In the third movie of its series, Maze Runner: The Death Cure focuses on action rather than developing relationships among characters. While the movie contains great realistic visuals, it does not deliver relationships in which the audience can relate.
Maze Runner: The Death Cure directed by Wes Ball, is one big rescue mission. The characters seek to rescue their friend Minho, Ki Hong Lee, from “Wicked”. However, this one relationship can not carry the story. Thomas and Teresa’s relationship does not either as they only connect at the very end.
The theme of getting away from “Wicked” repeats when characters only escape in the last ten minutes. The “Cranks”, drawn out gunshots and explosions scenes multiply.
In the final scenes, the audience sees a city on fire with falling buildings and people killing each other in the streets. In the end, the characters find a cure. Though, they flee and do not use it to save the endangered population.
In the first movie of its series, The Maze Runner tells the story of children trying to escape a deadly maze. The evil “Wicked” organization uses the maze in search of a cure for a world ending virus. They experiment on the immune children in the maze. However, this movie tells the more important story of strangers becoming brothers and sisters.
As the plot advances, the audience watched the children sacrifice their lives for each other as they escape the maze. The movie also includes a love connection between the main character Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) and Teresa (Kaya Scodelario).
In the second movie, Maze Runner: Scorch Trials, the children again run from the evil “Wicked” organization. The children encounter the virus infected zombie-like “Cranks” for the first time. They also find new allies who become great friends.
The series starts giving too much screen time in the second movie to the gory “Cranks” and long, action packed scenes with gun fights. At the climax, Teresa betrays her close friends and tries to turn them into “Wicked.” The third movie also continues this gory, action theme.
The Death Cure focuses on making an apocalyptic world with realistic deaths instead of developing relationships while the movie contains a zombie apocalyptic feel to it instead of telling a survivor story with brave heroes. In the end, the characters chose to save themselves and abandon others who need the cure they possess.
The movie centers around high definition explosions, fighting scenes and zombies. Fans do not receive a sense of finality in this film for the series. The film also ignores the need for love to fight for and a heroic deed.
Maze Runner: The Death Cure certainly does not appeal to family friendly audiences. Rather, those who love a good action movie with monsters, and can accept the movie without a sense of finality. The first movie in the series provides a brotherhood, survivor theme while the last movie provides a “save yourself” theme.
The Hilights
Movie: Maze Runner: The Death Cure
Starring: Dylan O’Brien, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Kaya Scodelario, Ki Hong Lee
Genre: Thriller, Action Film, Science Fiction Film, Adventure Film, Mystery
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars