*THE MAZE RUNNER* is WAY BIGGER than EXPECTED! | First Time Watching | (reaction/commentary/review)

[@GMDTurbo]

Cocoa Couch really popping off with his movie choices right now. Keep up the great reactions!

[@kristianberg4264]

Well, to be honest, it’s the same movie reactions every reactor does, literally everyone. 😮😊😂😂

[@HorrorFan382]

​@@kristianberg4264not at all true, Oscar tends to get very emotionally connected to the characters and it makes his reactions very endearing and engaging, on top of the fact that he adds an analytical aspect with how often he recognizes little details either in the film or its technical aspects. Most reactors tend to also try to lean into making their videos comedic, whereas Oscar's feel like casually watching a film with a mate.

[@joshuacoldwater]

Newt looks so young, he was 24 when he was filming this 😂😂😂

[@virtual_mei]

He has such a baby face

[@Saturnm0ss]

Isn't he like 30 something now and he still looks in his teens, it's insane

[@wilhelm-z4t]

@@Saturnm0ss The last I saw him, he's put on a little weight. So, he looks older, but still younger than he is. He is a good-looking guy for sure.

[@ivy5935]

@@Saturnm0ss in his new tv show „the artful dodger“ he still looks like he’s in his twenties. Life is unfair 😭

[@kartoffelgamerin]

@@Saturnm0sshe is. 33 now😊

[@toriecarter2711]

I think the distinction between how Ben was treated after he was stung versus how they handled Alby getting stung was that Ben was already changing when they discovered it and he had attacked Thomas. One of the rules of The Glade: never harm another Glader. Minho, presumably, knocked Alby out before Alby could hurt him. There's a gray area, like Gally pushing Thomas out of the opening of the maze, that's "I'm doing this to protect you from a bigger harm" versus "I want to cause you harm". I think they were also hoping Alby would have a moment of clarity when he woke up from Minho's knocking out that they might learn something. I think, at the end of the day, whether you think these movies are good or bad, people need to admit they put forward some interesting moral/ethical questions~~~

[@thecocoacouch]

Absolutely. I definitely think Gally pushed him with an attitude of protecting him but I think it was also him “showing who’s boss”. I mean their teens, hormones are going crazy.

[@mariahwatts3468]

I think it's just a plot hole in the movie, because in the book they actually already have a few cures. So the reason they send Ben out into the maze is because he's too far gone. They try to save Alby because he's still at a stage where the cure will work. I think the movie just changed that plot device without changing the parts of the plot that affected it.

[@nadalind]

@@mariahwatts3468 Yes, you're exactly right. It's like with Newt's subplot of how he got his limp, which they don't include in the films for some stupid reason. SPOILERS: in the books, Newt tried to commit suicide, and failed. He used to be a Runner and threw himself off the Maze, but only broke his leg. In the books, Alby saved his life by dragging him back (and it's implied they were also a couple, at least after that if not before). In the films, there's a deleted scene, where they altered that slightly so that it was Minho who saved Newt, that's why Newt is so adamant about going after him even though he's dying. Newt's whole story is a lot more tragic in the books, including his death. But this films did a pretty great job. I just wish they had been brave enough to make it clear that Newt is gay. That would have been great representation in a YA film

[@DeenoRaw]

@@nadalind I read the books, and granted its been some odd years since i last read them. But i don't remember newt being implied hes gay once? the most was a brotherly love kinda thing, the same with newt and tom.

[@ajandrianjafymusic]

Dude I really really hope you do the other 2 movies. Genuinely one of the best out of teen dystopia

[@thecocoacouch]

I definitely will, especially after how open they left the first one.

[@ajandrianjafymusic]

@@thecocoacouch aye looking forwards to watching, you’re gonna love them

[@splonkybonky]

I will say the other two movies aren't nearly as good as this one but I think they get too much hate.

[@propriov]

Yes. I can't wait for the last two reactions, this trilogy is SO underrated.

[@devilaasura3827]

@@thecocoacouch This one is unique because it doesn't have a dumb love triangle.

[@lysfranc8782]

Love this movie! Of course, they had to change a lot, but a little thing missing is that Newt is supposed to limp. He was a runner and one of the first boys arriving into the maze. After so many attempts to map the maze, he lost hope and tried to jump from the top of one of the walls but didn't die. He survived but his leg never recovered.

[@strawbsh0rtcak3]

they did film a scene explaining Newt's attempt, but unfortunately they didn't keep it in :( really wish they had

[@elizabethblack2674]

He is a little bit of a limp, but it's not something that you can see unless you're really looking.

[@DougieCassiola]

obsessed with your reactions for a while now, you're so smart, you pick up details most of the other reactors don't and i love your reactions because of that, keep up the good work mate!

[@krystallvinter7438]

Probably because he's already watched the movies he's reacting to. I'm getting the feeling most reaction channels are doing that these days, because it's a super easy way to get tons of views and subscribers with minimum effort.

[@wilhelm-z4t]

@@krystallvinter7438 I don't think that's true for this reactor. He strikes me as very genuine. Although an intelligent reactor, he still misses somethings and makes mistakes. Nobody's perfect!

[@fantasyaj6510]

The Maze Runner book trilogy is way better than the movies but the film adaptations were still decent. Dylan O'Brien was the perfect Thomas, exactly how I imagined the literary character.

[@wilhelm-z4t]

Interesting. I see the book Thomas and film Thomas as very different people.

[@Loser-sw5bq]

There's 5 books?

[@broglee9110]

​@@Loser-sw5bq trilogy means series of three

[@erikoinenuori]

I actually like the movies more than the books because they are a bit more straightforward and simple than compared to the books -- okay the first one is the best and let's us get to know the characters better, but I remember the second book and the plot being pretty _wild_ and Teresa's betrayal part was so confusing to me when I was reading it (I read the books before watching the films, and this happened like 6 years ago so I don't remember much about the books anymore so I don't know how I would react if I read them again) + the characters really come alive with these actors, the casting is so good! And don't let me get started with all the crazy inventions in the books, like the silver liquid in the 2nd book that dropped onto some of the characters, turned into a ball around their heads and suffocated them.

[@elizabethblack2674]

Personally I like the movies better. But it's been extremely long since I read the books

[@nekoaliceyamiyaoi8226]

I just wanted to thank you for watching all of these dystopian teenagers movies, because they are precious to me (yes, even Twilight) and I remember watching them when they came out (and a few of them reading the books) and watching and enjoying with my siblings (who read the books, so they could fill me in some details) and, well, just thank you!! And I am sooo glad that you're enjoying them, and you are pretty smart! Picking on things, small details, and your reactions that you go "I think this is fair?I get both of their sides" or "I would too" or "Nope, don't do it". I haven't been having some good days and watching your rections (Friends, Hunger Games saga, PotC saga, Harry Potter, Godzilla, Twilight, Divergent and now Maze Runner?! I love all of them!!) really put a smile on my face, so thank you again :)

[@thecocoacouch]

I’m so glad to hear that! This really meant a lot. ☺️

[@wilhelm-z4t]

Our dear reactor had a question about the Gladers' apparent lack of curiosity. The reason for it is straightforward, I think. George's fate and the fate of the boys whose names were struck-off the wall is the reason behind the Glader's lack of curiosity. It's a learned trait. I mean, if the curious people consistently wind-up dead, that would tend to make you uncurious. For example, remember how the runners quit after both Ben and Alby were stung. Even Minho initially has reservations about re-entering the Maze after being trapped and barely escaping. Plus, there's the Gally effect. He's influential in the Glade, and he exudes the uncurious status quo. On the other hand, Thomas cannot resist being curious. It's in his nature. He always wants to know. Actually, you could even say he's curious to a fault. He's also heroic and capable of inspiring people. He's curious AND he survives. That's why he's a catalyst for change in the Glade and able to lead an escape from it.

[@grice478]

One thing to note is that things were a different in the book when it came to being stung which explains why they were bringing Alby back. In the books they always had the cure, it wasn't just sent down with Teresa, so they knew Alby wasn't gone for good. Minho was bringing Alby back to give him the cure and they only killed Ben because he was violent and attacked Thomas (I think so anyway, its been years and years since I read the book). With the way they did it in the film it didn't really make sense why Minho would risk his life to drag Alby back.

[@wilhelm-z4t]

I wasn't bothered by Minho attempting to bring Alby back at all. The Glade's three rules make no reference to being stung. Ben was banished for severely breaking rule #2, trying to kill Thomas. There was also undoubtedly a judicial process that pronounced this sentence. How do I know this? Because after Thomas entered the maze, Gally prosecuted Thomas before a court for breaking rule #3. So, because of bonds of loyalty and affection, Minho couldn't just abandon Alby in the maze after he was stung. Plus, there was no judgment of banishment although that might have come later. Now, did Minho wait too long before he realized he couldn't save Alby? Yes. Nothing says you have to commit suicide to save another person, although it is a selfless thing to do. Once he is trapped in the maze, Minho's fear takes over, and he basically is willing to abandon both Alby and Thomas in an attempt to save himself. That's a very weak moment for Minho. Courageously, he fesses up to that later. Thomas, on the other hand, is selfless to a fault and is always willing to sacrifice himself to try to save others.

[@grice478]

@@wilhelm-z4t yeah, it didn't bother me that much, I could see reasons it would still happen that way however I do think it made more sense in the book

[@elizabethblack2674]

I always figured he'd tried so hard to save Alby because he was their leader

[@rabbit4400]

Dylan O'brian man, I just love how far he has gone from being a youtuber :D who else remembers his youtube channel? The boy on the cruise videos back when you did videos responses :P and the tag video haha great movie and great reaction btw!

[@propriov]

Some book knowledge: there are been dark times in the Glade, as Alby says. Newt one night tried to kill himself jumping off the wall, and Minho was the one who prevented it, helping him to cope with the reality they lived in; Many of the kids are named after great scientists and Nobel Prize winners of our time - Isaac Newton/ Newt, Thomas Edison/ Thomas, Albert Einstein/ Alby, Galileo Galilei/ Gally, Mother Theresa/ Teresa, etc; Also, WCKD controlled Chuck's action at the end and made him purposely cover Thomas from Gally's gunshot, only in order to make Thomas feel more guilty and the situation more stressful. (In this way infact, antibodies against the virus strengthen)

[@propriov]

"The most important thing is we all have eachother, we're all in this together" that's the reoccurring theme. That's one of the reasons this trilogy holds a place in my heart and has managed to set itself apart.

[@kellyjene77]

This is such a good movie! I always cry when Chuck dies. He's all grown up now and looks nothing like this little guy. The way you break down everything is so intelligent and interesting to hear. Always makes me think! This holiday (USA) has sucked so thanks for giving me something to hide away with and enjoy. Thanks for helping an old lady get through a shitty day. 😉 😊🤗 Maze runner is a great movie and book!

[@loftypenalty91]

The Maze Runner movies are some of my favorite movies and the second and third movies are even better.

[@AnastaciaaMaria]

Answering your question, I would totally want to go and explore the maze if I got stuck there. I would be way too curious and eager to find out what's out there, to find the way out and other people. But unfortunately no one would listen to me in that male-only society😂

[@thecocoacouch]

Mmm brutal reality hey. It wouldn’t help either if they already established relationships and trust before the girl turned up.

[@akhnatenpage4854]

It's very much understated how many kids have already died to the maze. Being curious would very often get you killed in this scenario. So the rest of the boys learned to do away with it and concentrate on sticking together.

[@wilhelm-z4t]

Well, hopefully, you'd have been in the girls only maze. Alas, chances are you'd have been killed by a griever. Being male, I'd have hated being in the girls only maze. Much prefer the boys.

[@SabrinaLW166]

Thanks for your great reactions. Dylan O'Brian (who plays Thomas) was also wonderful in the movie Love and monsters (definitely another movie for you to watch😊) which was filmed in QLD so he is kind of an honorary Aussie.

[@wilhelm-z4t]

That's a pretty good film, too, with a heartwarming message. Dylan O'Brien is great in it. It's way underrated. Highly recommended. SPOILER: I did get a kick out of the fact that the bad guys were Australian!

[@sylviagreybe672]

Gally was in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Dawn Treader; and Newt was in Love Actually.

[@Makkaru112]

I hope he one day gets to see the original ice queen from the chronicles of Narnia years before the recent one that had the actress who played the ancient one in doctor strange and Gabriel in Constantine... she had an equally powerful presence. Black hair. She sort of had the vibe seen in old school theater and opera. There is also a really cool mini series that's equally as old and it had some beautiful intros and outtros for each episode.

[@ellinskey4422]

I love Newt (who doesn't?!)! I love him in the books and I love how Thomas portrayed him in the movies. He is so good as Newt😊

[@TotallySquirrel]

Ooooh love what you said: "The best qualified runner is someone who isn't going to run." Always love your perspective!

[@eddietucker7005]

The names that they finally remembered was given to them by WCKD, so none of their names are their real names. This is how WCKD chose their test subject’s names… Alby - Albert Einstein Tommy - Thomas Edison Gally - Galileo Newt - Sir Issac Newton Chuck - Charles Darwin Ben - Benjamin Franklin Minho - Ho Chi Minh Theresa - Mother Theresa … The only one that was NOT named after a historical character was Fry Cook. That’s all he was ever named.

[@evafegolfina1603]

eddietucker. You're correct about the names except from Minho and Frypan. Fry was named after Siegmund Freud, but they called him Frypan because he cooked their food and used a fry pan. Minho was actually the only one that wasn't named after a famous person. The author James Dashner said in an interview when he got that question who Minho was named after, and he said that he came up with that name because one of his brother in law had that name and he liked it. He also stated that Minho is gonna be a famous person in the future. Oh, and Winston was named after Winston Churchill i suppose.

[@kylewestlake982]

Loved these movies. What I didn't like though was the revelation that each of the main character are named after real life scientists, philosophers, politicians, and thinkers. I thought that was very creative and wanted that to see it in the movie, but was miffed they left it out.

[@wilmvandrr]

Actually! That realisation made it tons sadder as well because they *didnt* let them keep their names, they carved them anew entirely,

[@randeecarreno4289]

Great reaction! 😊 I'm so excited that you've started this trilogy! It's one of my favorites next to the "Hunger Games". And the books are great as well. Thomas, Newt, and Minho are my faves of the group. You see it with Thomas and Minho in this movie. And see it more with Newt why he's one of my favorites in the next one. 41:46 RIP to Chuck! This is the one scene in this movie that I always have a hard time watching. 😭 I'm already looking forward to your reaction for the next one, "Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials". Looking forward to your next reaction. 😊

[@m1a8o2]

The acting in the Chuck scene is INCREDILE. This was the first time I saw Dylan act a scene like this and it just blew my mind! Chuck’s actor as well!!

[@propriov]

yes I can't wait for Scorch Trials and the Death Cure 🔥

[@propriov]

​​​​@@m1a8o2 and pretty crazy to think they both almost didn't get their part! lol. Dylan because of his haircut, and Chuck's actor wrote a letter to the director specifically requesting to play his character but only at the end Wes Ball decided to gave him a chance. Destiny.

[@CamillaDrakenborg]

Was gonna see Dracula untold in the theater but it had been sold out last minute so we decided to check this movie out instead since we was already there, never having heard about before or seen the trailer & it did not disappoint 😀 I do hope you watch all 3, they are quite good!

[@propriov]

oh, fun fact: James Dashner, the writer of the books, was one of the men sitting around the table at the end. (and he also did another cameo in the last movie)

[@SaraBearRawr0312]

Like you, i got on a dystopian-young adult kick a few months back and binged The Hunger Games, Maze Runner and Divergent series back to back and it shocked me how good the maze runner series was.

[@loren1908]

I discovered the maze runner trilogy last year and oh boy r u in for a treat. I absolutely loved these movies! Also, I adore your reactions so I’m so excited to rewatch these with you.

[@propriov]

8:06 the whole sounds & soundtracks of these movies are amazing, I have to say; 12:40 I loved the astonishment on your face here, it's just like mine when I watched this scene in the theatres for the first time

[@sarawiwatowski219]

one of my favourites from when I was growing up! thanks for watching it! hope you watch the Scorch Trials and Death Cure. Maze runner movie sticks to the book pretty well and even though the other two don't, they get the main plot points and vibe of the world edit: typo

[@USAFACAP]

I really enjoyed this reaction, I think you'll really like the next two. Dylan O'Brian is my absolute favorite actor, he's very underrated, and I think he does a great job as Thomas 😋

[@jaspyr88]

Happy Thanksgiving from Milwaukee WI! I’m grateful for your channel!!

[@thecocoacouch]

Really appreciate this man. Just saw it ☺️

[@morrigandanae]

Yesss I love this series so much! So glad you're doing all these dystopian movies!

[@poogie_]

I love how you’re arguing/debating with the guys as if you’re actually there. With your curiosity and logic, I think you’d fit right in, especially as a maze runner.

[@wilhelm-z4t]

Yes, when a reactor does that and it's sincere, you know he's really into the movie. This accounts for only a minority of reactors.

[@allisongrinnell5107]

I wish that the sequels had the same magic as the first one. Once they leave the maze it all gets confusing and dark. Hunger Games takes the win for me.

[@propriov]

Even if the first one has _that_ mystery, I enjoyed the darkness and the pace of the last two, they are 3 different movies after all. The plot is richer in the books but it's impossible to translate the majority of things in the movies without being boring.

[@propriov]

I prefer the Maze Runner over the Hunger Games for other things: greater visuals with less CGI, greater acting, sense of realism in the little things, group spirit, lack of cheesy love stories, pace..

[@wilhelm-z4t]

@@propriov Yes, these young actors turned in outstanding performances throughout. The films told a classic story in an extremely nuanced way. There is a love subplot in the films, but it's very subtly conveyed. The visuals, as you say, are fantastic. A really, really great post-apocalyptic dystopian trilogy.

[@wilhelm-z4t]

@@propriov People frequently complain because a film doesn't follow a book exactly. I have never understood this gripe. There are obvious reasons why this is rarely possible, and it's often not even desirable. Books and films are two different art forms. There are different creative impulses at work in each. People need to understand the "Maze Runner" books and films as depicting two separate universes which, although inhabited by the same people facing similar challenges, evolve differently. They are going to diverge, and vive la difference! If all is done well, and the films were done very well, it doubles the fun.

[@naezy7492]

I am right at the end of 3rd book rn even though I've seen the movies a long time and ago and Dylan really amazes me so much how "thomas" he is if that makes sense😅 Looking forward to your reaction!❤

[@sarahmoller7308]

That was an AWESOME reaction!! ❤❤ There's a movie based on a manga/anime called 'battle angel Alita', the movie is almost named the same: 'Alita - battle angel'. And it's fairly close to the original source!! Even I as someone who doesn't like things like constant action, cyborgs and such had my fun watching it, it's so impressive.💪🏼

[@kirstym.]

To answer some of your questions per the fever code (the fifth maze runner released but set in the years before the maze runner) Thomas was going in to save his friends in the maze because he knew a way out but Wicked or Wcked took his memories and not Teresa because she remained loyal to Wicked/Wckeds main purpose

[@Ryne_Barrow]

A guy I went to high school with has a part in this movie and pitch perfect 2 in the treblemakers.

[@mormipspsps]

maze runner used to be my favorite series when i was younger i binged the whole series too many times

[@CypherTheWolf7]

And reading fanfics for me 😂 mostly for Newt and Thomas.

[@UNITED-STATES-OF-MURICA140]

​@@CypherTheWolf7the books were good but the movies were mid.

[@propriov]

​​​@@UNITED-STATES-OF-MURICA140Not at all mate, they are really well-made and underrated. People who can separate the movies from the books exist ;)

[@Blastimal]

Solid movie. Really appreciate the pacing of the knowledge in this film. Starting us of in the same boat as him with no more info than he has really is nice. The movie does a real good job making us want to ask the same questions as him, give us answers while leaving room for that process to repeat throughout the entire movie.

[@curioppyty]

I don't see a lot of people who try to see it from gali's perspective as well as thomas', so I really like seeing your analysis of their actions

[@1supercalifragilistic]

i dont know how many times i said i love you, i love this series so much and have been waiting for you to react!!

[@skittslol1407]

I will never stop wishing they went with the book designs for the maze monsters

[@TheCourtsOfLove]

I still need to read the books so darn bad, I've seen all the movies years ago but haven't got round to reading the books.

[@rocio0910]

O.M.G this made my day so much better😭😭😭

[@Daytondaily]

If you wanna see a movie about how different people deal with fear, watch The Mist (2007). That’s literally the reason behind the story and it was the first time I ever had to stand up and go for a walk after an ending lmao

[@thecocoacouch]

Yeah right! I probably will soonish 👍

[@Becksnnc]

@@thecocoacouch Oh my god yes please watch the Mist. You will love it.

[@LillyLALA-b2w]

there’s a scene that’s in the story line and the books that they filmed but then took it out of the movie because it was too sad or sm so i’m gonna fill you in but newt actually used to be a top runner himself but one morning it got too much and he decided that he didn’t want to be there anymore and snuck into the maze in the morning before anyone was there and climbed the tallest wall and jumped off it. his foot got tangled in the vines and he was stuck there until minho found him and took him back where he promised to not tell anyone what happened. that is why he has a limp and could no longer be a runner. not long later he became the second in command due to his level head and the respect people had for him and alby trusted him and knew that the others respected newt and would listen to his orders

[@jesswolfe.]

Such an awesome series! I hope it does well so you can continue watching 😁 P.s. as always, the books were amazing! And give more context. I binged them in 3 days 😅

[@fantasyland3646]

Yay love this movie, love Dylan O'Brien . I watch all three many times especially the last one like it came on TV a lot. Love you and your videos your reactions and your commentary. Can't wait for your reaction to the other two maze runner movies.

[@auntvesuvi3872]

Thank you, Oscar! 🧩 Cheers to director Wes Ball. ෴ In keeping with a local holiday, I want to remind you how grateful I am for you and what you do.

[@El_Ezra_Meitar5]

my favorite character is actually Gallie. I think he's wonderful written! and I love that you saw his pov as well, usually people dismiss his character referring to him as a "coward". I think his pov is actually so rational considering the world they immersed us into in this movie. I loved your interpretation for the ideas behind the movie and the characters' motivations being different human responses to fear!

[@wilhelm-z4t]

I agree, the interplay between Thomas and Gally is quite believable. Gally isn't some cardboard caricature antagonist, he's very solid and real. What Gally says makes complete sense. He and Thomas are in almost perfect antipodal balance with one another. I like that a lot. That's the sort of thing that makes these films great. By the way, Will Poulter does a fantastic American accent. Absolutely incredible. He sounds more American than many Americans.

[@nadalind]

Something that I notice with every reaction that I didn't think was confusing (I read the books years before the films were made). BEN DIDN'T GET KICKED OUT OF THE MAZE FOR BEING STUNG. He got kicked out because he hurt Thomas. Pushing and shoving is ok. But Ben tried to strangle and kill Thomas. That's a banishing offense. He did it BECAUSE he was stung (which reverses some of the effects of the swipe - the memory erasure) but Ben wasn't kicked out for being stung. Just like Alby wasn't automatically banished for being stung. You can survive being stung, but you need an antidote, which in the books the kids in the Glade have. They just don't have to use it often. The films made a few changes from the books though, most of which leads to this kind of confusion, which always annoys me, cause if they just stuck to the book plot, it would all make sense lol

[@wilhelm-z4t]

I saw the films before reading the books. I actually prefer the films to the books, but I did like the books, too. Anyway, before I read the books, I assumed banishment was a judicial finding, something Alby and the keepers would decide. We saw how they held court to decide Thomas' fate. I felt Ben was banished because he tried to kill Thomas and not just because he was stung. None of the Glade's three laws mentioned being stung. So, whether Alby was banished or not had to be determined by the court and probably depended on whether he hurt anyone. That's why Minho was bringing him back to the Glade. By the way, the actor who played Ben gave an outstanding performance and was also very good-looking. I was sorry to see him go so early. Also, as the movies progressed, I assumed whatever the Grievers stung the Gladers with was NOT the Flare virus. It was clearly similar to the Flare but 100% curable. After all, most of the Gladers were immune to the Flare, so being stung would have no effect on them. I also assumed it was not transmittable because you wouldn't want all the Gladers to become infected with this Flare-like pathogen and die. That would certainly ruin the experiment!

[@kulas4362]

I like the edits that the voices/sound in the movie gets muffled with camera angles/focus 😊

[@ivy5935]

Something about people discovering the maze runner universe is so exciting for me 🎉🎉🎉🎉 I’m always like „i know something you don’t know😼“

[@penguin50279]

as expected the books are wayyy better but these movies are still really good :). also in the books Thomas is very curious and asks a shit tonnn of questions and it annoys everyone how curious he is lol

[@wilhelm-z4t]

If you know your classics, the "Maze Runner" is a pretty close retelling of "Theseus and the Minotaur," of course. Naturally, Thomas is Theseus, the hero. Turns out, Thomas, in his pre-Glade life, was also Daedalus, a creative genius. Daedalus created the Labyrinth for Minos, just like Thomas created the maze for WCKD. Daedalus also betrayed Minos, just like Thomas did WCKD. Daedalus was condemned by Minos to the Labyrinth, just like Thomas was sent by WCKD into the maze. The Glade and the Gladers are Athens and Athenian youth of the myth, respectively. The Grievers are the Minotaur, the monster that feeds on the Athenian youth who have been offered as sacrificial victims. The Minotaur is half-man, half-bull. The Grievers are half-organic, half-machine. The WCKD mechanism that's found in the crushed Griever is Ariadne's thread, the key out of the maze. WCKD, as noted above, is King Minos. In the myth, 7 youths and 7 maids are sacrificed to the Minotaur every year. This strongly implies the existence of an all-female maze. The number 7, which has significance in the film, is undoubtedly an allusion to the myth, too. The maze motif is repeated in the "Scorch Trials" and "Death Cure." The Glade's Athens is, however, more like "The Lord of the Flies (LOTF)" than classical Greece. The Glade is, after all, an island inhabited by boys in the midst of an ocean-like maze. Who can forget the pig that arrived with Thomas, either? Themes in that well-known classic include the tension between groupthink and individuality, between rational and emotional reactions, and between morality and immorality. Things which we do see play out in Thomas and the Gladers. Thomas seems to be a combination of LOTF's Ralph and Simon. His Simon attribute leads us to believe that at some point in the trilogy Thomas will die. Gally, in the first film, probably represents LOTF's Jack. The Gladers eventually split between Thomas (Ralph/Simon) and Gally (Jack) just as in LOTF. Late in the film, Gally proposes to make Thomas an offering to the Grievers/Maze. In LOTF's, Jack proposes to make Ralph's decapitated head an offering to the beast, which represents darkness/fear/the innate primordial savageness of the boys. Despite his sometimes impulsiveness, Thomas represents rationality, individuality and morality. Gally denotes groupthink and emotionalism. Consider Alby's interactions with Thomas. It's interesting that Alby sees Thomas as different from the other Gladers, a catalyst for change, perhaps? He warns Thomas not to be nonconformist. Alby makes Thomas sign a contract of sorts with the Glade by having Thomas etch his name on the wall. The significance of the names that are the closest surrounding Thomas' on the wall will become clear in the later movies. George's crossed-out name, indicating he's dead, and the discovery of his body is highlighted for us, so perhaps we should also remember it? When Thomas and the others arrive in the Glade, they're essentially born into it, actually and symbolically. The water (oxygenated perfluorocarbon fluid?) is the amniotic fluid, the glass cylinder represents the placenta, and the person is the foetus. The lift is the birth canal. Like newborns, the Gladers arrive as brand-new persons. They have no identity except a name, which they were assigned by WCKD. So, when Alby says that the creators only let them remember their name, he's not exactly correct. They don't remember their actual name, only their WCKD name. That's why no two Gladers have the same name. You want to be able to distinguish your test subjects for analytical purposes. Since we saw in this film that WCKD can monitor brain function of the Gladers remotely, we can conclude all the Gladers have brain implants of some sort. Clearly, they also would have an implant that would track/geolocate them. You'd want to be able to follow your subject. It's also safe to conclude that an implant is what affects their memory, and it can presumably be turned both on and off. The party the Gladers throw on the day Thomas arrives is his "birthday" party. As Newt tells him, the party is in his honour. Once a month, the Gladers have a celebration. The average Gladers is reluctant to answer Thomas' questions from ignorance and fear. The people who know answers, albeit very imperfectly, are the runners, Ably and Newt, and perhaps some of the other keepers. Alby maybe reluctant to answer Thomas because he's afraid of what Thomas might do. The runners function as a sacred priesthood in the Glade. Their map-hut is off-limits to the average Glader. Only when Thomas is anointed runner does Minho reveal to him what is known of the maze's secrets. Why is Newt willing to answer Thomas' questions? We see from the get-go, there's an attraction, a closeness developing between Newt and Thomas. After Thomas is first introduced to Newt, Thomas keeps looking after him as Newt walks away. Even Newt seems to glance back at Thomas. Thomas and Ava Paige tell us the maze is an experiment to stress and test brain function in order to find a cure for the Flare. The "Maze Runner" trials mean to develop, isolate and produce a curative enzyme that only occurs in immune's brains so humanity can be saved, even if it means killing the immunes. The Flare is the trilogy's MacGuffin. In any experiment, you need a treatment group and a control group. The control group is the benchmark against which you compare the treatment group. The control group must be non-immunes, the treatment group immunes. Some of the Gladers are immune, others are not. The immunes are naturally immune to the Flare. The Griever sting cannot be Flare because all the Gladers have to be at risk of death for the sake of the experiment. Griever sting is similar in effect to the Flare, but it's 100% curable by WCKD. Also, it can't be communicable since WCKD would not want all the test subjects to die if one were stung. Thomas is clearly bothered by Ben being banished. He doesn't approve at all. In fact, it's a triggering event for Thomas. Our tragic hero, Thomas, is super intelligent, very curious and completely selfless. He is so selfless we might consider him impulsive. After Ben, Thomas has decided there'll be no more maze deaths if he can help it. That's why he jumps into the maze after Minho and Alby. Which brings up the question of why Minho is bringing Alby back if he's been stung. The three rules of the Glade make no reference to being stung. There is no punishment for being stung per se. We know the Gladers holds court to decide punishments since Gally prosecutes Thomas for entering the maze in front of such a court. Ben was banished by a court because he tried to kill Thomas, not because he was stung. Minho was bringing Alby back to the Glade out of duty and affection. A court would later have to decide if Alby was deserving of banishment or some other sentence arising out of the second rule. On the other hand, Minho was not obligated to commit suicide to save Alby. He should have left him when it was obvious they couldn't both make it out of the maze, but he waited too long. Later, of course, fear take over, and Minho abandons both Alby and Thomas to their collective fate. Staying near the door to the Glade is probably the first place a Griever would look for a potential victim. Theresa is an anomalous figure in the first film. She's a girl, her arrival is untimely, and she heralds the end of the Gladers' supply lifeline. She completely breaks the Glade's paradigm. What to make of all that? She certainly doesn't seem a good harbinger. After Thomas and Minho first open the #7 gate using the Griever key, they trigger a reconfiguration of the maze which will funnel the Gladers to the #7 gate. This means the experiment is entering its final phase. Common sense tells us the sequence the runners noted previously, but starting at 7, will be the correct code. Only those subjects who successfully exit the maze are candidates for the second trial. Thomas is the archetypal tragic hero. Tragic heroes are characters of elevated stature, both in birth and morality. Like most heroes, he has above-average intelligence, which means he has situational awareness; he's determined, which means he is firmly set in opinion or purpose; and he has a loyal close friend who guides, advises and helps him as he faces his trials. In the films, Newt clearly fits the role as Thomas' helper, his Ariadne. The Theseus myth also emphasizes the power of love. Ariadne helps because she has fallen in love with Theseus. Likewise, Newt is in love with Thomas. As a tragic hero, Thomas is subject to a collective fate, the will of the gods, if you will, which had precipitated the solar flares that scorched the Earth and indirectly brought about the Flare virus. A common attribute of the tragic hero is that he once held a lofty position from which he has now been cast down. Thomas' hamartia has visited his own individual fate upon himself which prompts his present adventure-journey. His moral choices while part of WCKD led him to immoral behavior, the torture and deaths of his friends. In this way, Thomas assumed the role of a god over the Gladers. That's hubris. Humans, even if they're heroes, have to be taught they are not a god. Thomas' eventual betrayal of WCKD precipitated his downfall and the tragic course his subsequent life followed. Tragic heroes suffer, and so Thomas will suffer throughout the films. Another aspect of the tragic hero motif is that those nearest and dearest to the hero often wind up either in some sort of deadly peril or just plain dead. Most often, it's dead. As you watch the films you might ask yourself: Who's closest to Thomas?

[@ivy5935]

„I like chuck hes the most innocent person to me“… well… innocent indeed 🥲

[@itspribanerjee]

I love how you analyze movies! Enjoys the reaction. I really liked all 5 maze runner books~

[@shainewhite2781]

Happy Thanksgiving 🦃🍽️😊🥧

[@aaron_22766]

Please continue Divergent

[@thecocoacouch]

Yup! Insurgent pretty soon.

[@aaron_22766]

@@thecocoacouch Ok good, kinda thought you gave up on the series because of some negative comments. Looking forward to it 🤩

[@angra7]

"Oh no...Shelob... they're doing a Frodo!!" ❤❤❤😂😂😂😂

[@elindayana8174]

PLEASE REACT TO THE "MALEFICENT" MOVIES OR "THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS"!!! 😊💖🔥

[@sasharivera4191]

"Why is it always the innocent?" Yeaaa I'm hooked on you, such awesome reactions and insights. Keep it up please ❤

[@makncheese9628]

30:52 the arms look like the ones that on that one villain in 2 of the spider man movies i think his name was doctor octavias.

[@sxungmin]

i cried over chucks death too the first AND second time i watched it😭

[@jinxedjonny8133]

thats so funny I wanted to recommend this one after ur next reaction xD

[@elledrummond5241]

Just found your channel and have been loving, was hoping you’d react to these

[@claireallen4017]

I love these movies! And I’m obsessed with all of the LOTR references lol

[@zeynepiscanoglu9389]

I can't believe I am THAT early!!!! Greetings from Turkey

[@aliharrison3018]

Great video, I love this film series. Looking forward to seeing your reaction videos for the scorch trials and the death cure. Also if youre into distopian films have you seen the thinning?

[@TotallyNotQFQNR]

Galley didn’t want to change, he’s been living in those walls for 3 years. This is basically like moving homes, you would be scared right?

[@Sameeeeenthagirl]

I almost cried after you said 'I wonder who built this maze' cuz I just finnished 'Fever Code' 😭😭😭

[@wilhelm-z4t]

Yes, I had to chuckle a bit at that point. Thomas is not only Theseus, he's Daedalus, too.

[@hellojilly]

I love coming across reaction channels that are checking out teen dystopia movies

[@essentiallyinvisible3572]

I don’t prefer it to the Hunger Games, but I do love this film series! They were so well done and a great concept. One character repeatedly pisses me and my dad off whenever we watch the films, though 😂

[@loulftv]

_love_ your reactions ❤

[@x.mono.x4011]

FINALLY!!!!!!!! OH MY GOD YESSS IM SO HAPPY😭😭😭😭

[@AmericanMumReacts]

Yay! 💚

[@ThomasandNewt]

Nerd rant here, sorry: One of the things I don’t like between the books and the movies is the way out of the maze, the thing is, Thomas was never meant to be inside the maze in the first place, he chose to go himself. So in that case, they would’ve never killed the griever because Thomas wouldn’t have been there is he never chose to go in, and the key to leaving the maze is the griever. I do understand in the movies the whole thing was planned out, but in the books it feels better because if Thomas somehow “failed” the others could’ve still gotten out by going through the cliff. Sorry about the rant I just find this part bugs me for some reason. Also, kind of spoilers? Thomas and Teresa made the maze in the books, they designed them and engineered them.

[@wilhelm-z4t]

SPOILERS. In both the book and the film, Thomas functions as the sine quo non, the catalyst, and he volunteers/chooses to enter the Maze. The Gladers in both cases had reached a steady-state condition, and this equilibrium had to be unbalanced before Phase Two could begin. Personally, I prefer how the films resolve the problem because the solution is closely analogous to Ariadne's thread in the underlying "Theseus and the Minotaur" myth and underscores Thomas as both Theseus and Daedalus. The use of the Maze's shifting pattern starting at seven was entirely logical for use as the exit code. Of course, seven is an important number in the myth as well. The Maze reconfigured itself to force use of exit #7 after Thomas realises how to use the thread/key to open the gate, and WCKD subsequently forcibly evicts the Gladers from the Glade by sending in the Grievers. There's an elegance to it all. Of course, it's all about survival of the most able and capable. If Thomas hadn't killed the Griever, WCKD would merely have instigated another solution through more direct manipulation of events. That seems to be what happened with the other mazes where the "escapes" seem to have been a consequence of external forces. Those must have been unsatisfactory results from WCKD's point-of-view. On the other hand, WCKD was very pleased with Thomas for actually solving the Maze. The films give the impression that WCKD was facing a time crunch and wanted to end the Maze-phase a.s.a.p. and immediately move to Phase-Two, the Virtual Trials. Heretofore, I thought Thomas was condemned to the Maze because of things we learn in "Scorch Trials." Now, I'm thinking he was given a choice: Either shape-up or ship-out. Dr. Paige tells Thomas: "You have to choose" or something like that. He chose the Maze. This scenario would be consistent with the myth and more compatible with WCKD's subsequent efforts to reintegrate Thomas into WCKD.

[@missunderstanding74]

The films are really good but the books are fantastic. I loooooved reading the books!

[@tiffanyphillips6086]

Great movie choice loving the movies lately. Keep them coming

[@AlexandraReads-qe5oe]

He's been stung. By a morgul blade what the hell 😂

[@tyranusfan]

I was a fan of Dylan O'Brien's comng out of Teen Wolf, so I watched all of these movies. He was great in American Assassin as well.

[@SubKween]

You kinda look like Will Poulter.

[@thecocoacouch]

Yeah I see that. My eye brows are thicker but just as expressive 😆

[@Mia-fn6rb]

btw, if thomas didn't leave his hiding spot in the maze, then the maze would change and he would be crushed.

[@wilhelm-z4t]

The way I look at it is he was lucky the Griever didn't notice him initially. If he were discovered on a subsequent pass, lying in a prone position would severely limit Thomas' options for escape by slowing him down for one. In other words, it's not good position or location tactically. I also think the Grievers probably could track the Gladers via their implants, which might explain their high success rate in taking down Gladers. That Griever seems to have knewn Thomas was in the vicinity. I'm wondering if it had been tasked to get Thomas.

[@Mia-fn6rb]

@@wilhelm-z4t yea

[@hazzalinf]

Are you gonna watch Insurgent soon! It’s my fav out of the divergent franchise!!

[@1supercalifragilistic]

i do prefer maze runner over the hunger games

[@propriov]

Same. I just never get tired to rewatch these movies!

[@1supercalifragilistic]

@@propriov frrr ive never get bored of it, i watched the third one in the cinema with my friend and tried so hard not to cry bcs im so attached to newt character :")

[@propriov]

​@@1supercalifragilistic🖤 I watched this one in the cinema, almost 9 years and I still have it in the top three of best movie theatre experiences. They don't make films like these anymore

[@UNITED-STATES-OF-MURICA140]

​@@1supercalifragilistic movies are trash the books are much better.

[@propriov]

​​@@UNITED-STATES-OF-MURICA140Not at all. 😂 I enjoyed the movies more for example.

[@T-JR]

I am mad to this day that Alby and chuck didn't made it.😪

[@T-JR]

I am also sad for all the people that died

[@wilhelm-z4t]

Yeah, the films have a very high mortality rate. The films are about a tragic hero, Thomas, and death always figures prominently in stories about tragic heroes.

[@enilec_9612]

If you love the mazerunner, you should watch the anime the promised Neverland!! That series is like the mazerunner on steriods. Less action but more on psychology. PLEASE WATCH IT!!!

[@user-il9nu8mv8q]

Great reaction i am glad you started this trilogy, it's a good one

[@katiepooh2137]

Movie recommendation please: love and monsters! Has the same lead actor and its very interesting!!! ❤

[@woolfstars]

watch little women 😭 i think you will love it and cry

[@thecocoacouch]

Yeah I’m thinking I’ll watch the two versions back to back.

[@woolfstars]

@@thecocoacouch YESSS

[@breezymango4113]

But which version? My favorites are the one from the 90s and the pbs or bbc version as well.

[@larissa1770]

Seriously no other movie I’ve watched has ever made me cry like little women (the newest version). Even after the movie was over I bawled my eyes out 😂 cause I saw myself in Jo’s character.

[@woolfstars]

@@breezymango4113 i like the 2019 version its my favorite movie

[@kelseyisme7099]

So because you’ve been watching post-apocalyptic movies and reacting to twilight, I’d suggest watching The Host. It’s another movie bast on a Stephanie Meyer book and it’s in the same realm. :)

[@worker21289]

“Hey its mr eyebrows!”

[@tiffanychristinesmith3939]

30:47 "Teresa!!!!"

[@i-kia8220]

I highly recommend “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” Trilogy!! I SWEAR, THIS TRILOGY IS GOLD ✨✨✨

[@tshiamomathe2095]

😂😂"hey it's mr.eyebrows"

[@girahira-p9x]

Yo, these movies choices have been wracking up views so keep going

[@thecocoacouch]

😆 not bad aye

[@1supercalifragilistic]

please post next reaction soon!!

[@aquatadevore9335]

I'll watch it later, I lost my dad this morning and I can't deal with anything now 💔 😭

[@eddietucker7005]

I really hope that before you leave the YT films, you will react to “The Fault In Our Stars”. It’s just one film, not a series. I bet everyone of your fans would love to see you react to it… have some tissues. 😊