The Maze Runner Chucked our Hearts Away! (Movie Commentary & Reaction)
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- čas přidán 21. 08. 2024
- The Maze Runner movie commentary reaction
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In the books, they were sent a couple of doses of a cure for the infection in the box every month. That’s why Minho was trying to get Alby back to the Glade. If I’m remembering correctly, Ben was banished because the infection had spread too much for the cure to work.
In books there was no real cure. And it was never actually found in the end, the immune travelling into a safe-heaven.
ohhhh that makes A LOT more sense! I always thought it didn't make sense that he was trying to save him when he was already stung and their rules say not him to leave alba behind, plus when they sent Theresa up with the cure for him the movie treats it like they've never seen that before and they're worried about what it is
!!! yep wish they took a second to explain this in the movie
In the books, Ben had already been given the cure by the time Thomas came to the Glade. He was going thru the Changing (the after effects of the cure). Gally was actually the one to encourage Thomas to go see Ben in the Homestead.
And in the movie, it works to bring Alby back to the Glade. The rules Alby mentioned at the start of the movie come in to play here. Never harm another Glader. This is the reason Ben was sent into the Maze at sunset. Alby hadn’t hurt another Glader - although it’s hinted that he and Minho fought after he was stung, Minho being Minho can’t leave anyone behind. Especially not a friend.
Spot on :)
Dylan O'Brien always does a phenomenal job of acting his butt off. He's honestly what got me in to this series.
Same! He had me hooked at styles, I just followed him to each new role.
fr he is 100% the reason I ended up watching this movie
I don't think they finished this series.
they made all three movies which was all they had planned :)@@ashleydowney1222
@@ashleydowney1222 They did? All three books were made into movies.
In the books Newt was in the Glade around a month, and then he couldn't handle it anymore, so he went into the maze, climbed the ivy as high as he could and he jumped, as he was the second person inside the Glade, he was found by the only other person in there, Alby, who got him back to the Glade and took care of him, but he spends the rest of his life with a limp, and he was never able to run, so he didn't go in the maze again, until Thomas arrived.
They sent 30 boys in for the first time and then one by one. Newt was in that first wave, if I remember correctly, so there weren't just Newt and another guy
@@ellinskey4422 Oh, my bad, thanks for the correction
@@ellinskey4422i thought alby was there for a month alone and then newt got there.
@@crescentlust6113 It's much different in the books, they changed a lot of things for movie adaptation reasons. A lot of things are sped up or looked over in the movies. So yes you're right for the movies, however in the books a lot of things were different.
The books did a better job at explaining the amnesia stuff. Thomas talked about how he could remember the general way the world works and even some technology and stuff, but nothing about who he is or where he came from. I remember him talking about how he remember what the sound of dea leaves blowing around and moving against pavement sounded like. He could even remember how to use certain tools and skills. But you are correct. The futuristic technology of this universe means they were able to almost completely customize what these kids did and did not remember.
Also! The box didn't just give them basic supplies. It gave them tools, clothes, backpacks, etc. It even sometimes gave them instructions on how to build or make certain things. They received a farmers manual one time too.
21:21 they never explain this in the movie but they do in the books. basically they have no specific or personal memories but they do have general knowledge. They know how the world works. They know how to read and write. They know what a house, and a city, and a car is even though, to their knowledge, they’ve never seen one. So they know what infections are. WCKD, with their futuristic and super advanced technology, took their identities from them and any personal memories of specific places, people, or things but not the idea of those things.
Regarding when you were talking about your memories being who you are: my uncle felt backwards into an empty pool and lost his memories. He didn't recognize his wife or daughters, didn't know their names, but he knew they were important to him. It was weird what he did remember and he still doesn't have everything back over a decade later. One thing that stood out was when his friends tried to convince him he was a 49ers fan, he immediately remembered he was a Dallas Cowboys lifelong fan. Same with his music preferences.
I hear you. Memories are weird😯 - Sam
It's funny that you said "How dare a woman speak logic, she's a witch" cause that actress plays in pirates of the Caribbean 5 where she is called a witch for being a woman of science loll
I haven’t read the books, but as someone born female, my kneejerk reaction to Teresa being locked in and surrounded exclusively by teenage boys who make the rules, is fear and empathy for her situation. Any circumstance where you’re the lone female in a group of men who can overpower you physically, is not ideal and experience teaches you to trust no one.
In the second movie, they actually meet a guy who in a maze of only girls, and they actually debated whether or not they should kill him. It's on CZcams, titled: The True Maze - A Maze Runner Graphic Novel Story.
@@mryoungandbrave1I did wonder what the dynamics in other mazes look like. I feel for his situation too as the lone boy. He isn’t likely to overpower a large group of girls as the power dynamic would be different, so it seems illogical to hurt him, even as a precaution. But fear is a big motivator and people don’t always think or behave rationally under that kind of stress. I always wondered how Lord of the Flies would have gone down if it was an island of only girls. Differently, but perhaps just as brutally. I’ll have to look that maze runner graphic novel up.
@@sarkyblueeyes9357 I think that's what the show Yellowjacket's explores, but I haven't seen it myself just yet so I can't be sure.
@@sarkyblueeyes9357 In the books, there were only two mazes, Thomas goes to Site A with all boys one girl, Teresa as the last one they sent up and at Site B, it was all girls until the one boy, and then no one.
@@seattlecryptid Yellowjackets has one or two guys in the mix (at least at the start) and im pretty sure some sort of supernatural element going on, but yeah it is basically that.
I know why you guys are my favourite reactors. So few people acknowledge Gally's character beyond "oh, he's just an antagonist", even though he starts out as well meaning but a little harsh and just slowly spirals into his fear and desire to be safe. This was the movie where I fell in love with Will Poulter. He delivers such a good performance. Honestly, the entire cast is amazing. Really book accurate too.
Movie 2 is unfortunately rather bad in my opinion. Choosing to make the Flare into just another zombie virus instead of the slow and torturous loss of sanity while still being aware really just downgraded all of the conflict, and they changed a lot from the book in really weird ways. The third one fixes a lot of issues of the second one though, and lets the characters shine much more. I really hope you get to do the entire trilogy!
First time I saw Will Poulter was in Son of Rambow and I knew that kid was going places. I was right
yeah i rank the movies 3 >1 > 2
I’m sad they changed so much in the second. There were so many missed moments. And I hate that they pretty much decided against Thomas and Brenda’s relationship growth entirely!
@@hue.main1rose took my nose I suppose
I've only watched the first and second movies, but I do remember Newt is my favorite character because he thinks before acting. Even making Thomas a runner was smart because he knew it would minimize the risk of Thomas just going by himself and he knew he couldn't stop him.
Dylan O’Brien is an absolute legend. I know the series thanks to him.
fun fact: in the books they're all named after great historical figures i.e. Thomas- Thomas Edison, Newt- Issac Newton, Chuck- Charles Dickens, Alby- Albert Einstine, and Gally- Galileo it's a great little sort of insight into the minds of the people who put them in there.
54:50 Fun fact: the director of the trilogy, Wes Ball, has a background in VFX so he was able to make the cgi look really good despite the $60 million budget, which is a sort of a small budget for a movie like this. Divergent and The Hunger Game both had bigger budgets for their first movies.
A great point. The TMR trilogy was done on the cheap, but you'd never know it. Makes them even more amazing films. A prodigious accomplishment for all involved.
A little bit of bringing Alby back but putting Ben in the maze was that Ben broke one of the 3 major rules: He attacked another glader (Thomas). I think Minho might've knocked Alby out before he could get violent~
I think why they themselves don't personally end one of the infected is a bit of that (the rule to not attack another glader). It could also be so that it isn't solely on the shoulders of one person; this way the burden is a little bit shared.
I am excited to see you guys tackle this series, especially some of the moral questions it poses~~~
4:20 you got it right. The names they “remember” are names WCKD gave them. They’re not their real names that their parents gave them.
I went straight to the comments when they said that to see if anyone else pointed that out!
I read the Fever Code and it made me so sad when they started torturing their names and memories out of then at the start of the book :"(
Aw :(
My thoughts on banishing Ben is it took the weight off of the other boys instead of having one person have to kill him they all equally send him away so no one has to deal with the fact that they killed someone they knew and cared about. Even if it is putting him out of his misery that’s still a lot for someone to have to go through especially since they are children even if the world is forcing them not to be. Ben is dead either way it’s better to take care of the boys who would have to live with what they had done.
i love these books and movies but i can always tell teresa is a women written by a man bcos the reality of her situation and how scared and alert you would have to be is just like not acknowledged, like even at 13 when i read this i was terrified for her and its just isnt ever a thing or addressed like the bloodcurding terror youd feel as an afab person aHHHHHHHHHH i think abt it every reread/rewatch so had to comment other than that these r so good i wanna run in the maze and dylan was THE crush in this era hes so cute damn lmao
I never really felt like that. Probably because she was working with wicked all along and kept her memories when she went into the maze (in the books). I always assumed that wicked would have done something if she would have gotten in danger...
@@ellinskey4422I read the books but I too thought what @bugwaterbuffy said. As a woman, I thought how terrified I would be to be the only one and they are all essentially strangers. We can’t say they wouldn’t put them in danger when they literally put them in danger and stress situations to see their reactions.
17:59 I believe we learn in the books that the maze actually cycles through a monthly set of phases. They had massive maps based off their memory. Truly astounding.
Alby is also the leader of the glade. That’s one reason why Minho was trying to bring him back. But also they do keep some form of sanity for a little while after being stung.
While I didn't finish the first book, what I remember really liking from it is how you are like Thomas's shadow; what he knows, you know and I appreciate the movie trying to capture that feeling right off the back.
Even though this is late I totally ageee I loved that aspect
I always loved the cinematography in the first movie! It's surprisingly good for a YA novel adaptation
You're questioning how they get their gear and how they cut their hair and stuff, if I am not mistaken, in the books they could actually ask for things and the people who put them there would send it up (if possible).
So like, shoes, clothes, food, pans, probably blades for beard, they could just write on a paper what they need and put it in the box when the greenie comes up. And once the box goes down the people would get their request and sed them up by the next month with the new greenie.
even if this doesn't get 5,000 likes please do the sequels! this is my favorite movie series and i love the commentary y'all bring and would love to see you watch it all play out
100% agreed
Maybe they banish the infected instead of mercy-killing because they just can't stomach killing anyone and also because the infected can pose a danger to the others so better safe than sorry?
They don't mention it that well in the movie but he was banished for attacking Thomas, not for being stung.
@@xenonuke1194but he only attacked Thomas because he was stung, not intentionally right? So that doesn't make any sense 😭
@@jinphany. it didn't force him to though. In the book there are plenty of people who are stung and survive the infection. They call it the Changing and is what really fueled Galli's anger and mistrust of Thomas from the start
I had forgotten just how solid this cast was! Ki Hong Lee, Will Poulter, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Kaya Scodelario, and Dylan O'Brien can really act their butts off.
the books were some of my favourite growing up and i had a huge crush on thomas brodie sangster these movies were made for me lol, i never watched the third movie because of how sad the third book made me though, this will get me to watch it
edit: i can't remember if it's mentioned in the movie but the main characters are all named by the scientists conducting the experiment after previous scientists e.g. alby- albert einstein, newt- issac newton, thomas- thomas edison
About the ages of the principal cast: the movie was made in 2014, when Dylan O'Brien was 23, Thomas Brodie-Sangster was 24 and Will Poulter was 21. Ki Hong Lee, who starred as Minho, was 28, and Aml Ameen, who starred as Alby, was 29.
Absolutely love Dylan O’ Brien, such an underrated actor. Well loved by such a specific group but largely unknown and uncelebrated haha.
yes, he has a loyal following from people like me, who watched him in so many movies and teen wolf, but largely gets unnoticed. I really think he'd be a bigger accident if he didn't get injured on set for the movie (i think it was the third film). It just sucks, he's said how it put his career back a bit and he gets a lot of anxiety on sets, and he is much more hesitant about certain films.
@@angietoonz6605 yea, same. I really noticed him in teen wolf, I felt like his acting was really good and stood out against his cast mates. Everyone I have introduced to him has absolutely loved him from the get go. 😊
Honestly Dylan O'Brien is an acting king
The cold open to this film is one of my favorites. Idk why. It's just the perfect amount of taking in info (with the light coming in waves) and just visceral panic :)
Here's some of my insights to some of the commentary that came up during this vid, including some knowledge from the books that may help make things make sense! Please note there may be spoilers if you haven't seen the vid or the movies.
- -
18:58 - In the prequel, The Fever Code, George was a runner that got stung by a griever in the maze. He was isolated to the homestead because no one knew what to do with him, but he became aggressive and violent, just like how we see Ben is when he attacks Thomas. He gets killed not long after, obviously, but was the first one to die in the (book) series.
27:12 - When we see Minho + Alby going into the maze, presumably they're going not just to map out the place, but also to find Ben's body... And Alby gets stung by a griever in the process somehow. Ben was violent and tried to kill Thomas after being stung, whereas we see it takes a few days for Alby to become violent-notice they banished Ben only AFTER he attacked Thomas? At the time Thomas runs into the maze, Alby wasn't dangerous, so Minho might've thought there'd be enough time to help him, somehow? I think Minho also understands that Alby's their leader, so there's some importance in that. Also in the books, at this same time, the serum had already existed, so it would've made sense for Minho to bring Alby back to give him it. That's where they could've changed a couple of things in the movie, for sure, since we don't get a serum until after Teresa is sent up.
52:37 - There was a TMR game/app that existed that's in the style of Temple Run, but I'm not entirely sure how "official" it was. It's not available anymore.
56:56 - The serums were "antidotes" to the griever's stings, though I'm not 100% sure if they were specifically meant for Thomas + Teresa, but it is suspect since she only had 2 when she arrived.
1:02:28 - Correct! The "changing" makes you go through all that pain, but also brings back a couple of memories. If you don't take the serum, you die.
1:16:11 - In the books, we know that the kids being sent into the maze get chipped, and it's learnt that WCKD used them to manipulate/control them... Including the moment Gally pulls out the gun (which is a knife in the books). The movies pull it off by having him stung and therefore insane instead.
1:20:47 - I would've LOVED this as like a mini-series, kinda like what they did with The Last of Us! Would've given more time for them to explain some things like the setting much better.
1:21:20 - The 100 actually came out the same year as this movie, in fact it came out in March, whereas The Maze Runner premiered in September! Idk if you've seen them, but it was similarly around the time other shows like The Walking Dead (2010), Falling Skies (2011), Terra Nova (2011), Revolution (2012) all came out, so there was definitely something in that sort of genre trending. I can definitely see The Maze Runner as a tv series being super popular, and it would've been interesting to see how it would've worked, since the author of the book series had made several other books since.
52:41 "This would've made a really good video game." Not exactly a video game, but there was actually a Minecraft server that made a minigame based on The Maze Runner, and it was really fun and unique. Funnily enough, it was actually my first introduction to The Maze Runner. Sadly, it wasn't the most popular server or minigame, and Minecraft multiplayer also kind of became monopolized, so it shut down years ago and can't be played anymore.
i love that you both understood gally's reasoning, the fact that he was both scared and traumatized and he wasn't being an asshole just for the sake of it. many people on their first reactions seem to ignore this fact and it bothers me so much cause everyone deals with trauma and strong feelings such as fear in different ways, and while it may not me convenient for those who are on the actual right path (thomas, minho, etc), it's the only way they know how to respond (gally and the others who stayed in the maze)
love your reactions, hoping for the full trilogy soon!!
Dylan O'Brian is an underrated actor.
The 2010s Teen Dystopia Genre really was some time to be alive.
Oh Dylan looked good in this movie 😉
I don't remember if they mention it in the movie
But when thomas come in the box, the box doesn't go back for a few weeks, for quite a long weird time. And that's one of the reason Gally doesn't like Thomas, he doesn't trust Thomas
And the fact that one of his best friend (Ben) got stung and it hasn't happen for a while and that guy is saying "it's your fault"
I 100% agree that this would have been way better as a TV Show. But most book series would be better as TV Shows. There's way too much background stories, and parallel storylines, for it all to make sense in 3 movies with 2h each.
I love these books so much, and I think they did a great job with the first 2 movies with the screen time they had, but they hit a hard road block with movie 3 (Yet, I'd love to watch you guys react to the rest of it).
There an in set accident with Dylan OBrien. He got hit by a truck during one of the stunts, he was out for months, no one even knew if he would even be back to finish the 3rd movie. They were supposed to make 4, the last one divided into 2, but then with production stopped for half an year, they only got one out. It's a bit rushed, a lot of the plotlines don't tie up as nicely as they should, you are left with more questions than answers, BUT I think it's still quite interesting, they make it worK. I'm hoping for that 5k likes so we get to see the others. Thank you for this one!
Seeing you guys finally cover The Maze Runner brings me absolute joy!! 😃😃
This is still one of my favorite movies and one of the greatest franchises ever. Such a great film.
If you can’t see Will Poulter as a bad guy, watch “Detroit” 🥴 But yeah, he is a really nice person and amazing actor indeed!
Just wanted to hop on here saying how much I love all of your reactions :) watching your reactions has turned into something of a comfort watch for me :) I especially appreciate how you always try to see the characters from different perspectives and try to really understand their motivations :) thank you for doing all of this!
I honestly never understood this franchise and I got questions for the fans, please help:
1) Were the kids immune to the virus before they got sent to the maze and the trials simply "enhanced" their immunity enough to be then harvested by WCKED? Or did the trials of the maze make them immune (as in: they weren't before)?
2) Also if they are immune: how come they still get sick when they get stung by Gravers? Isn't it the same virus ("The Flare")?
3) Then, how come WCKED is so sure the kids being through the trials of the maze will help them achieve a cure if they have never actually been able to harvest a single working cure from a maze survivor before (Thomas)?
4) Why is Thomas so special, again? (I can't remember, sorry, lol)
5) Why was Thomas working for WCKED before he got into the maze? Why would they employ a teenage boy to do behind-the-desk job an adult could probably do better?
A huge thank you to whoever can answer these questions, because I really liked the first movie but I barely remember the next two, because I didn't understand the plot and that anoyed me very much 😩
So, it's been a long time since I've read the books (If I'm wrong, please someone correct me)
1 - Most of the kids were immune before they were sent to the maze, they were born immune to the virus. The trials increased their brain activity, which is what the Creators were trying to do to discover what makes them immune and if they could replicate it
2) WCKD got the disease and diminished its power of infection to a level where they could control it and heal it with the 'cures' they made. They basically used the virus, but in a minor scale, and implanted it in the Grievers, so the Gladers would be affected but not killed like in the usual way or have gone totally insane.
3) I don't remember much about it, but any kind of harsh environment that defies them would be of interest for them to study, as long as they could control it and observe them. They wanted to increase what made them them to try and figure it out how or why do they 'kill' the virus. (Someone might answer this one better than me 'cause I don't remember much)
4) So, in the books, some of them are immune and some of them are not, but Thomas is special because besides being immune, he was the only one whom they tested that could 100% eliminate the virus and heal the infected due to his brain. The other immunes could protect their own bodies from the disease, but couldn't eradicate the virus. There isn't exactly a 'cure' in the books, but Thomas is considered the 'solution', let's say, but he would have to have been killed for them to actually know and produce said cure.
5) This is explained in The Fever Code, but it's been a while since I read it, but basically, when he was taken (him and the others, including the girls), they had already started the brainwashing and the name changes. Thomas, Teresa, Aris and Rachel were really really smart, smart even beyond their age. They built the maze along with the other people working there, but it was basically their design and they could do inputs. They didn't have much contact with the others when they were younger (which changed for a while), and later, their contact was cut for something they did and because they were being sent into the maze. So initially it was fine for him because he didn't know the others and he wanted to help the Creators to find a cure, but his breaking point was when Newt tried to k* himself in the maze. To summarize, they employed him because he was immune, 'obedient', really really smart, his aiding was really beneficial, they wanted to challenge his capacity to see how far he could go and him and the other 3 were kind of an experiment in itself, 'cause they could speak telepathically to each other.
If someone remembers anything else, please add it here!! 😁
@@leticia12 oh thank you so much for your answer that clarifies a lot of things! 😍
Really agree with you on the creepy creature design, and the CGI holds up pretty well, still.
I get what you mean by how horrible it feels to see the infected person pushed into the Maze to die, but when you're suggesting someone uses a rock to his head or a spear to the heart to kill their friend, who do you recommend does that? Is it Alby, the leader, every time someone needs to die? Is it alphabetical order, so every boy kills at least one other boy? Is it randomly pulled from a hat, so maybe someone gets unlucky and has to kill many times? How do you recommend these teenagers murder each other? I understand why they went with this system - every boy in the Glade who knows what to do (so not Chuck and Thomas as this is their first time seeing it) gets a stick and they all commit the act together. Everyone shares the burden, and no one kid is left to deal with the emotional repercussions alone. There is no good option, but there is one that shares the load.
oh my god, i've NEVER clicked on a video faster... this series-including the books that they were based on-were SO formative to my teen years 😂 i'll definitely comment in fun facts and info from the books later on for you guys and the community, in case anything needs to be clarified! sam's so valid for wanting to get to the other ones in the series, they're just a lot of fun and are super interesting, worldbuilding/lore-wise. you guys'll always have my like on vids, but especially for this series!
maybe you guys watching this series will finally get me to watch the third one hahaha
Same lol
I remember my brother literally dragged me to the theater to watch the third one, I couldn’t bring myself to go because I knew how heartbroken I would be afterwards. Till this day, my heart is still broken 😭
I remember thinking the last book didn’t make much sense. The final movie also didn’t make much sense. Also the actress for Teresa is pregnant in it and they don’t mention it or cover it very well. It’s a bizarre movie.
Ooooh I’m glad you’re doing this movie. I really liked the books back when I was a preteen. I found the mystery of the maze really interesting
It's interesting to me, how there are several english/british people in the cast - Will Poulter, Kaya Scodelario (Effie from Skins) - but Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) is the only one who was allowed to keep an accent lol. I hope this series continues on! I watched the 1st movie, but haven't seen the 2nd and 3rd one yet and would love to see you both upload it.
In the books, you get the impression Newt is British. Maybe it's because he's named after Isaac Newton?
So, I think its actually the sting that jogs the memories because Ben, from the beginning, recognized Thomas. "Its all your fault."
1:19:13 The guy left side is actually the author of the books James Dashner. Fun they gave him a little cameo
5:05 Thomas Brodie-Sangster 'Newt' was 24 in 2014 😊
There are many different types of amnesia, so I think you both may be confused about that since you keep questioning how the boys know about things like parents, girls, infection, etc. Amnesia isn't one type of condition that completely wipes your brain clean of any information. The amnesia for Gladers seems most similar to dissociative amnesia to me, where a person is unable to recall important information about their life, such as their history or identity. As you picked up already during the film, the amnesia is being forced upon the kids so we can also assume the technology used to do that can be even more selective. Every single person who ever suffers amnesia in real life doesn't need to learn to do everything from scratch like a baby from birth.
I NEED the whole series now
So glad you finally got around to this one! Looove your reactions :)
Having to wait for the next movie during its original release would have been crazy fr to me if I hadn't read the books first. Honestly, I had wished the movies took longer to come out because I knew what was coming and just didn't want to have to see it with my own eyes.
i could be wrong, but i believe they banished Ben because he harmed another glader not because he was infected. Which was one of the rules that Alby had mentioned earlier.
We figured it would be different if you’re stung, but I guess it still makes sense 👍 - Sam
I love Thomas Brodie-Sangster! He played Newt so so well. I also think he's a vampire, because he has barely aged at all... it's truly crazy😅
So excited for you guys to react to the maze runner! I went to the cinema not knowing it was a series, so my mind was completley blown at the end haha 😂😂 I really hope you get enough likes so you get react to the rest of them!! 🙏
PLEASE EVERYONE - FOR THE LOVE OF GOD - PLEASE LIKE THIS VIDEEEEOOOUUU
People with amnesia dont forget everything, in this case they might not know who they are but they know how things works. Otherwise they wouldn't even know how to talk
I've never watched a movie that felt more like the tutorial level of a videogame than this. It's fascinating.
I found these movies in 2015 after the 2nd came out and only as I was on a Thomas Brodie-Sangster movie binge. I loved the first but didn't care for the 2nd as I'm not a scary/zombie movie person and it was 2 years later that I found out they were based on books. I purchased the box set and read them all in a week, I'm not a fast reader so that is really quick for me. Since then, they have become my comfort series, I re-read them all before the 3rd film came out, just a few months after reading them the first time and have read them so many times since. I love these movies too, even when the story strays, and really hope you guys watch the next films!
Spoiler if you haven't seen the second film. It is interesting that both Thomas and Theresa remember something of their past and no one else does - unless they're stung. WCKD must have intended they remember. There are two basic options: 1) Thomas betrays WCKD to Right Arm. (Theresa may have, in turn, betrayed him to WCKD.) Ava Paige, who is literally a foster-mother to Thomas, confronts Thomas with: "You have to decide." In other words, repent of your sin or be sent into the maze. Thomas chooses the maze. Theresa is sent in to reconvert Thomas to WCKD if he should survive because Thomas is "valuable" to the overall project. Theresa is the monomyth's temptress. She doesn't use sex, but argument to reconvert Thomas to WCKD. 2) The maze trial isn't proceeding as expected. It's taking too long and/or not yielding as good results as anticipated. Thomas has betrayed WCKD. Rather than kill him, they put him into the maze. They may have intended to do this anyway. He's by far the best and brightest of the immunes, and WCKD hopes he will serve as a catalyst, which he does. Again, Theresa is sent in to reconvert Thomas to WCKD should he survive. Whatever the scenario, Theresa is always an agent of WCKD.
12:20 Newt says Med-jacks. They are the equivalent of doctors in the Glade. Clint and Jeff are actually the only ones.
My favorite thing about this series is the score and the characters. The characters are complex and enjoyable and watching this after it being years since I've seen this movie...it felt like reuniting with old friends in a way. And the score...MAN, I can't explain how much I love the music in these movies.
These were movies that I didn’t think I’d like as much as I do. I watched em for the first time in 2021 I believe and they pleasantly surprised me. All the acting was good as was story and other things, though I will admit that I think certain aspects could’ve been done better. Great vid guys and keep up the great work
"Thomas... I wanna know.. have you ever seen the rain?" #DEAD
I have absolutely always loved these movies and I loved reading the books
It's been so long since I sat and watch an video from you guys. Good to see yall doing, it seems, well.
I never came around to watch the movies or read the books when they were new, but now I'm intrigued. I hope this vid does well so you can continue the commentary!
Guys I will riot if you don’t all get this to 5k likes!!! WE CAN DO IT
I was wondering if they’d watched Midsommar on the channel but then they were talking about how they can’t see Will Coulter as a villain so I don’t think they have seen it 😂 they definitely should tho
I physically yelled “yeahhhhh” the moment I saw this
yeeeeeeees, i want the entire series, im here for it
This is one of my favourite movie series I've seen. I really hope you guys end up watching the other 2 because I feel like they go just as hard.
Crazy that you caught onto the planted name thing… in the books none of the characters names were what they remembered. Thomas was named after Thomas Jefferson, Newt was named after Newton, etc. they fr took everything from them
Newt was the second commander and when Alby got stung Newt was in charge and that's why it was him that had to make the decision to make Thomas a runner. ....
You have to pay attention guys.
There are definitely certain parts of the next 2 movies I'd like to see y'alls reactions to. It's a solid trilogy in my opinion.
Hey guys! Hope you’ve had a great week 😊 I had a good but exhausting day and this is a nice treat for me before heading to sleep 😁 thanks for another great reaction video 😊
I only watched & read the books was for Dylan O’Brien when I was obsessed with Teen Wolf. For the books I enjoy the 2nd one a lot than the movie. The first movie was really good but they did take out the telekinetic connection between Thomas & Teresa. What they did with Teresa was so bad when in the books she had really good reasons on why
My biggest hate about this movie is Teresa. I have stopped watching some of the movies because of her character. She is what powerful women in film should NOT be. To stop any spoilers the one thing she does in this movie that is my biggest pet peeve is she fights so little than does on thing and it’s the saving grace for the team. Most of my issues come from later in the movies but her character could’ve been written way better. Like Trish from divergent is way better written then Katniss being one of my favorite female MC.
Thomas Brodie Sangster was 24 when they did this movie. He's born 1990. Dylan O'Brien is born 1991, so they were all i pretty mutch the same age. Thomas was also one of the most entitled actor at this age since he had been in a lot more movies and production since young age. Not only in Love Actually and Nanny McPhee but several other movies also, like Entrusted, The Last Legion, Dr Who, and some other stuff. Yes, he was 13 in Love Actually and 15 in Nanny McPhee,and i think he was 13 or 14 in The last legion and Entrusted. So yes he always got to play younger characters because of his young look. He's an amazing actor all natural talented since he never been in drama school or anything. Google him and se what he has done till now. So according to me he had done a lot more than Dylan even back then.
Ive always assumed that they release the infected into the maze because they don’t really want to risk driving them deeper into the infection by attempting to kill them and because having the body in the valley would just pollute the little space they have with negative memories and actually bodies (which take months to decompose, and years to do so fully depending on circumstances)
I've never engaged with this series, but this looked really good, and the empathy you brought gave it dimension. Would love to see the sequels covered ✨
If you know your classics, the "Maze Runner" is a pretty close retelling of "Theseus and the Minotaur," of course. Naturally, Thomas is Theseus, the hero. Turns out, Thomas, in his pre-Glade life, was also Daedalus, a creative genius. Daedalus created the Labyrinth for Minos, just like Thomas created the maze for WCKD. Daedalus also betrayed Minos, just like Thomas did WCKD. Daedalus was condemned by Minos to the Labyrinth, just like Thomas was sent by WCKD into the maze. The Glade and the Gladers are Athens and Athenian youth of the myth, respectively. The Grievers are the Minotaur, the monster that feeds on the Athenian youth who have been offered as sacrificial victims. The Minotaur is half-man, half-bull. The Grievers are half-organic, half-machine. The WCKD mechanism that's found in the crushed Griever is Ariadne's thread, the key out of the maze. WCKD, as noted above, is King Minos. In the myth, 7 youths and 7 maids are sacrificed to the Minotaur every year. This strongly implies the existence of an all-female maze. The number 7, which has significance in the film, is undoubtedly an allusion to the myth, too. The maze motif is repeated in the "Scorch Trials" and "Death Cure."
The Glade's Athens is, however, more like "The Lord of the Flies (LOTF)" than classical Greece. The Glade is, after all, an island inhabited by boys in the midst of an ocean-like maze. Who can forget the pig that arrived with Thomas, either? Themes in that well-known classic include the tension between groupthink and individuality, between rational and emotional reactions, and between morality and immorality. Things which we do see play out in Thomas and the Gladers. Thomas seems to be a combination of LOTF's Ralph and Simon. His Simon attribute leads us to believe that at some point in the trilogy Thomas will die. Gally, in the first film, probably represents LOTF's Jack. The Gladers eventually split between Thomas (Ralph/Simon) and Gally (Jack) just as in LOTF. Late in the film, Gally proposes to make Thomas an offering to the Grievers/Maze. In LOTF's, Jack proposes to make Ralph's decapitated head an offering to the beast, which represents darkness/fear/the innate primordial savageness of the boys. Despite his sometimes impulsiveness, Thomas represents rationality, individuality and morality. Gally denotes groupthink and emotionalism.
When Thomas and the others arrive in the Glade, they're essentially born into it, actually and symbolically. The water (oxygenated perfluorocarbon fluid?) is the amniotic fluid, the glass cylinder represents the placenta, and the person is the foetus. The lift is the birth canal. Like newborns, the Gladers arrive as brand-new persons. They have no identity except a name, which they were assigned by WCKD. So, when Alby says that the creators only let them remember their name, he's not exactly correct. They don't remember their actual name, only their WCKD name. That's why no two Gladers have the same name. You want to be able to distinguish your test subjects for analytical purposes. Since we saw in this film that WCKD can monitor brain function of the Gladers remotely, we can conclude all the Gladers have brain implants of some sort. Clearly, they also would have an implant that would track/geolocate them. You'd want to be able to follow your subject. It's also safe to conclude that an implant is what affects their memory, and it can presumably be turned both on and off.
The average Gladers is reluctant to answer Thomas' questions from ignorance and fear. The people who know answers, albeit very imperfectly, are the runners, Ably and Newt, and perhaps some of the other keepers. Alby maybe reluctant to answer Thomas because he's afraid of what Thomas might do. The runners function as a sacred priesthood in the Glade. Their map-hut is off-limits to the average Glader. Only when Thomas is anointed runner does Minho reveal to him what is known of the maze's secrets.
Thomas and Ava Paige tell us the maze is an experiment to stress and test brain function in order to find a cure for the Flare. The "Maze Runner" trials mean to develop, isolate and produce a curative enzyme that only occurs in immune's brains so humanity can be saved, even if it means killing the immunes. The Flare is the trilogy's MacGuffin. In any experiment, you need a treatment group and a control group. The control group is the benchmark against which you compare the treatment group. The control group must be non-immunes, the treatment group immunes. Some of the Gladers are immune, others are not. The immunes are naturally immune to the Flare. The Griever sting cannot be Flare because all the Gladers have to be at risk of death for the sake of the experiment. Griever sting is similar in effect to the Flare, but it's 100% curable by WCKD. Also, it can't be communicable since WCKD would not want all the test subjects to die if one were stung.
Our tragic hero, Thomas, is super intelligent, very curious and completely selfless. He is so selfless we might consider him impulsive. After Ben, Thomas has decided there'll be no more maze deaths if he can help it. That's why he jumps into the maze after Minho and Alby. Which brings up the question of why Minho is bringing Alby back if he's been stung. The three rules of the Glade make no reference to being stung. There is no punishment for being stung per se. We know the Gladers holds court to decide punishments since Gally prosecutes Thomas for entering the maze in front of such a court. Ben was banished by a court because he tried to kill Thomas, not because he was stung. Minho was bringing Alby back to the Glade out of duty and affection. A court would later have to decide if Alby was deserving of banishment or some other sentence arising out of the second rule. On the other hand, Minho was not obligated to commit suicide to save Alby. He should have left him when it was obvious they couldn't both make it out of the maze, but he waited too long. Later, of course, fear take over, and Minho abandons both Alby and Thomas to their collective fate.
Theresa is an anomalous figure in the first film. She's a girl, her arrival is untimely, and she heralds the end of the Gladers' supply lifeline. She completely breaks the Glade's paradigm. What to make of all that? She certainly doesn't seem a good harbinger. Also, after Newt asks Thomas if he recognizes her, why does Thomas lie? That's not in his nature? He clearly does recognize her from his dream-visions. Is he afraid that admitting it will make him even more suspicious to the Gladers? Or is it something about Theresa? Thomas is somewhat ambiguous, too. Is Gally right about Thomas? It's not clear what to make of his dream-visions. Is he an agent of good or evil? It's certainly in his nature to be a catalyst. We know he was WCKD's favourite, the best at solving challenges. Is that why he was sent into the maze? Also, why are he and Theresa able to recall snippets of their past? None of the other Gladers can do that unless they've been stung. Both Thomas and Theresa are clearly mysterious.
After Thomas and Minho first open the #7 gate using the Griever key, they trigger a reconfiguration of the maze which will funnel the Gladers to the #7 gate. This means the experiment is entering its final phase. Common sense tells us the sequence the runners noted previously, but starting at 7, will be the correct code. Only those subjects who successfully exit the maze are candidates for the second trial.
Thomas is the archetypal tragic hero. Tragic heroes are characters of elevated stature, both in birth and morality. Like most heroes, he has above-average intelligence, which means he has situational awareness; he's determined, which means he is firmly set in opinion or purpose; and he has a loyal close friend who guides, advises and helps him as he faces his trials. In the films, Newt clearly fits the role as Thomas' helper, his Ariadne. The Theseus myth also emphasizes the power of love. Ariadne helps because she has fallen in love with Theseus. Likewise, Newt is in love with Thomas.
As a tragic hero, Thomas is subject to a collective fate, the will of the gods, if you will, which had precipitated the solar flares that scorched the Earth and indirectly brought about the Flare virus. A common attribute of the tragic hero is that he once held a lofty position from which he has now been cast down. Thomas' hamartia has visited his own individual fate upon himself which prompts his present adventure-journey. His moral choices while part of WCKD led him to immoral behavior, the torture and deaths of his friends. In this way, Thomas assumed the role of a god over the Gladers. That's hubris. Humans, even if they're heroes, have to be taught they are not a god. Thomas' eventual betrayal of WCKD precipitated his downfall and the tragic course his subsequent life followed.
Tragic heroes suffer, and so Thomas will suffer throughout the films. Another aspect of the tragic hero motif is that those nearest and dearest to the hero often wind up either in some sort of deadly peril or just plain dead. Most often, it's dead. As you watch the films you might ask yourself: Who's closest to Thomas?
The trilogy manifests several themes. One that runs through all the films, and is the main theme, is the question of whether the end justifies the means, a principle often associated with totalitarianism. The principle is part and parcel of consequentialism, a teleological theory that says whether an action is morally good or bad depends on its outcomes. The more good outcomes outnumber the bad, the better/more moral the action. Under this rubric if WCKD finds a cure, then WCKD is very good, indeed.
Another theme which we see in this film in particular, is the question of how do different people deal with fear/unknown? This is also very much a theme in LOTF.
I loved this so much, I still hadn't watched maze runner yet either, but now I'm invested! I cant wait for if you guys can do the rest of the series!
I read the books when I was in like 9th grade and this one upset me so much I threw it at a wall... and then as a bookworm I immediately felt really bad afterwards 😂😂
Love the reactions as always, keep up the great work!!
21:26 i assume the reason they can still talk and know some stuff is because only the explicit memory is gone, keeping implicit memory.
3.9k 👍 well on your way to 5k. Can't wait to see the next one!
The fact that they dont devolve into lord of the flies much sooner is just the most shocking part for me 🤣🤣
Fun Fact: James Dashner, the author of the books, has a cameo in every movie. In the first one he is sitting to Ava's right in the last scene (Ava being the scientist who faked her death)
Oh, and he was also Jojeen Reed in Game of Thrones,.
Was Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Newt) not 14-15 in the nanny McPhee movie but played an 7-8 year old kid😂 5:35
Im a little late to the party but im absolutely excited to see yall watch the rest of the movies, i loved the books and really enjoy these movies. Sad we wont see yall together as often but im still excited to watch all your uploads
Thanks so much, I’m excited to do the videos for the other two movies 😁
Going to do everything I can to try and make sure the second video is successful so we can do the third without issue.
Thanks for the support! 😁🙏 - Sam
Yes please do the rest of the series!
I saw the title and clicked so fast. This is what I needed on this horrible day 😭
loved this reaction! I hope you guys continue the series :)
It's repeated almost ad nauseum in the books that the Gladers remember concepts, but not specifics. For instance, Thomas knows what birthday parties are, but he can't remember any of his own. He also doesn't take the Magic Remember Juice in the books--because that's not even a thing--and actually refuses multiple offers to restore his memories using other means. He never does get them back.
Ohh i LOVE dylan o’brien so much
Lowkey checking to see if we’ve got 5k likes cause I want the whole series 😂🤟🏼
Not yet, but it’s at least looking possible. Hopefully lots of people like rewatching this video, cause that’ll help push it out to other new people and maybe we can hit that likes/views goal 😁 - Sam