By Erik Jimenez
The YA (Young Adult) Book Genre is dead on film. The last ‘Hunger Games’ movie was in November of 2015, the planned 4th ‘Divergent film’ was canceled after the third film bombed in March of 2016, and there doesn’t seem to be a big, new franchise property that’s looking to be adapted to film.
The film was delayed twice. It was originally supposed to come out September 2016 a year after its predecessor, “The Scorch Trials” which itself was released a year after the original “Maze Runner.” It was delayed again from its February 2017 release date after an accident on set with lead actor Dylan O’Brien pushed the film back a year due to injuries.
And while I like to say that despite these setbacks, “Death Cure” manages to end the trilogy on a high note, all the while reviving the YA genre to the cinematic glory of Harry Potter… it doesn’t. It really, really doesn’t.
I will give it credit. Wes Ball, who directed the first two installments, has a talent for action sequences. “Death Cure” is filled to the brim with high octane action sequences from the opening rescue mission, to intense zombie chase scenes, to hard hitting fist fights etc. that make its lethargic 2 ½ hour running time feel shorter than it is. Especially since it’s not focusing on its simple, yet over complicated plot.
The plot, as best I can gather, is that Thomas (O’Brien) and his fellow Gladers (Thomas-Brodie Sangster, Ki Hong Lee, Will Poulter, Dexter Darden) have to team up with some resistance fighters introduced in the last film (Rosa Salazar, Giancarlo Esposito, Walton Goggin) against evil organization WCKD. WCKD is led by Patricia Clarkson and Aiden Gillian’s characters who wish to capture Thomas and use his blood to cure the virus, known as the Flare, which has ravaged the world. Additionally, Thomas’s love interest, Theresa (Kaya Scodelario), seems to be on the side of the bad guys and Thomas wants to turn her good so he has to go to the last standing city on earth which is controlled by WCKD blah blah blah blah blah… who cares?!
Fans of this franchise probably, but last, I checked “The Maze Runner” franchise was nowhere near as popular as “Hunger Games,” let alone “Twilight?” In fact, if this movie were to bomb at the box office, I would not be surprised.
I see that everyone behind and in front of the camera is giving it there all, so even if the fanbase for the films are a minority they are at least trying to please the best they can. And if you are a fan of this franchise, you might just love this finale to your beloved characters. But if you’re not a fan, not invested, or like me, barely remember the first two films and didn’t bother to watch them again due to them being rather plain and standard what’s your excuse for leaving this bloated final installment unseen?
In retrospect I feel that it is fair to admit that the YA genre would not exist if it wasn’t for “Harry Potter” and besides “Potter,” all of the other films based on those books, from “Twilight” to “Hunger Games” to “Divergent” have just not aged well nor received the critical success of the “Harry Potter” films. Harry, Ron and Hermione may have set the precedent, but with each disappointing YA franchise that comes, J.K. Rowling’s magnum opus is clearly the exception and not the rule.
And that from the very beginning was this franchise’s biggest fault. “The Maze Runner” could never reach whatever potential heights it set up because it’s a YA movie. And YA in general just does not allow for those heights to be reached due to the convention of its genre.
Hopefully, every young actor in this franchise and all the other franchises I mentioned, can run away to a better filmography.
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