Chicago Sun-Times by Bill Zwecker

Beyond the visuals, what makes The Maze Runner so compelling is its attention-grabbing storyline.

Austin Chronicle

Even if it doesn’t manage to be quite the "Hunger Games"-level hit its producers would clearly desire, it’s the best of the wannabes we’ve seen so far.

Austin Chronicle by William Goss

Even if it doesn’t manage to be quite the "Hunger Games"-level hit its producers would clearly desire, it’s the best of the wannabes we’ve seen so far.

The A.V. Club by A.A. Dowd

If you’re going to treat your audience like a rat in a maze, it’s best to offer a tastier reward than the promise of more maze to come.

Hitfix by Drew McWeeny

Wes Ball's background is in animation and effects, and he certainly has an eye for composition. Thankfully, he doesn't just lean on visual flash in his debut feature, the adaptation of the first of James Dashner's four books, and his skills allow him to build a convincing world around his appealing cast without losing them in it completely.

Tampa Bay Times by Steve Persall

Director Wes Ball makes a solid feature film debut, without any noticeable video game envy to his action sequences.

Boston Globe by Ethan Gilsdorf

Using a refreshingly gentle FX touch, Ball has successfully transposed the decaying, vine-covered concrete jungle look of his short onto this gorgeously-designed feature. The neophyte knows how to direct heart-pumping chase scenes and has coaxed surprisingly solid performances from his young ensemble cast, especially O’Brien and Poulter.

Portland Oregonian by Stephen Whitty

Director Wes Ball doesn't have much experience with actors, but for once that's a plus; his background is in animation and art direction, and the design of the maze (brutal slabs of concrete and steel) and the attacks by the spiders ("Predator"-like clicks, then stabbing violence) make the movie gruesomely watchable.

Washington Post by Michael O'Sullivan

As incomplete as the narrative is, The Maze Runner delivers on almost every other level.

Chicago Tribune by Michael Phillips

First-time feature director Wes Ball's version of The Maze Runner makes the cliches smell daisy-fresh.

Film.com by Kate Erbland

For a genre that so often sacrifices character development and smaller narrative developments, the majority of The Maze Runner feels quite refreshing and worth the navigation.

Slant Magazine by Richard Scott Larson

A curious blend of our newly acquired taste for dystopia alongside a healthy sprinkling of Lord of the Flies, the film offers familiar pleasures without prompting the sense of having already been here before.

The Dissolve by Tasha Robinson

By establishing some of the Glade’s castes, rituals, and personalities, the writers make an incredibly contrived scenario seem a little more tangible. But once that high gear is engaged, the IQ and ambition drop precipitously.

The Hollywood Reporter by Justin Lowe

Aside from some uneven handling of the cast, Ball competently styles the action sequences throughout the film and capitalizes on his VFX expertise with pulse-pounding scenes tracking the Runners through the Maze battling Grievers.

Variety

As world-creation YA pictures go, The Maze Runner feels refreshingly low-tech and properly story-driven.

TheWrap by Alonso Duralde

For its first half or so, The Maze Runner tells a captivating tale of survival and weaves a potentially interesting mystery. Once its path become clear, however, you realize this is a puzzle you've worked out before.

The Guardian by Jordan Hoffman

The Maze Runner is not a good movie, but it wins points for omitting much of what makes typical teen films excruciating.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service by Roger Moore

The resolution to this puzzle is so botched it’s insulting, as if they’re daring us to laugh at the notion that this is merely “the beginning.”