‘The Maze Runner: Death Cure’ should satisfy its core

The Maze Runner made its debut in 2014, earning mild praise, but not a lot to discern it in the crowded race of Young Adult dystopian films aiming to capitalize on "The Hunger Games" mania, which was nearing its conclusion as a cinematic series.

The similarly themed "Divergent" films went on to die a premature death: The third book was broken into two films, and the second film was never completed, still rumored to conclude as a series on the Starz network.

"The Maze Runner" released its sequel, "Scorch Trials," the following year to better reviews and better box office. It was expected to conclude in 2017.

Unfortunately, an on-set accident for lead Dylan O'Brien on the final "Maze Runner" film, "The Death Cure," pushed back the filming. As a result, we have had an almost two-year gap between the last film and this one. In that span of time, we have had a number of similarly themed apocalyptic blockbusters (including the final chapter of "The Hunger Games" series), so it is hard to keep up with which pack of dirt-covered teens we are following and exactly what they are running from.

It does not help matters much that "The Death Cure" drops us straight into where the previous film left off, so audiences need to have immediate investment in its characters to care who survives or who becomes zombie fodder.

It's a shame, too, as there are a lot of things "The Death Cure" gets right, especially when it comes to delivering its action sequences. And the supporting cast of seasoned actors (Giancarlo Esposito, Barry Pepper, Walton Goggins) all make the most of their limited time. Despite the efforts to construct a thrilling conclusion, though, the gap between films, the glut of similar films, and the gargantuan runtime (almost 2.5 hours) keep "Runner" from its sprint to the finish line.

For those still keeping score, the remaining members of the "runners" (a group of young men who have had their memories erased and then have been placed in a maze in order to test their survival abilities) are split up and looking to overthrow the ruling party, the not-so-subtly named WCKD.

Our hero, Thomas (played by O'Brien) still does not understand his immunity to the virus that has turned the majority of the planet into zombies, but he does know that he must rescue his captured friend Minho (Ki Hong Lee), who is being taken to be used as a lab rat to find the source of his immunity.

Of course, the WCKD empire is enshrined in a walled city, where denizens live a posh Blade-Runner-esque existence (actually, it looks more like a dimly lit Marriott Courtyard hotel), free from those who were exposed and possible carriers of disease. Thankfully, director Wes Ball and screenwriter T.S. Nowlin don't get too exposition-heavy; they use the film to string together a number of rather exciting action sequences.

Ball, who began his career as a visual effects coordinator and graphic artist, certainly has a keen eye for action, and he stages each segment with the right balance of tension and pyrotechnics.

But that can last for only so long. There's an unnecessary subplot involving Thomas's one-time crush, who is now working for WCKD, and another character who becomes stricken with disease, and these chew up more time than necessary, adding to the film's bloated time (its runtime sometimes feels like a crawl-time).

When "Death Cure" does decide to wrap things up, it does so with explosive accuracy and agility. It's a shame, too, because if it had shaved 30 minutes from the cut, it could have had more resonance in its final installment.

"The Maze Runner: Death Cure" should satisfy its core, even though it may not have reach far beyond that. But it should give Ball the flexibility to select his next action project, which, based on what he accomplished here, could have strong legs.