Welcome to my first movie review of 2018. I do apologize for taking a long time to do this but life has been busy. Today, I will be reviewing "The Maze Runner: The Death Cure", "12 Strong", and "Insidious: The Last Key." Before I get started, I'd like to give a shoutout to the Free Gamer's Alliance YouTube channel. Their videos cover everything from walkthroughs, glitches, easter eggs, and various amusing video game related content, all of which is delivered with some colorful commentary while they have buckets of fun doing it. Here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC03E6K3QHRMp7Vs0S6wHm6Q
Lets start with "Insidious: The Last Key." Here is the trailer:
- For better or worse, this movie essentially relies on Lin Shaye. Her performance and her charisma is pretty much the only thing keeping this movie watchable.
- This movie does tie this franchise together for "Insidious" fans.
The Bad:
- There are a lot of really predictable jump scares.
- The pacing is really off, this movie feels quite a bit longer than it actually is.
- There is a really cringe-worthy romantic subplot that just feels really icky the whole time.
- There is a sub plot that has a lot of potential to be very interesting. Unfortunately the movie kind of just starts it and drops it without ever mentioning it again (It is kind of like the parental divorce subplot of "Jurassic World" in that sense)
The Verdict:
"Insidious: The Last Key" is proof that this once great horror franchise is now running on fumes and it is a really good thing that it is ending. This may be an ok time at the movies if you have been super invested in this franchise and want to see it be tied together but otherwise I wouldn't recommend this.
It is time to move on to "12 Strong." Here is the trailer:
- Chris Hemsworth is fanastic as the lead in this movie. He has all of the likeability and charisma to pull this off
- There are some truly fantastic action scenes
- The third act is absolutely incredible. Things get really tense and exciting and it keeps the audience on the edge of their seat.
- The pacing in the first two acts is brutal. I found myself nearly falling asleep before the third act several times.
- There are a good amount of truly baffling dialogue choices throughout this movie that will take you out of the movie for a second.
- The whole movie up until the third act does feel a bit generic.
The Verdict:
While "12 Strong" gets off to a really shaky start, it does reward the viewer with a fantastic third act that is satisfying and the payoff feels strong. I feel like this is a war movie that manages to succeed despite many flaws. If you don't mind sitting through two slow acts for the payoff, this could be a good time at the theater. Otherwise, I would recommend renting it or watching it on Netflix.
Finally, it is time to talk about "The Maze Runner: The Death Cure." Here is the trailer:
- As is the case with the other "Maze Runner" movies, the cast is absolutely phenomenal. They all have incredible chemistry with each other and they embody their characters perfectly. Dylan O'Brien, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, and Rosa Salazar stand out in particular.
- There are some truly fantastic action sequences that will have the audience at the edge of their seat.
- There are things that go down in the third act that are surprisingly dark and will have the audience feeling quite emotional.
- The score is incredible and it fits every scene of the movie.
- Finally, the movie ends on a note that I felt was satisfying enough even if a little formulaic.
The Bad:
- There are some major plot holes and jumps in logic throughout the movie that may make your eyes roll a bit. This includes a couple stunts that are approaching "Fast and the Furious" levels of ridiculous while being taken much more seriously.
- Overall, this movie does feel a bit overlong and overstuffed. The pacing is somewhat uneven at points and it feels a bit like the movie is trying to wrap up too many plot points at once.
The Verdict:
Despite it's flaws, "The Maze Runner: The Death Cure" is an entertaining movie that wraps up this trilogy fairly well due to some great performances from the cast combined with some great action and some good plot choices. Even if it may be a bit sloppy, I do recommend seeing this in theaters.
Thanks for reading everyone!! As usual, feel free to leave a comment but please be advised that if you read any potential comments that spoilers may be present.