Maze Runner: The Death Cure, the third and final part of the Maze Runner Trilogy, released today (February 2) in India. Here is our review of it:
As the end of a trilogy, The Death Cure's plot is not bad - it has the protagonists pushed into a situation where they have to enter the very WCKD controlled labyrinth that they once struggled to escape. Led by Thomas, Newt, Frypan, Brenda and Jorge attempt to rescue a dear friend, Minho from inside the Last City, where he is held captive. This journey has them gaining allies on the way, amidst conflicting situations where they can't decide if someone is a traitor or not. The destination is blurry, though, and we'll get to that a bit later.
The film starts off with an action sequence that, though seeming like a watered down version of a Mad Maxian adventure, does not fail to impress and makes one sit up in anticipation of what is going to come next. However, we are left searching for the same pace or intensity (or even an admissibly reduced amount of both) for pretty much most parts of it. During some moments, we are at the edge of our seats not because of any nail-biting sequence, but rather due to impatience as to when we can move on.
Two aspects stand out as slightly annoying. It is not the first time that we see the first in a typical apocalypse/dystopia genre: The loss of life is widespread and rampant, but somehow there is preciousness only awarded to that of the main characters. The second is something we see across genres: The convenience of things. Lacking logic, many events happen that do so to bring about the high point or big twist in the plot. But it has to be said that the director, Wes Ball, uses these tools to create good impact in a few places.
The visuals, visual effects and stunts are powerful and are the biggest strengths of the film. Dylan O' Brien, playing Thomas, is a treat to watch for sure. Thomas Sangster (Newt) and Giancarlo Esposito (Jorge) are interesting. Other than these, the other members of the cast come and go. This aspect could have been cured in The Death Cure.
Finally, coming to the destination of the arduous journey taken up by the protagonists, the film ends with a climax that makes us doubt if the characters really fought for that kind of a situation. Whether it is fulfilling, is something that fans of the series can decide for themselves. If you have watched the two prequels, you might as well top it off with Maze Runner: The Death Cure.