Maze Runner

The Maze Runner was worth the price of admission, if only just barely.  There were some libertarian moments; the capricious and superstitious nature of the laws imposed on their rag tag little society by it's fledgling state as personified by the character Gally, for example, or the insurrection against his insane rule but over all the film failed to impress.  For one thing it was a total sausage fest (Kaya Scodelario's brief but satisfying performance notwithstanding) and for another the ending was perfect until they ruined it by setting up the sequel.  And the rationalization for the distopian world our protagonist and his fellow lab rats found themselves in was both flimsy and disturbing.  The message shifted from one of gallant struggle against a cruel and invisible oppressor to 'sometimes to make an omelette you need to break some eggs'.  Truly, by the end, we had begun to love big sister (Patricia Clarkson, who does a good job for the thirty seconds she is in the film).  And what of the messianic portrayal of Thomas (Dylan O'Brien), here at last to save first the stranded boys and then humanity itself?  Could one think of a more simplistic narrative?  Still, over all the movie was enjoyable.  It was suspenseful, interesting and unpretentious but picture of the year it was not.