REVIEW: The Maze Runner: The Death Cure · Screenfellas Entertainment

In this third installment of the Maze Runner film franchise, we rejoin Thomas (Dylan O'Brien), Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster), Brenda (Rosa Salazar), and Frypan (Dexter Darden) in the thick of their valiant attempts to rescue their brother in arms Minho (Ki Hong Lee). WICKED, resolute in their quest for a cure, holds Minho in a testing facility at the mercies of the unfeeling Janson (Aidan Gillen) and the rebels' former compatriot Teresa (Kaya Scodelario). As Thomas and the group search for an extraction point, they must continue to run - from WICKED, and from the Scorch itself.

There is very little that makes The Death Cure stand out among dystopian YA films. The story follows the roadmap of all the others, stopping to bask in the glow of the touristy spots along the way. Sometimes it feels justifiable; these characters may be bland, but at least they've got noble aspirations. Other times it feels like the writers went to the supermarket of YA tropes on an empty stomach.

But, of course, would a dystopian YA film be complete without its Christmas list of story elements and emotional beats? The tropes are all but genre staples. You can't really ask for much more than The Death Cure gives you - boiling tension, thrills, tragedy, and a touch of humor. It's heavily reliant on the earlier films, so if you haven't seen them, you will be pretty lost. But it keeps your attention. It's a nice midwinter summer popcorn piece.

Rating: 5/10
Favorite scene: the bus scene.
Least favorite scene: the title is very misleading...