"Maze Runner: The Death Cure" Movie Review
The Maze Runner premise is great when it's confined to the maze. Step outside of it though, and my interest in the story quickly wanes.
Which brings us to The Death Cure, the third and final installment of the Maze Runner series where our young protagonists from The Scorch Trials attempt to rescue captured children before escaping to a safe haven.
With an opening scene better executed in Fast & Furious, a sanctuary city that is strikingly similar to the Hunger Games' Capitol, and Zombieland styled undead, originality is scarce in this production. The action may please casual moviegoers, but very little of it is memorable. Compound that with cliche plot points and the most unremarkable YA villain in recent memory, Death Cure places itself on the generic isle.
The film...and thus the franchise...does however conclude on a high note, with a tribute to past characters layered with a sweet string-filled score. It's an emotionally-driven sequence that's far better than this franchise deserved. As it concludes, yes, I'm relieved it's over, but I'm more satisfied that it ends acknowledging that the relationships these characters developed were the one thing these movies got right.
Acting and Casting - 1 | Visual Effects and Editing - 2 | Story and Message - 1 | Entertainment Value - 1 | Music Score and Soundtrack - 1 | Reviewer's Preference - 1