Is it A-Maze-ing? - The Maze Runner Series

Around and around the wretched maze they run,

Searching for escape, under the blistering sun.

Nimble and quick for hours on end.

But when the sun sleeps, themselves they must fend.

For out from the shadows come the monstrous howls,

The ones of the Reapers, the demons most foul.

But should one suffer their venomous sting,

They’ll know all the answers to the grand suffering.

“So isn’t that good?” one might believe.

But such assumptions are for the naïve.

Because in seconds such truth breaks the mind in twain,

Contorting the soul with a terrible pain.

“But why,” you might ask. “Why the mystery, the craze?”

It’s just the terror and wonder of the perilous maze.

    In the vast ocean of young adult novel series turned movie franchises, Harry Potter reigns king (despite starting out as a children's series). But riding on the coattails of its success are a slew of others that dared to and did indeed touch the stars with varying success: Fifty Shades of Grey, Divergent, and The Hunger Games just to name a few. However, among those notable titles there is one that often goes unmentioned as if its presence was but a passing fad, and perhaps it was. Nonetheless, I'm here to tell you that despite what flaws the films may have, the Maze Runner Series is one such franchise that has never been given the attention, nor the praise it deserves. That being said, not all that glitters here is gold, for as much fun as I had with the aforementioned series, much remains to be desired. So, let's get into it. But be warned, SPOILERS AHEAD.

    For a quick summary, The Maze Runner Series is composed of three films: The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials, and The Cure, each chronicling the misadventures of Thomas as he navigates the likes of love, loss, and courage within a mysterious post apocalyptic world.

    Meeting him in The Maze Runner, he starts off as a mysterious, young man suffering from amnesia that was deposited into a community of boys trapped at the center of a massive maze. With no clue as to the purpose of their captivity, he and his fellow runners set out to solve the grand mystery.

    I must admit, this initial premise sparks wild flames of intrigue upon first watch, as the film captivates the viewer with a multitude of perplexing revelations as well as some surprising thrill-tastic action for a young adult film. And this holds true, all the way through to the very end, leaving it's viewers on an enticing cliffhanger akin to The Fellowship of the Ring. I acknowledge the quality of movies are vastly different, but the anticipation they leave you with rings just as true, if you're into the flick of course, which I was. However, when we turn the corner into its sequels a lot of that initial allure begins to fade.

    Getting into the Scorch Trials, we find our heroes now escaped from the maze but locked in more-or-less a prison for children, disguised as a shelter. So naturally they have to escape, only to face the harsh hellscape of a post-apocalyptic world overrun with zombies brought about by a strange sickness that has plagued the earth for the last few decades. So how does this connect to the first movie, you might ask. Well it appears the maze was a way to scare specific youth in such a way that it forced their brains to secrete a special fluid that could then be harvested and used as the basis for a potential cure for the sickness mentioned earlier.

    Now my biggest problem with this isn't necessarily the concept itself, but that it felt more like loose window dressing to hang over what essentially boils down to a generic zombie movie akin the likes of The Walking Dead, Zombie, Land, or I Am Legend. In its defense, I'm only specifically calling out the bare-bones premise as everything else (production, action, suspense, character development, zombies) is actually handled quite well, resulting in a fairly entering film, just not a very interesting one. But herein lies the film's greatest sin. Because in taking the story in such a basic direction, it throws away all the weird and tasty intrigue brought on by its predecessor. To make matters worse, many questions left hanging at the end of the first movie are not addressed in this movie or even the third installment. And if you watch the movies you'll know what I'm referring to. But like I said, what's here is good, especially for a genre that (in my opinion) often gets held back by its young adult brand. So then, what of the third one?

    Coming to our final film, The Cure, I actually don't have much to say except that it's more of the same from The Scorch Trials. It advances the story and it's character, while ramping up the action, the zombies, the drama, and of course the class turmoil. Because what's a young adult series without some of that sprinkled in? And! It even sticks the landing and ends the adventure in a satisfying manner. My only real note is that the love story never really hits home. But then again it never really takes off either, which you'd think after three movies it would. But ultimately it doesn't matter, as the themes of hope, family, and friendship shine through well enough to carry the series to its thrilling and satisfying conclusion. So love can fall by the wayside at least this once. It's alright. But with all that said, where does this leave us? 

    The Maze Runner Series definitely sparks intrigue from moment one of its first film, offering a wild tale riddled with mystery that leaves you wanting more in the best way possible. It is unfortunate that its sequels don't offer a story to match the insane set up of the first film, but at least what is there is still entertaining, dare I say even thrilling at times, if not all that inspired. And true enough, it carries other flaws, like a lackluster love story as well as a severe lack of mazes and by proxy maze action, especially in the sequels, which feels like a crime all in itself … BUT! Nevertheless, it delivers on what matters, which simply is a good time on the couch. So, if you haven't watched them, I strongly encourage anyone to give them a shot. Or at the very least, watch the first one and make up whatever crazy sequel you want in your head. Either way is not a bad way to spend an evening.