After the continuous success of movies based on Young Adult novels, such as “Divergent” and “Hunger Games,” it was unsurprising to have another dystopian, post-apocalyptic trilogy come to the big screen. However, “The Maze Runner” does not disappoint. Most book adaptations tend to have avid readers searching for missed details, but “The Maze Runner” surpassed expectations, keeping all the key plot points in the film.

The movie begins in darkness. The protagonist, Thomas, wakes up in a cart with no recollection of his identity. Then, some boys open the cart and welcome him to the Glade, a modern Lord of the Flies-esque universe. Thomas learns about the Maze, an obstacle that keeps the boys from getting their memories back and getting to where they belong. As they struggle to survive, the Gladers must work together with Thomas to get past the constantly changing and deadly Maze.

Case Western Reserve University students who watched the movie had mixed feelings about the casting. While some commented that the group of actors was well thought-out, some believed it could have been better. Those who read the novel believed that the actors chosen for key parts like Alby and Gally were different than described by the author, James Dashner. Nonetheless, most students believed that the actors portrayed their characters well.

Also, contrasting beliefs arose about the Glade. Some people agreed that the movie had the perfect setting for both the Glade and the Maze; however, others thought that they believed the Maze was more underground in the books while the movie portrays it in broad daylight in a forest. Nevertheless, the Maze in the movie represented the one in most people’s imaginations, most likely because the movie sets perfectly echoed the novel’s cover page.

Walking into the movie theater, I was wary about the success of the movie, already upset on some of the casting choices based on my own understanding of certain characters. Walking out of the theater was a whole other story, as multiple people sobbed and the crowd cheered, looking forward to the next movie.