Maze Runner: The Death Cure

Starring: Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Ki Hong Lee, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Dexter Darden, Patricia Clarkson, Jacob Lofland, Will Poulter, Rosa Salazar, Giancarlo Esposito, Aidan Gillen, Barry Pepper, Nathalie Emmanuel, Walter Goggins
Directed by: Wes Ball
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Mystery, Science Fiction
2018

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Thomas (Dyan O'Brien) race to save their friends and potentially unlock a cure for the plague that has ravaged mankind.

Review:

Tim: After really enjoying the original film and being disappointed by the second movie, I was curious to see how the trilogy would wrap with The Death Cure. Would it be a return to form for the franchise, would it further deteriorate? The question was even more intriguing because star Dylan O'Brien had been seriously injured during a stunt, which delayed the film. What would it all mean? Well, the answer is that this film doesn't return to the heights of the original- it doesn't even get close. It remains about par with the second film. So, this trilogy delivered one really good movie and two decent ones. That's not terrible, but it's a disappointing conclusion.

I have to say one indicator that something went wrong here is that this Young Adult-focused post-apocalyptic story clocks in at 2 hours, 23 minutes. I know movies are getting longer and longer, but are you kidding me? There's absolutely no reason for this movie to be so long. This film sees itself as the epic conclusion to this trilogy, when in reality, it's not. It's not like fans have been waiting for a decade to see how it all ends. The story might be a little bigger than the last two, but this movie is absurdly long. It absolutely feels like at least 20 minutes could (and should) have been cut. This is a bloated movie that sinks under that weight.

The first movie was so good because it was so focused- it was about kids trying to get through a maze. The second movie lost its focus and became too scattered. The same issue happens here. There's so much going on and not all of it is interesting, some of it feels only marginally relevant. It also feels played out. Kids running through a deadly maze felt fresh and unique. Kids trying to find a cure for a zombie plague has been done again and again. This movie felt like it devoid of new ideas.

Now, I will say that the film does put together some truly worthwhile action sequences. The standout is the opening rescue attempt with the train. I have to tell you, it's truly impressive. The action, the practical effects mixed with the visual ones- it was intense, entertaining and truly excellent. It's one of the best opening scenes I have seen in a long time. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie doesn't live up to that. The middle of the film feels unnecessary long and there's too many sequences that don't have the impact that they need to. They don't move the story forward nearly enough as the plot kind of plods along. The big climactic scenes at the end are pretty decent- the hole in the wall, the rescue attempt, the desperate search for a cure. None of this is especially memorable, but in the moment is fairly entertaining. It's a decent conclusion to this three-film series.

Dylan O'Brien makes for a worthwhile leading man. There was no sense of the severe injury that delayed production as long as it did. I was happy about that because I genuinely like O'Brien. Kaya Scodelario was decent but it felt like she didn't get much screen time. I liked seeing Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Will Poulter. Giancarlo Esposito was solid. Patricia Clarkson was a little one-dimensional, but she was fine. Aiden Gillen is always good in antagonistic roles. I loved seeing Barry Pepper, but I desperately wished he had a bigger role. Walter Goggins was wasted in a pointless, waste-of-time role. He should have been cut from the final film.

I know I'm taking a tone of disappointment with this film, but I want to be clear that it's still a decent movie. It doesn't live up to the potential of the original movie and this film still should have been better, but I didn't hate it by any means. It's a decent conclusion to this trilogy. I wanted it to be better, but there's still legitimate enjoyment that can be derived from this film. Maze Runner: The Death Cure might not have been a triumphant end of the trilogy, but it's a fairly decent one.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Maze Runner, The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, American Assassin