'MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE (2018)' A FILM REVIEW
8:57:00 PM
WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
(Which are dangerous to the health of those who have not watched yet AND are planning to.)
MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE (2018)
If I were a movie-goer who only watched the third (and hopefully final) installment of The Maze Runner film series, I would be confused about some details of the movie and would be bothered about them even after watching. To a point where the impact of the number of times I was on the edge of my seat, my heart racing while watching the action sequences, would be abated by the plot confusions.
As an avid fan who has read the three books and watched the first two films prior to this, Death Cure seemed to be a one-quarter cheesy, one-quarter funny and one-half satisfying finale to a series that has meant so much to me.
It definitely wasn't perfect which is a bit saddening, considering the team must have heard all of the other half of the reviews of Scorch Trials - the negative things people did not like about the movie. But Death Cure, despite all its tropes and imperfections, still managed to give the finale justice. It's everything the book readers and long-time fans could ever wish for.
Here's a run-down of the parts of Maze Runner: The Death Cure that made me uncomfortable:
*Incredibly & unbelievably inefficient WCKD Army
This has long been pointed out since the second film came out. These gunmen of WCKD are ridiculous. They won't shoot when they have the chance and when they do, they always miss. When you watch them point their guns, your mind would scream "why the hell aren't you firing?" They would. But then it's too late. What on scorched earth.
*Cheesy scenes
There are just scenes in the movie that we have seen in so many other films and TV shows in the past and I can't believe Death Cure resorted to them. Talking with a pointed gun but walks slowly even in a small room and the other character is wounded. Standing behind a character waiting for them to turn their back before attempting to kill them. The list is overwhelming but this is just me being picky.
*Someone is always unharmed or someone always comes to the rescue.
This is one of the funniest things in most movies but I guess this is inevitable for a chase-and-run film like Maze Runner. We see all the bullets and bombs being fired but no one actually gets hurt. If someone gets hurt, it always comes as a surprise, audiences do not see it coming. And when protagonists are cornered, someone always comes to the rescue. Still breath-taking admittedly, but sometimes it comes off too predictable.
These should all be off-putting for first-time Maze Runner film series viewers. That list may as well be a universal list.
But for huge fans, there are redeeming factors.
The best things I love about Death Cure are probably things most viewers fail to realize or don't give much credit:
CINEMATOGRAPHY
That opening scene will go down in history of Dystopian Young Adult Films. It was made possible by a wickedly good cinematography that doesn't just keep viewers at the edge of their seats but provide a feeling as if they were a part of a heist and holding their breath for a long time is all they are assigned to do. The rest of the movie is beautifully shot too.
SCORING
Maze Runner's score was made spectacular by John Paesano. This guy's a genius because the scoring of Maze Runner probably is 50% of the reason why the audiences' heart beats skip during both action sequences and conversational confrontations. His talent in composing all the musical score of the film series is so underrated.
OUTSTANDING EFFECTS WITH A SMALL BUDGET
The average film budget for both Divergent series and The Hunger Games trilogies is twice as much as the budget for Death Cure. You read that right. Twice as much. The smallest budget for Divergent was at $85 Million and for Hunger Games was at $78 Million. The Death Cure's budget (highest for this film series) was only at $62 Million. But the effects (especially the ones used for and during scenes at the Last City) are mind-blowing considering the budget involved. Nothing but respect for the visual effects team.
DEATHS
I won't say who died on this film because I'd assume you already know that while reading this or that you still don't know so I wouldn't wanna spoil this special part for you. But some deaths in this film are emotional and poetic. Some characters were redeemed and some were just too close to readers' and viewers' hearts that it was very heavy in the chest to see them die. Definitely the most memorable moments in Death Cure.
THE ENDING
The movie ending is not practically the same with the book's. The concept is there but the circumstances are changed. A significant item held by Thomas at the end of the film while he stares at the ocean isn't in the books. And that item means so much should there be a fourth film or a prequel. The ending is soulful. A metaphor for everything that has been lost and everything that is yet to be achieved in their post-apocalyptic world. But if the series is indeed put to an end, then that ending is for everyone's imagination. We're not complaining at all.
UNBREAKABLE GLADER BOND
This is hands-down the best part of the movie. Or the entire series, if you think deeper. If Hunger Games was about peace or freedom and Divergent was about self-love, the Maze Runner is about friendship that closely resembles family. The Death Cure emphasized that more than ever.
It's me being totally honest if I admit that the Maze Runner trilogy lost the drive in terms of continuity. From both the book and film series, it was the same path - the plot weakened after the first installment. I'd like to believe the writers who made the movie move from the Maze to the Safe Haven were left with no choice but to make the entire series as relatable, logical and believable as possible. James Dashner is a brilliant writer, there's no denying that. But I just wonder how it all could have been had some links in this series been significantly changed.
But if there's one thing that did not get lost in the conversion from the books to the movies, it is the bond shared by the main characters and how they fight for it from start to finish. One could summarize The Maze Runner's plot as "a struggle of random strangers who bond, become brothers and refuse to be torn apart when whole world crumbles" and it wouldn't be far from what we read or watch.
As a matter of fact, it hits close to home. And that's probably why despite not liking some parts of the plot, for me, The Maze Runner franchise would still always be the best dystopian young adult film and book series.
- RATING: 8/10
xxx
@callmenorby
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