Review: 'The Maze Runner' Starring Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Patricia Clarkson, Will Poulter And More

In Greek mythology the labyrinth was a byzantine structure utilized to house the deadly minotaur, built at the behest of a powerful king and deadly in its complexity and size. In perhaps the most memorable modern approximation, "The Shining," a hedge maze is employed for the film's snowy climax, in order to trap another deadly monster – an alcoholic author played by Jack Nicholson. This week's leaden "The Maze Runner," adapted from a best-selling young adult novel by James Dashner, also features a monster-filled maze but narrative ambition and any kind of metaphoric underpinnings have been stripped away. Instead, the maze is, like the rest of the movie, giant, dreary, and inert.

Like most halfway decent YA adaptations, "The Maze Runner" starts off intriguingly enough: Thomas (Dylan O'Brien) wakes up in a mysterious community known as The Glade. His memory has been wiped (the only thing he remembers is his name) and he is both terrified and drawn to a...