The third and final installment in the Maze Runner franchise is here two years after The Scorch Trials left us on a cliffhanger.
The story in Maze Runner: The Death Cure picks up where the last one has left off. Having been betrayed by Teresa (Kaya Scodelario), Thomas (Dylan O’Brien), Frypan (Dexter Darden), Brenda (Rosa Salazar) and Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) attempt to free those who were captured by WCKD, including their friend, Minho (Ki Hong Lee). They manage to get a few people to safety in their first rescue bid but they quickly realise Minho is still in the hands of WCKD. Refusing to leave their friend behind, they set out on another rescue mission which turns out to be more complicated and dangerous than they anticipated. Along the way they are also confronted with ghosts from their past and secrets which have been hidden from them.
The opening adrenaline driven car sequence sets the tone for the rest of the movie. Unlike some action filled movies, The Death Cure doesn’t suffer from any pacing issues even with its running time of two and a half hours.The time seems to pass very quickly because of its fast pace and increasingly high impact action scenes, especially in the second half of the film.
The story has some plot holes and can be quite predictable at times though that’s not the fault of the movie creators but rather the novel it’s based on. Small tweaks help but major changes would alienate fans of the book series. The story relies heavily on edge-of-your-seat suspense and it works in some instances but viewers know someone will always show up to save those in trouble. With that being said, even though the predictable element takes away from the thrill of the story, it does not take away from the enjoyment of it all.
All the fan favourites return including those we love to hate. One of Maze Runner’s strength is the (diverse) cast whose acting abilities really make you believe that they are capable of all the things they do in the movie without the added clichéd stereotypes. Aidan Gillen, who is best known for playing Littlefinger in Game of Thrones, returns as Janson and becomes the highlight towards the last quarter of the movie. He has certainly mastered the art of playing the despicable bad guy in a spectacular way.
It has its critics but Maze Runner definitely stands strongly amongst the many recent teen dystopian films and The Death Cure proves to be one of the best installments in this series. I would suggest watching the first two again before going to the cinema for this one. 7/10
Maze Runner: The Death Cure is in cinemas now.
