Maze Runner - The chosen ones in the labyrinth
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Maze Runner - The chosen ones in the labyrinth |
| Original title | The Maze Runner |
 | |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 2014 |
| length | 113 minutes |
| Age rating |
FSK 12 JMK 14 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Wes Ball |
| script |
Noah Oppenheim , Grant Pierce Myers |
| production |
Ellen Goldsmith-Vein , Marty Bowen , Wyck Godfrey , Lee Stollman |
| music | John Paesano |
| camera | Enrique Chediak |
| cut | Dan Zimmerman |
| occupation | |
| |
| chronology | |
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Successor → |
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Maze Runner - The Chosen in the Labyrinth (Original title: The Maze Runner ) is an American science fiction film by Wes Ball , which is based on the book The Chosen - In the Labyrinth by James Dashner . The German theatrical release was on October 16, 2014. The main roles are Dylan O'Brien , Kaya Scodelario , Will Poulter and Thomas Sangster . It is the first part of The Chosen Trilogy; the second part titled Maze Runner - The Chosen in the Fire Desert was published in 2015. In 2018, the final part Maze Runner - The Chosen in the Death Zone followed .
The film tells the story of the boy Thomas who wakes up in a clearing with no memories and from then on tries together with a group of other boys to escape the surrounding labyrinth and the dangers lurking there.
action
A youth wakes up in an elevator. He has no memories of his previous life. The elevator takes him to a place called the “clearing”, a few hectares of meadows and forest surrounded by high walls. There he meets a group of young men who share his fate and explain to him that a new boy without memory joins their group every month. With every new arrival they find a delivery of supplies in the elevator. The group has been organized for over three years since the first were settled in the area and leads a humble, largely peaceful life of agriculture, ranching, and primitive handicrafts. Some boys have taken on the role of "runners" exploring a mysterious maze that surrounds the walls. During the day a door to the labyrinth is open; at night it closes again and the walls in the labyrinth change their position. Dangerous hybrid figures consisting of a machine and a living monster lurk in the dark: the "Griever". Some boys have died over time because they did not manage to return to the clearing before the gate closed in the evening - then until now they have all been killed by Grievers.
The “newbie” proves to be brave and curious. Like every newcomer, he is shown around by Alby, the first to be abandoned in this clearing three years ago. You climb onto a viewing platform from which you can see the clearing but not see over the walls. At night around the campfire, the “newbie” befriends Newt, who warns him again not to step through the gate to the labyrinth. During a test of strength with one of the strongest boys, Gally, the newcomer falls unhappy. The fall has the consequence that he remembers his first name again: Thomas. Images from the past, which he cannot assign, appear shortly before his eyes.
While Thomas is sent alone into the forest to fetch fertilizer for the cultivation of plants, he is attacked by a boy named Ben. Ben behaves strangely and claims to have seen Thomas before and that he is to blame for everything. When the two are found by the others, it turns out that Ben has been injured by the poison sting of one of the scorpion-like grievers. The sting creates a strange, contagious viral disease. Ben is then banished to the labyrinth and his name is struck off the list of people who live in the clearing on the wall.
Thomas later learns that Alby and Minho have followed the exile into the labyrinth, but have not returned. Alby is injured by a Griever. Minho manages to carry Alby all the way back, but they are late and the gate begins to close. At the last moment Thomas rushes through the gate into the labyrinth so as not to leave Minho and Alby alone. Together with Minho and Alby, Thomas manages to survive a night in the labyrinth. He also manages to lure one of the grievers into a trap and kill him.
After the three return to the clearing, the news of Griever's death is not only received with joy. Minho and a few other boys suggest that Thomas join the group of runners. Gally, who is suspicious of anything new, is against it, however, because Thomas broke the rules and, without being selected for it, broke into the labyrinth. Gally warns of the Griever's revenge.
Then another, unprecedented event happens: A girl appears in the elevator. She delivers the message that she will be the last to be sent into the group. Her name is Teresa, but she seems to remember Thomas' name too. While she sleeps, Thomas decides to go back to the labyrinth the following day.
Minho and three other boys accompany Thomas into the labyrinth. You find the Griever killed by Thomas and can recover an electronic component from his body. This could serve as the key to a possible escape. Gally is appalled that Thomas has re-entered the maze without officially being a runner. He wants to ban Thomas from the community. Instead, Newt, who has become Alby's new leader because of the injury, decides to lock Thomas up for one night in a dungeon, the "hole", for breaking the rules. After that, Thomas should be officially named a runner.
Teresa finds injection syringes with the initials WCKD in her pockets, which she gives Thomas. He suggests trying the serum on Alby, who was injured by the Griever's stings. This could be cured by the serum. Despite his performance, Thomas has to spend a night in the "hole". When Chuck, the youngest among the residents of the clearing, visits him there, Thomas promises him to find an exit from the labyrinth.
The next day, Thomas and Minho ventured back into the labyrinth as a runner. You can find a possible exit with the help of the electronic component, which functions as a kind of guide and key. The two of them can only escape the changing labyrinth with difficulty and finally reach the clearing again. Alby regained his memory from the injection. He, too, can now remember Thomas. This was always the favorite of those who banished all the boys to this clearing.
The following night the gate to the labyrinth does not close, instead other gates open and the clearing is attacked by grievers. Many of the boys are killed in the process. Alby manages to save Chuck, where he himself is attacked and killed.
Gally is convinced that Thomas is the trigger for the attack. Thomas decides to give himself one of the injections with the serum. Then he remembers fragmentarily of his past: He and Teresa were part of a research team from the organization WCKD, which has been using the young people for an experiment for years and has constantly observed them. After that, after their memories were erased, the two were sent to the experiment themselves.
Gally, who was hostile to Thomas from the start, usurps the lead in the clearing and wants to sacrifice him and Teresa to the Grievern. The two are to be tied to stakes. However, many of the survivors put their hopes in Thomas. Gally can't prevent a group of boys, including Minho, Newt and Chuck, from deciding to follow Thomas and Teresa into the labyrinth in order to find the exit to freedom.
After driving several Griever into an abyss with poles, they actually arrive at a presumed exit through which they flee after another fight against the Griever. A corridor leads them to the command center of the experiment, where they find several shot researchers and a video message from the leader. In it, she explains that as part of the experiment, the survival of the youth has become important to save humanity after the earth has been plagued and largely destroyed by increased solar activity and a novel virus. At the end of the video message you can see how the laboratory is attacked by armed fighters and the director, Ava Paige, shoots herself.
After the young people have seen the message, Gally appears, who has since been stabbed by a grief and now wants to take revenge on Thomas for the destruction of the orderly life in the clearing. Gally shoots Thomas and is killed by a javelin from Minho at the same time. Chuck throws himself into Gally's trajectory and dies. The group is in mourning when the armed fighters suddenly appear from the video and take the young people to a waiting helicopter. When you take off you can see the entire labyrinth from above with the clearing in the middle. It is located together with the research station in the middle of a huge sandy desert. The gunmen explain to the youngsters that they are now safe.
In the final scene it becomes obvious that the raid on the laboratory was only faked and that all the researchers are still alive. Ava Paige reports to her colleagues that she is satisfied with the result of the experiment. She especially surprised Thomas. The survivors took the bait and were convinced that they had escaped the experiment. Phase two can now be started.
background
The book series by James Dashner, which serves as the basis for the film, consists of three volumes: The Chosen - In the Labyrinth , The Chosen - In the Fire Desert and The Chosen - In the Death Zone . There is also the prequel The Kill Order .
Creature designer Ken Barthelmey designed the Griever beings for the film.
The shooting of Maze Runner - The Chosen in the Labyrinth took place largely in Louisiana . Filming began in Jackson in May 2013 and ended in Baton Rouge in July of that year . The film opened in German cinemas on October 16, 2014. In its country of origin, the United States , it should initially be released in February 2014 before the launch date was postponed to September 19, 2014. The film is distributed in both countries by 20th Century Fox .
The audio book for the film was published on September 26, 2014 by Silberfisch Hörbuch Verlag. David Nathan did the reading .
Cast and dubbing
| actor | role | Voice actor |
|---|---|---|
| Dylan O'Brien | Thomas | Ozan Unal |
| Aml Ameen | Alby | Nico Sablik |
| Ki Hong Lee | Minho | Amadeus Strobl |
| Blake Cooper | Chuck | Elia Francolino |
| Thomas Brodie-Sangster | Newt | Christian Pointer |
| Will Poulter | Gally | Konrad Bösherz |
| Dexter Darden | pan | Daniel Zillmann |
| Kaya Scodelario | Teresa | Maria Hönig |
| Chris Sheffield | Ben | Ricardo Richter |
| Joe Adler | Tender | Marios Gavrilis |
| Alexander Flores | Winston | Daniel ax |
| Jacob Latimore | Jeff | Patrick Baehr |
| Patricia Clarkson | Ava Paige | Gertie Honeck |
| Don McManus | Masked | Thomas Nero Wolff |
reception
The film received mixed reviews. The Rotten Tomatoes review collection recorded a 63% positive rating based on 139 professional reviews and formulated the consensus as follows: “With strong acting, a solidly presented starting point and a refreshingly dark approach to its dystopian scenario, The Maze Runner stands out from the crowd of youth sci-fi adventures. "
Ben Kenigsberg described The Maze Runner in the New York Times as an "absolutely useful entry into the competition of youth dystopias". He combines elements from Lord of the Flies with the myths of the Minotaur and Orpheus , but comes closer to the Hunger Games . Although the film “doesn't let you look at the cards”, it remains “captivating”; the 08/15 explanations are "unsatisfactory", but the film fulfills "its main mission: to arouse curiosity about the sequel".
Claudia Puig judged in USA Today that the film sometimes looks like “a hectic action adventure”, sometimes like a “modernized master of the flies ”, but is ultimately just “another case of teenage dystopia” and leaves definitely questions unanswered. The Maze Runner seems to have only been worked out in parts and does not manage to add anything special to the current abundance of dystopian children's book adaptations; and that although the film has “decent actors and some gripping pictures” to offer. The pace of the story is slow and its credibility is dubious. Director Wes Ball concentrates more on the optics of the film than on the inner workings of the characters, which is what causes the tension to suffer.
Michael Meyns praised Maze Runner in Die Welt as an "impressive directorial debut". Action scenes are not saved, but the focus of the film is "always on the characters". As in Lord of the Flies , it is "about social groups, the cohesion, but above all the quarrels of the boys", and the tension of the film is fed from these conflicts. Although it is "little more than a prologue for the sequel that is already being planned", it "turned out so convincingly that in the end one can hardly wait to find out how it ... continues".
The film-dienst judged that as a “bitter, eschatologically grim social parable”, the film “pushed to the limit in its martial violence and shock dramaturgy” and left too many questions unanswered.
According to Martin Schwickert from epd Film , Maze Runner negotiates “in a metaphorical way” the “classic themes of youth”. The film offers "with its idiosyncratic setting for the target group a lot of emotional docking points, which is also reflected in the differentiated fanned out characters". What is also striking is the “prudent use of effects and action elements that never throw the narrated story off track”. Only the end is disappointing.
Sequels
For the second part of the book series, Die Chosen - In der Brandwüsten (originally: The Scorch Trials ), Fox secured the film rights even before the first film was released. The film version of the second part was published in Germany on September 24, 2015 under the title Maze Runner - The Chosen in the Fire Desert .
In March 2015 it was confirmed that a film adaptation of the novel The Chosen - In the Death Zone , the third and final volume of the The Chosen trilogy, was in its early stages. TS Nowlin and Wes Ball took over the duties of scriptwriter and director respectively. The release for the film was postponed for one year to early 2018 following an accident involving lead actor Dylan O'Brien while filming in March 2016.
Web links
- Official website (English)
- Maze Runner - The elect in the maze in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Certificate of Release for Maze Runner - The Chosen in the Labyrinth . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry , September 2014 (PDF; test number: 146 864 K).
- ↑ Age rating for Maze Runner - The Chosen in the Labyrinth . Youth Media Commission .
- ↑ The Chosen at Carlsen . In: Carlsen.de . Retrieved February 24, 2014.
- ^ The Maze Runner Series . In: Jamesdashner.com . Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
- ↑ http://theartofken.com/viewgallery.php?galleryID=the-maze-runner-21
- ↑ Christine Bord: 'Maze Runner' continues filming in Baton Rouge this week . In: Onlocationvacations.com . July 11, 2013. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
- ^ Fault in Our Stars Gets Release Date, Maze Runner Pushed Back . In: Comingsoon.net . October 5, 2013. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
- ↑ Popshot: Review of the official audio book . November 22, 2014. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
- ↑ Maze Runner - The chosen ones in the labyrinth in the German dubbing index
- ↑ The Maze Runner. Rotten Tomatoes, accessed on October 23, 2014 (English): "With strong acting, a solid premise, and a refreshingly dark approach to its dystopian setting, The Maze Runner stands out from the crowded field of YA sci-fi adventures."
- ↑ Ben Kenigsberg: A Life-Size Labyrinth Is the Bane of These Boys. The New York Times, September 18, 2014, accessed October 23, 2014 : "" The Maze Runner, "adapted from James Dashner's novel, is a perfectly serviceable entry in the young-adult dystopian sweepstakes. It combines elements of “Lord of the Flies” with the Minotaur and Orpheus myths, but it plays as something closer to “The Hunger Games”… Yet by keeping its cards so close, “The Maze Runner” remains compelling. ... The dime store explanations are unsatisfying, but the movie does its main job: raising curiosity for a sequel. "
- ↑ Claudia Puig: 'Maze Runner' puzzles, and not in a good way. USA Today, September 19, 2014, accessed on October 23, 2014 (English): "Sometimes it's a hectic action adventure, other times it feels like an updated version of Lord of the Flies. Ultimately, it's yet another tale of a teen dystopia. In any of the above scenarios, it leaves questions unanswered. A sci-fi thriller set in a vaguely post-apocalyptic future must create a fully drawn universe to thoroughly captivate the viewer. But Maze Runner feels only partially formed. … Maze Runner adds nothing special to the surfeit of dystopian thrillers based on young adult books of late - The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Giver - though it has an affable cast and some striking visuals. It's a slow-paced yarn. Believability is dodgy,… Director Wes Ball focuses more on the film's visual effects than on the psyches and motivations of the characters. Suspense suffers because of it. "
- ↑ Michael Meyns: Boys, do you want to run forever? Die Welt, October 15, 2014, accessed on October 23, 2014 .
- ↑ Maze Runner - The Chosen in the Labyrinth. film service , accessed October 10, 2014 .
- ↑ Review of Maze Runner - The Chosen in the Labyrinth. epd film , accessed April 30, 2015 .
- ^ Adam Chitwood: Fox Hires Writer to Start Work on MAZE RUNNER Sequel THE SCORCH TRIALS . collider.com. October 3, 2013. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
- ↑ Ross A. Lincoln: 'Maze Runner: The Death Cure' Release Moved To 2018 As Dylan O'Brien Recovers . In: Deadline.com . May 27, 2016. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
