The Final Destination is the fourth in the series. One can only assume by the lack of a number and adding “The” to the title that this is the final installment. What else could the next one be called, The Final Destination Again? That being said, this is one of the best, if not the shortest of the series.
Of the four, this is the only one made in 3D. A few of the scenes would be quite spectacular in 3D, though it is still enjoyable in 2D. The DVD comes with both, but this review is based on the 2D version.
Though the movie is packed with gross and bloody death scenes, a few of the deaths are shown as if by X-ray. The effect of seeing the bones being smashed is really neat and spares the viewer from seeing even more gore.
What is the premise of the Final Destination series? Basically one character gets a premonition of a horrendous accident, where he/she dies before being thrust to a point in time before the accident happens. This character then makes enough of a scene to save several people from certain death. That is just the beginning as Death itself comes after the survivors to claim them in the order they would have ordinarily died.
The latest installment is at a racetrack, where over 50 spectators get taken out during a horrific pile up of the race cars. The movie does a very good job at not being predictable when the surviving characters die. Death seems to set up the events that will lead to another gruesome death, only for it not to happen. And before anyone can take a deep breath, Death strikes in a totally unexpected way.
These shows are certainly not for the faint of heart, and certainly not for someone who likes happy endings or for their favorite character to survive. No one survives these movies. Why watch them? That’s hard to answer. The unexplained and unknown is very seductive. Watching a movie where the bad guy isn’t someone who can be stopped or thwarted is quite entertaining, and spooky.
This series is definitely for people who like to dig their fingernails into the arms of their chairs (or the person next to them) and gasp as their eyes are assaulted by death. Some of the gore seems unnecessary, but it’s off the screen almost as soon as it’s seen. And usually as soon as it’s comprehended, something else happens to distract the viewer. Once the death starts, it’s non-stop action until the very end. This movie is recommended for anyone who likes horror movies. It’s certainly not the typical slasher movie, where everyone who has sex is doomed to die.
There is actually only one gratuitous sex scene in The Final Destination, and it was totally unnecessary for the scope of the movie. Considering that the total running time is only 75 minutes, it can be assumed that no scenes could be cut to keep it long enough to be considered a full length feature.
Though it seems doubtful there weren’t a few scenes on the cutting room floor that could have replaced the sex. It seemed to be an attempt to bring the movie down to the level of a slasher flick, which was unfortunate. Or it could have been an attempt to make the viewers dislike the character who would soon die. That also seems pointless, since the nice characters die as well.
Overall, it’s a must see and a great addition to the series.
August 28, 2009
New Line Cinema
Genre: Horror
Running time: 75 minutes
Rating: B
