By “Maze Runner: The Death Cure” is a sci-fi action film that will keep you gripping your seat, maintaining a theme of survival from start to finish.
The film is the final installment in the trilogy, following “The Maze Runner” and “Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials.” The World Catastrophe Killzone Department is tasked with finding a cure to The Flare, a devastating disease destroying mankind, through the research of children with immunity to the disease. Humans who are infected, or Cranks, roam outside the Last City, where most of the movie takes place.
The story follows Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) and his loyal friends Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) and Jorge (Giancarlo Esposito) to name a few, on a mission to save their captured friend Minho (Ki Hong Lee) from the clutches of WCKD. This leads them through a journey of gun battles, hordes of infected humans and sinister organizations waiting with an arsenal of firepower.
Thomas coordinates a rescue mission through the desert. With beefy off-road trucks, they chase a train holding Minho and other children.
If you are a fan of the “Fast and Furious” franchise, you will enjoy the subtle resemblance in action. The bar is set high and is raised incrementally with every sequential action scene.
After their departure to rescue Minho, they soon hit their first road block. They make their way through a tunnel, where the audience finally sees the disease that has plagued mankind. The scene felt like “Dawn of the Dead” mixed with “Zombieland” with the perfect amount of scares sprinkled in to get the point across without overbearing the audience with cheesy special effects.
First, they need to capture a pawn in their chess game. They make their way into the city to find and kidnap Teresa (Kaya Scodelario), an important organization member who betrayed Thomas and the group earlier in the series. The scenes open old wounds for Thomas and serve as the driving emotional point in the film and giving the audience closure for the relationship.
With the final piece to their master plan in place, the rescue mission for Minho begins. Thomas, Newt and their new ally make their way into the city with Teresa, using her codes to gain access to the room where Minho is being held hostage. Things don’t go smoothly and the rescue mission takes a sharp right turn. What unfolds is a thrilling, action-packed climax suitable for any sci-fi action fan.
The film has a simple storyline, but its strength is drawn from its action scenes and visual appeal. The imagination and creativity put into this film through costume details, futuristic cities and a healthy serving of CGI tied the series together well. The talented cast plus with an effective musical score composed by John Paesano, worked well with the mood of each scene. The big action and surround sound make the movie worth watching in a theater.
The storyline takes the passenger seat while the action takes the wheel, shifting the momentum into sixth gear. The film was action-packed which I appreciated, but for a riveting storyline or artsy shots, one may want to look elsewhere.
