Fight the Future 09 - The Maze Runner

[Paul]

Mazes are fun on long car rides! But not so much when you're trapped in one, and there are murderous cyborg spiders. Thomas and a bunch of other teenage boys look for an exit as Dan and Paul talk about the dystopic world of The Maze Runner.

[Booster]

just wanted to say I have been really enjoying these podcasts. Paul and Dan have been doing an excellent job. Thanks for another great episode

[Daniel]

Thanks Booster! Much appreciated.

YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nZZzIVjn6Y
Podcast link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/fig ... 85349?mt=2

Next episode: Little Brother by Cory Doctorow!

[DaMage]

SO this is something I wanted to watch at some point, and now I finally had an excuse to.

I felt very confused by the whole thing...which appears deliberate...but still, the movie ends on such a weird note. I did not see those twists coming though, so it had that going for it.


Some notes on the conspiracy:
1. They have helicopters. If they weren't a plant, they would have just landed in the glade. Also, if they don't pick up the other survivors that stayed behind in the glade....
2. How do we know the lab people were dead? If the plan is to convince these kids, then you could just have been a bunch of actors or unconscious people. The kids are snatched up before they can investigate.
3. As you state, why would the commandos just kill everyone? Makes no sense.
4. Why would they erase Thomas and Teresa's memories if they are just saving them from the soldiers?
5. Why let the experiment continue if all the people in the lab were going to die? That would have just meant the death of all the kids, either through a Griever or running out of food.

Lastly, how long till those kids start figuring some of this out? At some point it all starts to be too convenient and holes appear in the cover stories. I assume that starts happening in the next book/movie.


EDIT:
Is that new outro music? Cause I like it.

[Daniel]

Youtube comment by a Chris Procter that I'd rather respond to on here: "Interesting to hear a review of the movie - the book reminded me that despite the lower target, it's totally possible to write bad Young Adult fiction. The author conflates withholding information with building mystery and suspense, and nonsensical reveals with excitement. Maybe I refilled my tea at the time, but if you mentioned an "is it any good" rating I missed it. Think about it?"

Not having an "is it any good" element to our podcast is a deliberate choice!

[Daniel]

@DaMage "How do we know the lab people are dead?"

Wow, great point! (among several great points) It makes no sense that they would be really dead when the leader isn't (unless she was faking her death partly to escape the real soldiers, and counting on them not checking her pulse...) Now I'm picturing a bell ringing and everyone getting up off the floor... "Good work people." "My foot fell asleep!"

[Lysander]

I found the book frustrating. The author inexplicably has the characters withhold information and rules from the new guy, and then they punish him because he didn't know the rules. There's no reason they would need to do this, since they would need more people to bolster their ranks and educating them would be the best way to have them contribute to their society. And this withholding of information continues through the whole book. I think the author was trying raise tension and make the reader want to keep reading to learn more, but it was fumbled due to a collapse in logic.

[SixFootTurkey]

I appreciated the Labyrinth reference, even if it was the obvious choice of reference. ^^

Do we actually know that they weren't volunteers (or children given by their parents)? We/they are assuming they wouldn't have volunteered for this, but they don't actually remember anything...

[DaMage]

I appreciated the Labyrinth reference, even if it was the obvious choice of reference. ^^

Do we actually know that they weren't volunteers (or children given by their parents)? We/they are assuming they wouldn't have volunteered for this, but they don't actually remember anything...

I'm reminded of this sketch: Forget about it

So, that theory isn't a bad one....seems like a major problem with memory removal.

[SixFootTurkey]

Especially since we know the protagonist was somehow involved in the setup (or at least running) of the maze.

A complete tangent... but has anyone seen Eternal Sunshine? Neat movie, and it's interesting seeing Jim Carrey in a non-comedic role. (I'll have to watch it again, but I recall liking him more than in his comedic roles.)

[7SecondsLeft]

I found the book frustrating. The author inexplicably has the characters withhold information and rules from the new guy, and then they punish him because he didn't know the rules.

Sounds like a normal day at high school to me - I never had any idea what game everyone else was playing, I just knew that whatever I did seemed to break their "rules" and would suffer as a result. I was so glad when I got old enough to escape them altogether!

I haven't read or seen Maze Runner yet (the dvd is on my pile of things to watch), but is it one of those YA books with an overly-obvious life lesson / moral, i.e. "you have to learn how to play the game or die trying", or is it just an average mystery adventure book aimed at young people and I'm reading too much into your comment?

A complete tangent... but has anyone seen Eternal Sunshine? Neat movie, and it's interesting seeing Jim Carrey in a non-comedic role. (I'll have to watch it again, but I recall liking him more than in his comedic roles.)

Absolutely love the film, one of my all-time favourites, and I've hated Jim Carrey in everything he's done apart from this and Truman Show. Actually, now I come to think of it, Truman Show is kinda dystopian, isn't it?

[Dubious_wolf]

So interestingly I started with this one for my introduction to the podcast.
I immediately went back and listened through the back log and have really enjoyed it.
I used to work at a big chain bookstore so I'm VERY familiar with the booming YA dystopic genre. I'm really happy I finally get some insight into the plots. Which up to this point I was only vaguely aware.
Thanks for the informative and funny cast.

[Clypheous]

Personally I find it a little ridiculous the distance that these authors and/or directors will go to try to give a reason for their silly plot contrivances. The best way to solve this huge, world ending problem? Build a maze, fill it with death-bots and plop in a whole bunch of teenagers. That will get it right sorted!

Do these people not have computer simulations or MRIs where they come from?

[Dubious_wolf]

Clypheous, it sort of makes you wonder if the publisher strongly suggested to put in a contrivance.
Example: I heard a rumor that the love interest in "Hunger Games" was added upon publisher "request"

[SixFootTurkey]

I really dislike rumors; they're often only based in juuuust enough fact to be not dismissed, but never give the full story, and are sometimes just entirely made up. Unless there is some semblance of proof to back it up, I would rather not bring up discussion based on a rumor.

I don't know how much say publishers actually have in changes to a book, that probably depends on your agent. Also, publishers and agents are allowed to make suggestions to an author, and a publisher that is super demanding is likely to frustrate agents enough that they'd rather not deal with them.

On a push to 'add a contrivance to Maze Runner', the entire book was a collection of contrivances; which one are you suggesting they asked to have added?