In the film, he acclimates and gains confidence so quickly that that quality is completely lost.ĭashner’s book isn’t just about finding a way out of the maze it’s also about Thomas becoming a Glader, earning the other boys’ respect and then doing what he must to make a difference.

That was part of the reason I could connect to what Thomas was feeling so easily while reading the book. You’re young, you leave your family behind and have to make a life for yourself in a brand new place.

Personally, it always reminded me a bit of going to sleepaway camp. As presented in the book, the maze is terrifying in and of itself, but Thomas also struggles with the fact that, at the start, he’s essentially all alone, scared and forced to adapt to a brand new lifestyle whether he likes it or not. There is something appealing about watching Thomas buddy up with Chuck ( Blake Cooper), Newt, Alby and Minho ( Ki Hong Lee) in the film version because who doesn’t like seeing a likable character make friends? However, it does take away from the gravity and suspense of the situation. Alby ( Aml Ameen), Newt ( Thomas Brodie-Sangster) and the other Gladers don’t welcome him to his new “home” with a bon fire party they call him names, withhold information and do an abundance of other things to make him even more uncomfortable in this new, terrifying situation. In Dashner’s book, Thomas ( Dylan O’Brien) has it pretty rough after hopping out of that elevator. Warning: There are major spoilers for the book and the movie in this feature. Hit the jump for the ups and downs of the adaptation process. The situation is actually pretty straightforward – there are kids trapped in a maze and they have to figure out how to get out – but then you’re wondering, why are they there? Who put them there? What’s going on in the outside world? It isn’t easy answering those questions in less than two hours and that’s where the movie pales in comparison to the book, but there are other elements that are strong enough to make The Maze Runner one of the more successful YA adaptations we’ve got. Not only did director Wes Ball have to develop a Glade full of multidimensional characters, but he also had to set up a brand new world and convey the rules that govern it. One of the biggest challenges of adapting a book to film is condensing it and more so than ever when you’re working with a narrative that goes down in a brand new environment like The Glade. It’s got a great pace, stunning visuals and strong performances all-around, but there are some significant differences between the book and the film and, simply put, the book does it better. First off, I enjoyed Maze Runner the movie quite a bit.

Teresa maze runner