Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018) Review
12:20 PM
The End Will Be WCKD
This review contains spoilers.
Wes Bell, director of “The Maze Runner” and “Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials”, returns once again for “Maze Runner: The Death Cure”. The third, and final, instalment in the series stars Dylan O’Brien (Teen Wolf), Kaya Scodelario (Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge), Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Nanny McPhee), Will Poulter (We’re the Millers), Patricia Clarkson (Pieces of April) and Aidan Gillan (Game of Thrones). “Young hero Thomas embarks on a mission to find a cure for a deadly disease known as the “Flare” ”. The series started off relatively strong with the first entry, but everything fell apart with “The Scorch Trials” - one of the worst book-to-film adaptations I have seen. Can “The Death Cure” turn things back around?
Almost two and a half years ago, I experienced the strongest adverse reaction I have ever had to a film. I enjoyed reading this trilogy, “The Scorch Trials” was my favourite entry; the adaption was horribly unfaithful, I have never been so disappointed in a film. Thankfully, it has now been a few years since I finished reading the series and therefore I was not able to gauge how faithful “The Death Cure” was. The film did briefly anger me as I thought the writers changed Theresa’s fate, but after a quick internet search, it was my memory that had caused this confusion. “The Death Cure” is as good as the first entry and a return to form for the series. The story does lack complexity, but terrific action sequences and strong performances elevate the material.
“Maze Runner: The Death Cure” is at its strongest during the action set pieces. The film begins with a high-energy and exciting train heist as Thomas and company attempt to rescue Minho (Ki Hong Lee). Wes Bell understands how to create electrifying moments, which is exemplified by an action-packed ten-minute sequence that continuously builds excitement. The film begins at a fast pace and therefore promises the audience an exhilarating 143 minutes ahead. Bell and writer T.S Nowlin find a great balance between action-based and dialogue-based scenes. Another entertaining moment was when Thomas, Newt and Frypan (Dexter Darden) ventured inside an ominous, dark tunnel. Inside, they are confronted by Cranks. The scene was tense and a little unnerving. One of the few things “The Scorch Trials” did well was utilising the Cranks for effective jump scares; while “The Death Cure” lacks the same frights, the characters do seem in danger, and this thrilling scene demonstrates that. My favourite moment though was when Frypan uses a crane to lift the bus that Brenda and the other Gladers are on board. This was an inventive and unforgettable visual. The action throughout the film is strong; characters jump out of skyscrapers, leap from a burning building to an aircraft, and there are explosions galore. Bell was able to execute all of this with a budget of $62 million; the visual effects do not look as cheap as this budget suggests. Wes Ball’s “Maze Runner: The Death Cure” should be studied by Hollywood executives as it evidences how to maximise a modest budget. The only issue I had with the action is as the third act dragged along, the action became less inventive and slightly repetitive; a third act battle should continuously build excitement and energy (a lot like the opening scene of this film) instead of peaking too early.
Unfortunately, the story does not quite live up to what audiences will expect from the final film in the series. Weirdly, the narrative seems misguided; the book was much more focused. For most of “The Death Cure”, Thomas’ main goal is to rescue Minho. There is little mention of defeating WCKD until the very end; the narrative is set up to suggest that Thomas will be satisfied once Minho is safe. However, “The Scorch Trials” suggested that Thomas joined the rebellion against WCKD. The screenplay could have done a better job of intertwining the ‘rescue Minho’ plot with the ‘overthrow WCKD plot’; the characters only start taking actions against WCKD after Minho is safe. Thomas makes some questionable choices that make him less likeable. In the opening scene, he only cares about rescuing Minho; despite the train containing many Gladers, he only sought after the carriage he thought Minho was inside. The scene would have made Thomas appear much more heroic if he was trying to rescue everyone; Thomas appears to only care for his friends, disregarding any acquaintances (even though he is their leader). This focus on Minho’s rescue reduces the stakes of the entire film; WCKD only appears bad because they are holding Thomas’ friend captive. The film does introduce a plot twist in the third act that raises the stakes, Thomas’ blood is the cure. Even though we never find out why Thomas has superior blood, other than merely being born with it, this twist did raise an interesting question: should Thomas sacrifice himself for the greater good? What makes this series different to other YA adaptions is that the story is on a much smaller scale. It may include an evil scientific organisation, but this story is personal to Thomas; it assesses his leadership skills, his values and what friendship means to him. Admittedly, this is executed vaguely and could have been done in a clearer fashion. To most, “Maze Runner: The Death Cure” will seem derivative of the YA adaptions that have preceded it. For example, in “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay” (both parts), Katniss spends a big portion of time wanting to rescue Peeta who is being held captive by The Capitol. “Maze Runner: The Death Cure” is two high concept stories; Thomas trying to save Minho and everybody trying to defeat WCKD. The latter feels like it should take priority but it is the former that is the focus of the majority of the run-time. The film does conclude with a moving letter from Newt, completing the series on a pretty poetic note.
Dylan O’Brien is terrific as Thomas once again. I have not watched the previous films in a while, but I feel like this is the most enthusiastic O’Brien has ever been in the role. Especially after the horrendous accident that O’Brien was involved in on set, he certainly bounced back like a true action star. I worry that this character will be O’Brien’s career-defining role (other than “Teen Wolf”) as these films have not been as successful as they should have been and it would be unfortunate for O’Brien’s potential to go under the radar. Thomas may have some questionable and unlikeable moments, but Dylan O’Brien is always on form.
Kaya Scodelario does not have as much to do this time around as Theresa becomes an antagonist. Comparably to how Tris is confined to the science labs in “Allegiant”, that is also where Theresa is found in “The Death Cure”. This representation is not as problematic as it may seem as Theresa is a skilled scientist and is always actively doing something. I was not fond of Scodelario’s character in “Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge” but she redeems herself here with a solid performance. I would have liked to have had more of an explanation as to why Theresa betrayed her friends; even throughout this film, she cannot decide which side she is on. A couple of small, intimate scenes of Theresa outside of work could have explored this. I was shocked when Theresa died; I read the book but did not recall this happening (it did). Moments before her death, Theresa and Thomas kiss; I feel like this moment should have been much more powerful, but I did not feel supportive of them as a couple after Theresa’s sly actions.
Thomas Brodie-Sangster is never as funny as he thinks he is but still gives a fine performance. Will Poulter returns as Gally; he has experienced a character arc since we last saw him in “The Maze Runner”. It would have been nice to have this arc incorporated into the story rather than the character changing off-screen in-between films. Patricia Clarkson’s performance peaked in the first movie, her character has never been developed and has almost been pushed aside. Aidan Gillan plays the main antagonist, Jason; he is relentless and fittingly wicked. The entire cast are relatively strong, but O’Brien and Gillan give the best and most memorable performances.
“Maze Runner: The Death Cure” deserves credit for simply completing the series, something that other YA adaptions have failed to do (cough- “Divergent” -cough). Dylan O’Brien and the entire team bounce back from the tragic accident that shut down production. O’Brien delivers a strong performance as Thomas for the final time, and Aidan Gillan’s villainy is on point. The story does lack complexity and high-stakes for a final instalment, but the narrative reaches a satisfying resolution. We may be a few months away from ‘popcorn movie’ season but the action in “The Death Cure” is entertaining, occasionally inventive and injects the film with needed energy. “Maze Runner: The Death Cure” is not without its problems but at least the franchise concludes at the same level quality-wise as it begun.
67
/100
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