation at annecy, box office: 'kingdom of the planet of the apes' climbs higher to $58.5m u.s. opening, $131.2m globally.

In 2019, after his three Maze Runner films grossed nearly $1 billion on a $156 million spend, Ball was days away from production on 20th Century Fox’s Mouse Guard adaptation, but then the Disney-Fox merger abruptly canceled his ambitious mocap-centric project that counted Reeves and Serkis as producer and actor, respectively. However, later that year, Ball got a call from 20th’s longtime president of production, Emma Watts, which he believes was her way to make amends for Mouse Guard ’s collapse.

“Yeah, that’s probably what it was … Emma Watts called me and said, ‘Sorry about the Mouse Guard thing, but what would you do with the next Planet of the Apes ?’” Ball tells The Hollywood Reporter . “So it took me a minute to get my head around that idea. I wasn’t sure it was the right thing to do until we found our way into something that I thought was worthy of following up the previous three.”

Ball’s way into a new potential trilogy began with the aforementioned time jump where different clans of apes now reside in their own villages, including the Eagle Clan and their sheltered yet serene existence alongside their loyal eagle companions. Noa (Owen Teague), a sensitive young chimpanzee, is on the verge of adulthood within the Eagle Clan when Proximus Caesar’s (Kevin Durand) coastal clan of hostile apes pillages his family’s community, forcing him to go on a journey where he finally learns about the real world and who the real Caesar was from the learned orangutan, Raka (Peter Macon), and who he wasn’t from the power-hungry bonobo, Proximus.

“You think Kingdom is going to be an ape story, but by the end of the movie, you realize that it’s actually an ape and a human story,” Ball says. “Mae was always going to be this little enigma that we had to slowly unravel throughout the storyline, and by the end of the movie, we literally open a door to a whole new world that we’ll get to play in if we’re lucky enough to make more movies. Can apes and humans live together? Can we coexist? So that will be a continued theme throughout future movies, and if there’s any chance for peace between these species, it will probably be between these two characters, no matter what happens.”

With Kingdom trending in the right direction, Ball is going to have some tough choices to make, as he’s also in development on a live-action Legend of Zelda movie for Nintendo and Sony. It’s early days still, but Ball knows that he wants Zelda to be more than just “ Lord of the Rings lite.” He is also hesitant to helm another entire trilogy as director, having just done that with the Maze Runner franchise. So, as of this moment, Ball is optimistic he can swing both projects, but he’s also keeping his options open, something directors are conditioned to do in such a volatile industry. 

Below, during a recent conversation with THR , Ball also discusses Kingdom ‘s other human character that he cast with the intention of playing an expanded role in a potential trilogy. He then previews the Blu-ray release’s mocap cut of the film, as well as his hopes for an extended version.

So, to set the stage for how you got here, you made three Maze Runner films that cost an average of $52 million, and they each made nearly six times their production budgets. Did that collective bottom line open a lot of conference room doors and water bottles for you? 

That’s a good question, and yeah, I think so. But the thing is, I’ve made all my movies at [20th Century], so it’s never really been a problem. We created a little family together there. Some people have left, but a lot of people are still there and they’re the same people that I met when I first started. So that’s always been the easy part, but you’re right. It is wild to think that those three [ Maze Runner ] movies combined to cost less than this single movie [ Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes ]. It’s a different scale in terms of resources; that’s for sure.

You were deep into development on Mouse Guard until it became a casualty of the Disney-Fox merger. Did you ever get the sense that 20th’s eventual Apes offer was a way to make amends to you in some way? 

So it took me a minute to get my head around that idea. I wasn’t sure it was the right thing to do until we found our way into something that I thought was worthy of following up the previous three. But I’m super thankful for it. These movies are unique in that they have to be both a spectacle-oriented thing, but also a kind of truthful, honest drama at the same time. So I don’t imagine there’s a lot of people that would be comfortable with that — or would want to be as limited as you are in the process of making these movies — because it’s a very unique process.

If you had to pinpoint the most valuable piece of insight Andy and Matt offered you, what would it be? 

From Andy, it was about making sure that the actors aren’t pretending to be apes. They have to really internalize the whole physical transformation, so that when they’re on set, they’re not thinking about the Ape part of it and they’re just performing. “How do you speak? How do you hold yourself? How do you internalize that whole transformation?” So that was a huge aspect of ape [boot] camp, as well as the eight-cam [motion capture system].

When I first started, there were times where I was just like, “This isn’t going to work. This is ridiculous. What is this guy doing? He’s talking funny, he’s walking funny.” But, man, when that translation happens, it enters into a different world. So Matt’s insight gave me a lot of confidence because he had gone through this before and was aware of the leap that’s required.

As you mentioned, this movie cost more than your three Maze Runner films combined, but did you still try to bring the same resourcefulness that you brought to those films?

Yeah, we made this cheaper than anyone thought possible, and we were very responsible on that side of things. [Writer’s Note: The budget is reportedly $160 million to $165 million.] So, hopefully, the movie feels just as big [as the last three films], if not bigger, and doesn’t feel compromised at all in terms of its scope and scale and all that big theater screen stuff. But you’re right. My partner, Joe Hartwick Jr., and I, we really try to put the money on the screen. We try to be efficient with that stuff, and we certainly continued onto this. 

Was it helpful that you already had relationships with Wētā from Maze Runner and Mouse Guard tests ?

[Mild spoilers ahead for the next four questions.]

So we briefly see Caesar’s funeral at the beginning before we jump centuries later. Was that always going to be the maximum amount of time spent in the time period of the last trilogy?

Yes. That was one of the first scenes that I came up with. It was one of the first scenes I storyboarded, actually, but the scene was a little longer at first. It always is. We got trimmed down, but the idea was always that we would just have that little opening reminder of where we started. It’s the moment where an ape became a legend, and there’s this thematic visual idea throughout the movie of fire and embers in the sky. There are some cut scenes, and I’m hoping that maybe there’s an extended cut we can do that continues that theme throughout. The very first shot of the movie is this closeup on Caesar’s face that’s lit by fire, and the very last shot of the movie is a closeup of Noa, lit by fire.

Knowledge is such an important aspect of this movie. The Eagle Clan didn’t necessarily crave it, but other groups pursue it in one form or another to fulfill their agendas in the present. That said, for a stretch of this movie, we’re ahead of the characters since we actually knew Caesar. 

Yeah, for sure.

So can you talk a bit about that dynamic where some of your characters have to catch up to the audience’s understanding of Caesar, while we then have to familiarize ourselves with the history we missed in the centuries following Caesar’s death?

To that point, Mae is a far more complex character than her deer-in-the-headlights introduction would suggest. As the trailers also show, she can actually talk in coherent sentences, and the end of the film has since caused me to rethink her entire arc. So how much of her decision-making was premeditated versus impromptu?

Well, the previous trilogy started in the human world until an ape came into it. So you think Kingdom is going to be an ape story, but by the end of the movie, you realize that it’s actually an ape and a human story. Mae was always going to be this little enigma that we had to slowly unravel throughout the storyline, and by the end of the movie, we literally open a door to a whole new world that we’ll get to play in if we’re lucky enough to make more movies.

My only nitpick of the last trilogy is that each movie did away with the preceding movie’s human cast. I know the trilogy was about Caesar at the end of day, but I always wanted one human from his past, namely Jason Clarke’s character, to reunite with him in some capacity.

Yeah, they come in and out of his life.

But it sounds like there’s a future for your human characters such as Mae. 

Yeah, that’s the goal, and that’s also why you see Dichen Lachman from Severance at the end. I begged her. I was like, “Hey, I know it’s only three shots, but I’m trying to set up a character that [the audience] is going to want to see more of in the future.” I suppose you can call it a cliffhanger, but the end of our movie is more like a door opening to the next movie in a weird way. So there’s a lot more to come, and there’s going to be a lot more drama and conflict. These characters [Noa and Mae] have now saved each other, and they have a complicated connection. There is now a history and real feelings between the two, and that’s going to be important moving forward. So, as you can imagine, that’s going to be really fun to explore as it gets messier.

[The spoiler section has now concluded.]

So how specific is the plan moving forward? Is it mostly broad strokes? 

So we’re starting that process now, honestly. We’re starting to drill down, but it depends a little bit on whether audiences connect with the characters in this movie and storyline. So we’ll adjust, but we’ve certainly got good ideas and a good team, especially [producers] Rick [Jaffa] and Amanda [Silver], having been on these movies since the first reboot. That DNA is consistent throughout, and they’ve obviously spent a lot of time thinking about all this stuff. So, if we’re lucky enough, we’ll keep going.

I hope you come back for a potential sequel, but I also wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t want to make every single film in back-to-back trilogies. 

I heard you’re putting the “special” back in Blu-ray special features, as you’re really releasing a mocap cut.

Yeah, I’m not sure if I got in trouble for that. I just realized, “Oh, they probably wanted to announce that, didn’t they? Oops.” I haven’t heard yet, but I think it’s going to be fucking awesome. There’s this whole mystique and a misinterpretation around the visual effects and what’s actually involved to make these movies, and I think it’s criminal that these movies have not won best visual effects. It’s crazy, and I think it’s because people don’t understand the process. People think there’s a button that says, “Convert actor to ape,” but it doesn’t work that way. There’s artists at the top of their game, who are probably doing harder work than other movies that are full CG, because they have to not only create a character that you believe was photographed through cameras, but they also have to put it into real world environments and have it interact with real people.

What exactly is the Eagle Clan’s relationship to eagles? Are they mostly meant to be their protective eyes in the sky? Are they their alarm system and security team, essentially?

Yeah, I left it somewhat vague so people could decide for themselves. The previous movies were the apes in the Stone Age, and now we’re going to witness them enter into their Bronze Age where they’re developing cultures and rituals and different ways of life and all that kind of stuff that we’ve seen in human history. You can look at this thing like a historical epic. So I thought about man and when they first domesticated the dog. It then became a man’s best friend, hunter and loyal companion, and so that’s a cool idea for apes to also undergo that step  in their journey. But I couldn’t do dogs because that’s too obvious, and so that’s when I came to eagles. I thought about the Mongolian culture, but we tried not to culturally appropriate things. That’s a very sensitive subject, as you can imagine. So we tried to draw inspiration throughout human history for our march towards modernity, and that’s where the idea came from. There’s that one shot where the eagle comes in and brings the fish. So they’re hunters and gatherers, and then we obviously see that they’re also protectors and weapons. They’re also just fucking cool. 

Yeah, I can’t wait to see [ Mufasa: The Lion King ]. I’m so looking forward to what he’s going to do with it.

Have the two of you discussed your shared experiences yet? 

Yeah, a little bit. I remember when they were first starting, Barry and his producing gang called. Adele [Romanski] and Mark Ceryak, who I also know, are producers and friends on his side, and they were just like, “What advice do you have?” And I was like, “Dude, you’re going to have all the help you need around you. You just need to focus on doing what you do, which is great storytelling. That’s all that matters.” And then James Laxton, his shooter, is a fantastic DP. James was a class under me, but I remember seeing one of his student films and saying, “Who the hell shot this? It looks fricking fantastic.” It looked better than everyone else’s stuff. So you could tell the talent was there already [in both of them], and I’m just happy to have known these guys. But I love to see that Barry is going for it, and he’s just a personal filmmaker with a great voice.

There’s a viral marketing campaign of apes riding around on horses in several major cities, and they look incredibly realistic. Did you sneak a practically costumed ape in the movie just for kicks and to see if anyone would notice? 

So you’re apparently developing a live-action Legend of Zelda movie. In a genre where everything is compared to Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones , what tone do you have in mind?

I’m very aware of that, and I will be making moves so that we’re not just Lord of the Rings lite. But that’s probably more than I should say, actually.

Well, congrats on a great Apes film, Wes. Again, I want you to come back for a Kingdom sequel, but I’ll also understand if you want to do something else, such as Zelda .

Yeah, hopefully, I’ll be able to do both. That’s the honest truth, and we’ll see if that’s going to be possible or not. It really depends on how well this movie does, but I’ve tried not to put too many eggs in that basket, so we’ll see how it goes.

*** Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is now playing exclusively in movie theaters .

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