The Final Destination: Movie Review

The Final Destination: Movie Review

Rating: 5/10
Cast: Bobby Campo, Shantel, Van Santen, Nick Zano, Haley Webb, Mykelti Williamson, Krista Allen
Director: David R Ellis

When Nick O'Bannon gets premonitions at the local speedway of a whole heap of deaths thanks to a speeding flaming car hitting the grandstand, he manages to get himself, his friends and a few bystanders out of the park before it's too late.
Just seconds after they've vacated the track, catastrophe strikes and over 50 lose their lives as the envisaged accident takes place.
The gang leave feeling they've had a lucky escape.
However, when one of the bystanders is killed within hours of the race track carnage, and thanks to a little help from the worldwide web, it soon becomes clear to Nick and his friends that their cards are marked and death is going to find them one way or another.
What do you say about The Final Destination?
It's a film franchise and a series of gory bloody deaths - it's not Shakespeare - and nor does it aspire to be.
But this latest entrant into the franchise, which began in 2000, has very little new to offer the cinematic world - other than the use of 3D.
And while the use of this new digital technology sees some very impressive Bond style opening credits which mesh all the previous deaths from prior films, it soon resorts to having you duck and squirm in your seat as various deathly implements head towards you in the cinema. However, half the problem of this film lies with its characters.
Obviously underdeveloped and with little back story or attitudes which make you like them, it makes it difficult to care about any of those the Grim Reaper has his eye on. Even one of the main leads, an airhead jock, is so unlikeable that you don't really care when he meets his maker.
But, as I say, you don't head to Final Destination for its thrilling in depth character analysis, witty dialogue and Oscar nominated acting - it's about the dispatching of the leads and the fact these characters don't stand a chance from the unrelenting march of Death.
Granted there are scenes which stretch out what you expect will happen to our leads and some of the surprises may confound your expectations. Myeklti Williamson gets a reasonable back story as an alcoholic guard who's lost his family - but his end (while swiped from the first film) is so callous that you are left unsure of who to root for. All you will be thinking is that OSH would have a field day.
I don't doubt there'll be a certain portion of the audience who'll enjoy this - and thanks to its short running time, it doesn't outstay its welcome.

It's just that The Final Destination doesn't reach the highs of the previous films - and may leave you hoping that the use of the definite article in front of this latest title means there won't be any more.