Maze Runner: The Death Cure

This review may contain spoilers!

While this film failed to be better than the incredible second film; it is a fitting and well-made conclusion to the trilogy. I would give Maze Runner: The Death Cure a 7.5/10.

What I've always loved about the Maze Runner series is that it is an absolutely incredible genre smash to watch; the strength of the first film was the dystopian influences while the second film shined as a post-apocalyptic feature. This film is a fantastic blend of post-apocalyptic and dystopian elements; with a desert railway heist kicking the film off to a toppling of a controlling government power concluding the feature. I was really drawn to how great the stakes felt throughout, no character ever really felt safe and you weren't certain of who would make it through seemingly impossible odds. The special effects seen throughout are amazing; be it the design of flying vehicles, monsters from the Maze or massive turrets quelling a riot this film certainly uses its effects budget in a calculated and effective way. The score throughout is absolutely powerful; not only are action scenes heightened a significant amount but pivotal moments throughout the film tug at the heartstrings through the aid of this score.

Rosa Salazar, who played Brenda, is a very determined and capable character who is fearless in the face of danger; Salazar still remains solidly one of my favourite performers and characters from the Maze Runner series. Dylan O'Brien, who played Thomas, leads with a bold resolve from the moment he appeared onscreen; O'Brien plays hard on his role's stubborn and compassionate nature which results in some very moving scenes. Walton Goggins, who played Lawrence, is a very shifty new player in this film; Goggins' slow to trust role makes for an interesting rebel leader role and an intriguing new addition to this world. Aidan Gillen, who played Janson, really comes into his own as the leading antagonist of this film; Gillen is an unpredictable and wild threat whose selfish nature really consumes him. Giancarlo Esposito, who played Jorge, is a real loose cannon role and Esposito seems to have incredible fun portraying him; Esposito also doubles as quite a comforting and resolute father figure for Salazar. Barry Pepper, who played Vince, feels like he belongs in a post-apocalyptic world because he fits naturally every time he appears onscreen; Pepper is an incredibly charismatic rebel leader and his monologues are some of the high points of the film. Ki Hong Lee, who played Minho, is quite a frantic figure for this film; Lee does a tremendous job of portraying his character through torture and the bouts of paranoia that grip him after this. Dexter Darden, who played Frypan, is quite a light comedic figure that adds levity to moments within the film; I like that Darden balances the jovial moments of his role and the points of action where he is readily capable.

However, the best performance came from Thomas Brodie-Sangster, who played Newt. I've always enjoyed watching how diplomatic this character is, he interacts well with others and has great chemistry with O'Brien's role. This film sees Brodie-Sangster test the character he has built up, making for a more conflicted performance. It's wonderful to see a character try to remain so balanced and loyal yet be desperately torn apart internally by a secret he's keeping from the rest of the group. The anger and frustration that is unleashed in this film is the perfect climatic moment for this character, a raw display of emotion that works wonderfully. The scene in which Brodie-Sangster's role is grappling between himself and becoming a Krank is an emotionally charged and heartbreaking scene that makes this film what it is.

The film has a strong focus upon the hunt for the 'cure', the one genetic source that will defeat the virus that has created Kranks. It should hold your attention, after all, it is the main narrative. But something about this film makes the scientific trials and conversations around the ethics of this plotline rather dull. The grappling romance between Thomas and Teresa feels long dead, having a minimal presence in the last film; so bringing that back so strongly was a poor narrative decision. The film was effectively quite good but spent quite a bit of run time on plot points that the audience really didn't care a great deal about. Surprisingly, the cinematography for this film wasn't all that great; action shots often looked nice for the effects more than anything else, while dialogue sequences were boring and questionably framed.

Kaya Scodelario, who played Teresa, is such a bland performer and has never really contributed much to these films; Scodelario is given her own storyline this time to make good on but wastes the potential completely. Will Poulter, who played Gally, is a surprising and unnecessary appearance in this film; his return is rather pithily explained and he portrays his old role in a way that feels completely detached from his original performance. Patricia Clarkson, who played Ava Paige, jumps between antagonist and protagonist so much in this film that she loses any scrap of intrigue she may have had left; Clarkson is just a moment of bad casting - she doesn't match the world nor does she really play her character well to the circumstances that surround her.