The third and final installment of the successful Maze Runner series has finally reached our movie theater, and fans of James Dasher’s book series couldn’t be more satisfied with it.
As fans may recall, The Death Cure was set to be released last year; however, the film went through a major setback due to an unfortunate accident involving Dylan O’Brien in March of 2016. According to the Collider, O’Brien was struck by a vehicle on the set of The Death Cure, which left him in the hospital and out of the public eye for over a year. Fortunately, O’Brien returned to the set of The Death Cure months later to resume filming, though he had difficulty discussing the accident and dealing with the aftermath. Director Wes Ball said to USA Today that although it would have been easy for the studio and the cast to drop the film, it was O’Brien’s commitment to finishing the project that brought fans the final installment of the series.
The Death Cure picks up shortly after the events of The Scorch Trials. In the final film, we join our group of heroes formed by the three last “Gladers,” Thomas, Newt and Frypan, as they are in a desperate search to rescue their friend MinHo from the hands of WCKD. On their road to rescue their friend, they form an alliance with Lawrence, the leader of a rebellion against those who live inside the legendary Last City. With Lawrence’s help and some from an “old friend,” the group ventures inside the Last City to look for MinHo, destroy WCKD and find the cure for the Flare virus that threatens their world.
The first installment of The Maze Runner series introduced us to a unique set of characters and story line through a sequence of great action packed moments and intriguing character backgrounds. The Scorch Trials continued to amaze with thrilling action moments, unsolved mysteries and exploration of the frightening world outside the maze. The Death Cure goes beyond action by filling viewers’ hearts with all kinds of emotions, forcing them to decide whether to cry of happiness or sadness.
The Death Cure could be a difficult film to watch for first time viewers of Dasher’s film trilogy. More than being a film directed to a general audience, The Death Cure is destined for the fans of the series. Although most of the book adaptations we see on the big screen have a minor narrative introducing the events on the last films, The Maze Runner shows that there is no need for such thing. The film does a great job referencing the previous films so new viewers can follow the story’s plot and understand it. It could be possible that the director considers an introduction of the characters, their stories or the plot as a way of drastically killing the flow of the story that promises more things coming in the future.
Although most book adaptations end in complete disaster, it is safe to say that The Death Cure could be the very first exception to the curse. It gives Dasher fans what they want and new fans what they need thanks to Ball’s film making and the cast’s performance. A great final glance to characters, their relationships, their stories, as well as the deep emotional moments between them makes The Death Cure a bittersweet ending to a dystopian action adventure worth watching.
