Maze Runner: The Mortal Cure is the third and final movie in the franchise that began with Maze Runner – Running or Dying in 2014. The latter was produced two years after the Hunger Games success in 2012 and remembers the future of the same.
It all begins when a 16-year-old named Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) wakes up in a rusty elevator that immediately alerts us to the dangers ahead. To make matters worse, he remembers nothing, not even who he is. When he emerges from this elevator, and is seen on a sort of island, Thomas is then greeted by young men like him, who explain that in this place everyone only remembers their names, but not of their past life.
The only way to get out of the place, however, is through a maze of very high technology that contains deadly traps, including the grievers, a sort of organic, half synthetic creature that exists to attack the boys. Everything changes when the first girl appears in the group, also coming from the elevator like Thomas. Teresa, unlike the others, remembers Thomas, even if he does not recognize her first.
The girl also has two antidotes against the grivers’ venom, using one to save a kid who had been “stung” by one. It is then that the maze releases even more of the monsters to terrify the boys, killing some. While the rest of the group accuse Thomas and Teresa of provoking the creatures, Thomas begins to remember his old life in a frantic and tense scene.
All the boys were guinea pigs in an experiment, and both Thomas and Teresa worked for the WICKED company, which is behind everyone’s current situation. While this causes many fights and upset between the two protagonists and the rest of the group, it also encourages everyone to finally solve the maze and get out of the way. And this is what they do, until they arrive in a laboratory full of bodies and find that they are being studied as a way of finding a cure for a virus called Flare, which has decimated many. It is also here that Ava Paige (Patricia Clarkson) appears, indicating that, surprisingly, the experiment was a success and the youngsters only moved on to their second phase.
In the second film of 2015, Maze Runner: Proof of Fire goes far beyond the style promised by the first film and even includes zombies (those who have been affected by the Flare virus) in the plot. With a more expansive style and complicated plot that does not offer much mystery, the film was well received. The most important revelation of this is that although boys are immune to the virus, it is not possible to manufacture their antibodies. Instead, healing depends on the boys’ own bodies, showing that the company that seeks healing will not leave the young in peace.
It is in this interesting dynamics of relative success in the first film and failure in the second that Maze Runner: The Deadly Cure appears. However, the feature retains some of the complicated and unexplained plot of the second. It’s as if the franchise has decided to switch from mystery-based science fiction to action-based one. Even so, there are several good points.
For example, while the betrayal of some characters was surprising in past films (such as Teresa’s betrayal, which begins to help WICKED), she now has her point of view explained. Thus, the characters and the film gain more complexity. It is harder to determine who is good and who is bad, or which side the viewer would choose if he were in the franchise universe.
In addition, even if the film does not have the mystery of others, the action manages to entertain. But more importantly, many scenes are thrilling and will appeal to fans, ultimately bringing an end to those who patiently waited for one.
(This article original language is portuguese. This translation was made with Google Translate)