After its lead actor suffered serious injuries during filming, the final film in the Maze Runner trilogy was delayed by three years – but it sure came back fighting.
The Death Cure is the third and final film in this young adult, dystopian, and surprisingly successful franchise (given the failure of similar films like Beautiful Creatures, The Mortal Instruments and the untimely end of the Divergent series).
The film opens almost immediately where the second film left off, as Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) and friends try to save Minho (Ki Hong Lee) from the franchise’s evil corporation W.C.K.D, headed by antagonist Janson (Aidan Gillen). In this film, the corporation is desperately trying to find a cure to the disease known as the Flare, that has plagued the world and is turning anyone who isn’t immune into ‘Cranks’, and they need Thomas and his friends’ blood to do just that.
Full of action at every turn, but not devoid of a quality storyline and character development either, the movie sticks to the main plot of the original book series by James Dashner, only changing small details on the way to the finale.
As a fan of the books, I knew what to expect from the story and the ending, but I was still pleasantly surprised and impressed by the twists and turns the direction took. Director Wes Ball is a credit to the film, successfully adapting each film in the series effectively and truthfully, with the art of the explosions and quality of the acting having increased exponentially with every film, leaving the audience blown away by the ending credits.
If you’ve seen the previous two films or read the books, you’ll know how hard it is to pick a side – do you side with the ‘evil’ corporation who only want to save humanity and end the suffering, or do you side with the protagonists who only want to choose for themselves? It’s hard to leave the cinema and know which side you’re on for certain, but one thing’s for sure, the experience you’ll have whilst watching this film is an emotional roller-coaster. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and you’ll be left wanting more.
By Faith Pring