 When it comes right down to the overall criticism of the 'Final Destination' franchise, it seems that since 'Bloodlines' came along, it has quickly become the fan favourite of the series, boasting very "fresh" reviews on "Rotten Tomatoes," and even without that, some incredible word of mouth. Now, I don't want to take anyone's opinions about this film and try to change anyone's minds, but for me, it didn't give me the same effect 'FD5' did. With that said, however, 'Bloodlines' here comes in as a very close second.
The series gave itself time to breathe, think, and develop something at least slightly different than we've seen before. After 13+ years, assuming they were all finished with the series with nothing much left to say, the wait paid off. It astounds me that this idea wasn't thought of yet for the series, adding to the mythos and expanding on death's "rules." Although we do get some more of the same, conceptually, 'Bloodlines' managed to open this concept up in a way that makes perfect sense, all while staying true to fans of the series by having some gruesome kills while, shall we say, "having fun" with it. The incident in this chapter is meant to occur in 1969 when Iris (Brec Bassinger) and her fiancé-to-be, Paul (Max Lloyd-Jones), attend the grand opening of the Skyview Restaurant Tower. Things play out fairly typically as Iris eventually has a premonition of the tower exploding and falling, leading to the deaths of several people, including one particular death you WILL want to stand up and cheer for - you'll know it when it happens. This time around, however, unlike all five events preceding this film, Iris manages to stop the event and save everyone there, and in turn, death starts hunting down those survivors one by one. Fast-forward to the present day, we are introduced to Stefani Reyes (Kaitlyn Santa Juana), who suffers from nightmares related to the Skyview Tower event, recognizing "Iris" as her grandmother's name. Believing there's a connection, and with the risk of her nightmares interfering with her college education, she heads back home, looking for answers. Once home and unveiling her nightmares about the Skyview Tower and Iris, assumed to be her grandmother, with a lot of reluctance from the rest of her family, she gets some answers. From here, I may enter spoiler territory, so proceed with caution if you don't want to know too much. As Stefanie seeks out Grandma Iris (Gabrielle Rose), she also learns that her now estranged mother, Darlene (Rya Kihlstedt) and her uncle Howard (Alex Zahara) were subjects of a rough, overprotective upbringing, with Iris coddling them at every turn. Iris, of course, had the premonition years ago, saving hundreds of lives, but ever since then, she knew death was coming for her, as it started picking off everyone who dodged the tower incident. As Iris is the final survivor, the rule is that once she goes, it comes after the rest of her bloodline, who were never meant to be born, hence the film's title. So, this time around, for once, the group death is after is attached to a family not meant to die but never meant to be born in the first place. Focusing on a family instead of a group of people like students or office workers, in my opinion, makes the deaths that occur all that much more tragic, as no one involved is any stranger. I have to credit the movie for coming up with something that's all too similar to the films that precede it, but change it up so that while watching, I can't help but ask, "How have they not done this idea yet?" After all that praise, however, I have to say that there are some pretty silly moments that, while I'm no expert, I can't believe are remotely possible, even if they do make for an awesome kill for your average gore hound. I strongly praise the film for doing some new things with the subject matter, and the late Tony Todd's cameo is a chef's kiss of an appearance, but I'm still more of an 'FD5' guy, if only on a personal level. However, it's easy to say that 'Bloodlines' is on the other side of the coin regarding quality. 4/5
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 Like it is with any franchise, everyone has their favourite 'Final Destination' chapter for their reasons. Speaking for myself, I go with 'FD5' here, although aside from 'FD4,' I appreciate what precedes this, all for their reasons. I found, however, that 'FD5' is the film that manages to take the best of all of them and produce something solid. If nothing else, this ends up being a giant step in a better direction from 'FD4,' which, for me, is easily the bottom of the list for this collection.
The first film brought a new and original idea, which every movie since has copied and pasted with a twist ending, which 'FD5' follows but tweaks the predictability of. The second film's incident is highly relatable, and the kills are less predictable, both of which 'FD5' brings to the next level with the bridge incident and a lot of set-up for fake-outs. Add the likeability of the characters from 'FD3' and, yes, admittedly, some of the now-dated visuals from 'FD4' (which mostly has to do with the 3D aspect), and 'FD5' creates the best of everything. Much like it has been for a while now, the film does go through the motions just as we've been seeing, so all of the standard fares are hereby represented, which of course, includes the standard chain of events: a premonition, a handful of people dodging said premonition that ultimately comes true, said people getting killed off due to successfully avoiding their "time," and of course, a twist ending, all of which essentially suggest the same essential outcome. So, other than just blending some "best features," what makes this so good? To start, let's take a look at Sam Lawton (Nicholas D'Agosto), who I find to be an overall likeable character, if maybe a little "lovey-dovey" with his in-the-balance girlfriend, Molly Harper (Emma Bell). Throughout the film, the pair have a side story in which she wants him to pursue an apprentice chef career in France so he can follow his dream, but he's very much in love with her and doesn't want to go. In a general romance movie's case, this is standard. Still, for a 'Final Destination' movie, it makes for a more heartfelt and intimate connection between characters that we haven't seen yet. It adds some heart to the whole thing. Cutting to the chase, Sam and Molly, along with a group of office co-workers, go on a retreat, and while crossing the North Bay Bridge (Lion's Gate Bridge in Vancouver, Canada, lending towards my Canadian bias), Sam has a premonition that the bridge collapses, killing everyone on board their bus and a massive group of over 80 others crossing the bridge at the time. This scene blended with the film's 3D at the time, and it was a gory feast for the eyes. However, it still manages to be effectively scary without the 3D due to the relatability of the incident's potential to happen in real life, much like with 'FD2.' Due to Sam's premonition, several survive the incident only to start getting killed off, this time very unpredictably as far as the source of the kills goes, and it's another 'Final Destination' movie, but this time balancing the good material with the cheesy material rather nicely. And again, out of all of the 'Final Destination' movies, this one has my favourite ending by far, even if it is similar to the twist endings that have occurred up until now. 'FD5' puts a cool spin on it, and speaking for myself, I got blindsided the first time watching. So, for me, the likeability of 'Final Destination 5' comes from a solid combination of things, but what makes it unique are the ending and the overall unpredictability of the kills. Still, I can understand other perspectives that readily claim this as "more of the same" because, in a sense, it is. At this point in the 'Final Destination' game, if you aren't already a fan of these films, you won't get much out of them either way. Luckily, I have fun with them, and 'FD5' is the most fun since 'FD3.' 4/5  Right when I started to go against the grain of most criticisms with this series and see them as getting slightly better as they go (as opposed to many critical responses to these movies thus far), I found my opinion tumbling over with the likes of 'The Final Destination,' which even Google would rather see typed in its search bar as 'Final Destination 4.' Another unfortunate victim of the "The" title problem. Most of us agree that this is the worst of the series and with good reason.
The title aside (it was going so simply, dammit!), the truth of the matter is that even getting into the plot seems almost entirely unnecessary. 'FD4' is the perfect example of a bad film because it simply goes through the motions. As much as that could also be said about 'FD3' and 'FD2,' they still at least had a few new ideas to bring to the table with 'FD2,' and, at least for me, made the lead far more believable and likeable in 'FD3.' All 'FD4' here does is go back to bare bones basics but try to make it "cooler" with a metal soundtrack and, of course, the effect of 3D, which makes the CG in this look atrocious. Nick O'Bannon (Bobby Campo), his girlfriend, Lori Milligan (Shantel VanSanten), and their two friends, Hunt Wynorski (Nick Zano) and Janet Cunningham (Haley Webb), are on their college semester break, and head to the McKinley Speedway to watch a high octane stock car race. Nick has a premonition about a brutal car accident that leaves the stadium in ruins, snaps out of it, warns everyone, fighting ensues, the accident really happens, and eventually, the survivors who manage to escape due to said premonition find themselves trying to dodge death itself. It's the same thing again, but with nothing more to add. What grinds my gears about the film is that it comes from the same writing/directing team that gave us 'FD2' (David R. Ellis and Eric Bress), and it's remarkable how different it is in comparison. Where the first three films carry an eerie mood with ominous tones that build suspense, this film tosses aside the mood-setting soundtrack, which gets replaced by metal music and makes the whole movie feel like an MTV music video from the late '90s/early '00s that pays homage to the 'Final Destination' concept. It's another awful case of something not being broken, trying to fix it anyway, and making it worse. Don't get me wrong; metal often suits horror in all the best ways. But my problem here is that the first three films added to the mood. This is akin to when I saw 'Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' and it opened with "You Ain't Nothin' But a Hound Dog" when I've become used to John Williams' adventurous score; it fits, technically, but for an established fan, it's jarring. Beyond that, the CG is awful and dated, even for its time. Remember, this was released earlier, but the same year 'Avatar' was - even with its "tight" budget of 40 million dollars, I feel like it could have looked much better. I could continue criticizing the film, but I will take a moment to pump the brakes and find something good about it. Though all I can come up with is that it feels like it set out to be stylistic and fun instead of horrific and creepy, that doesn't mean I have to like it. It feels like a gigantic step backwards and a painfully obvious money grab. Even in my review's description of the plot, you get everything the movie has to offer in a straightforward paragraph, aside from the fact that it doesn't even connect to the first three in any way. So, there we have it. As far as the 'Final Destination' films go, 'FD4' is the one I would probably recommend the least, unless maybe you've never seen any of the series, to begin with, or if you get some ironic kick out of rough, dated CG. However, it's easy to say the first three are far superior in quality in every way, even at their weakest. As luck would have it, despite what I thought might happen after this was released, this doesn't mark the bitter end of the series, which would come back in a couple of years with what is my personal favourite... 1/5  I find it interesting how often I came across this title as the "best of the series" when I didn't see much difference in the balance of quality here from the first two films. Much like with 'FD2,' this is another one I like for different reasons and dislike for various reasons, but it all boils down to what I consider a perfectly passable horror movie. It's nothing incredibly special, especially as a third chapter in a series, but certainly as enjoyable as any 'Freddy' or 'Jason' flick. There's a twisted "fun" to them I can't deny.
Like so many horror series from the past, 'Final Destination' has become mainly about the opening premonition and the accident that follows. Like so many of my old favourite slasher flicks, it's also about how badass or terrifying the kills are. I've developed a bias for this series as a group of thrilling popcorn movies not meant to be taken seriously. This chapter is also more self-aware, considering some character stereotypes. In that respect, the film takes a step backwards, as 'FD2' had a more diverse group of would-be victims. Here, we have what I call "basic horror meat." Wendy Christensen (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), her boyfriend, Jason Wise (Jesse Moss), her best friend, Carrie Dreyer (Gina Holden), and Carrie's boyfriend, Kevin Fischer (Ryan Merriman), all visit "Playland" amusement park with several other classmates as a graduation trip. This time, Wendy has a premonition about the "Devil's Flight" roller coaster they are about to ride. For me, this is the scariest of all the 'FD' incidents because what happens through it is precisely the reason (apart from a crippling fear of heights) that I don't ride roller coasters. All this movie did was legitimately nail that fear in my brain, so I must give it some "scare credit." Wendy manages to get her warning out by panicking to let everyone off the ride, but some get refused as the ride needs to get going for the disappointed passengers who assume Wendy's on something. Sure enough, the accident happens, several people die, several more escape their fate, and the same basic plot of dodging death continues. But for as redundant as I make it all sound, and for as much as I say how "middle-ground" it feels, I can fully credit the film more than I can criticize it, and though I may not find it to be the "best" of the series, it's undoubtedly one of the "better." Aside from crediting it for making me feel just as queasy as it sets out to with the roller coaster incident, there's a thing or two more to the film I thoroughly enjoy. For example, even though this brings in stereotypes, as I mentioned, it's easier to get in the mood of routing for their kills, and it feels a bit more like watching a 'Friday the 13th' chapter this time. So, it's hard to say what I think about that aspect. It's another case of me being okay with it, even liking it, but people will find it an old/stale concept and, therefore, give the film fewer points. If the film has something that sticks out from the others thus far, it's the emotion projected by Winstead's compelling acting. Wendy was a character who truly made me feel her loss as people started dying. She takes it to a dramatic level that hasn't quite been a part of these movies yet. On top of it all, this ending is just plain awesome - fully illustrating what these movies are all about. It also marks James Wong's return to the series, which made it feel more like the first, and he doesn't complicate things in any way, simplifying things a bit more from 'FD2.' Even if I don't think this is the best of the series, it's certainly up there, and I feel like I had a better time watching this one than the first two, even with critics often claiming this as "second-worst." The roller coaster accident is so much what made it hit me, though, as that's such a deep fear for me. Also, thus far, Winstead is who I'd consider the best lead actor in the series - she's very convincing and adds an element of horror with her panic to an already horrifying scene! So, call me "boring," call me a "wuss," but don't expect me to board a roller coaster with a group any time soon. 4/5  A couple of years after the release of the first 'Final Destination' film, there was enough there that a sequel was almost sure based on the first film's financial success and an open ending. I like a good, open ending that allows me to use my imagination to fill in the blanks, but not everyone feels that way. And with a horror movie where death itself is the villain, there is a massive pool of story options to choose from, AND it's a villain that never needs some resurrection or reason for existing. It's simply "eternal."
In 'FD2,' the story picks up a year after the explosion of Flight 180. We soon learn the fates of the final living characters, who have managed to dodge death for a while. However, it still keeps coming, adding to the idea that this whole situation is an unavoidable curse and the idea of how scary and unpredictable death is. However, as similar as everything in the beginning plays out, the only original character involved in this chapter is Clear Rivers (Ali Larter). The rest starts when college student Kimberly Corman (A.J. Cook) begins her trip to Daytona Beach, FL, with some friends. Just like in the first film, Kimberly has a premonition of a harrowing accident that kills several people in some pretty grizzly ways. But this time, it happens just before merging onto the highway, and her vision involves a log truck losing one of its logs and causing a chain reaction. Just like with Alex, Kimberly snaps out of it only to see her premonition begin to unfold in real life, causing her to park her car on the on-ramp, thus saving a handful of people meant to die in the accident that suddenly unfolds in front of them. I must confess that with this chapter, at least for me, things get a bit more confusing, as stuff like intervening to save someone's life might alter death's plan slightly. Still, all in all, it is the same concept: everyone who survived the highway accident who was meant to be killed eventually starts getting hunted down, one by one, by death's design. This time, the survivors are more diverse, and there's less predictability about who will die when and in what way. They do a much better job keeping audiences guessing with this one. Knowing about Clear Rivers's whereabouts, Kimberly seeks her out for help. Clear eventually leads Kimberly and state trooper Thomas Burke (Michael Landes) to William Bludworth (Tony Todd), the creepy morgue guy from the first film and an "expert" on death. Previously, he told us about death's design, a list of would-be victims who death will come for again should they avoid it the first time, hence the whole concept of these movies. This time, he adds the rule of death, which states that new life can defeat death. All signs now point to the pregnant Isabella Hudson (Justina Machado), one of the would-be victims of the on-ramp pileup. Things don't only go into pure survival mode with this movie, like the last one, but it's also a combination of this particular group dodging death while trying to get to Isabella to make sure she doesn't become part of it all before her baby is born, which may save them all. There's a race against time with this one, making things a bit tougher, which is something I can compliment the film on. I also praise the film's overall unpredictability this time, with several moments of guessing how certain people will go out, even while a kill is set in motion. The biggest takeaway from this is the accident itself, which is probably the scariest of all of them in the long run, simply due to how common street accidents happen and how the road is the most common route of transportation we all take. I like this one more than the first on the whole, but I have more of a nostalgic tie to the first. But here, the characters are more diverse, the kills are less predictable, and the big accident feels more challenging to avoid. Of course, it has aged a little, but they did a good job of taking the first film's concept and increasing its volume. 3/5  In the late '90s/early '00s, the concept of "teen horror" took off, mainly thanks to titles like 'Scream.' But while so many of them were about slasher villains out to get people, 'Final Destination' entered the scene with what I think is an excellent concept: what if the movie's killer was the invisible force that was death? While these may not be the scariest films that could be considered horror, overall, one must admit that conceptually, the idea of death's unpredictability and its plan for people is terrifying.
Interestingly enough, this comes to us from director James Wong and writers Jefferey Reddick and Glen Morgan, all of whom worked on a lot of 'X-Files' material, and early script development had this concept initially as just another 'X-Files' episode until a colleague at New Line persuaded Reddick to make it a full-length feature script, which Wong and Morgan helped re-write, and it would soon become Wong's directorial debut. And as much as it would have made an interesting 'X-Files' episode, it worked out better as a film in the end, bringing in a whole new saga of horror movies. Said saga begins when a young man named Alex Browning (Devon Sawa) boards a plane for a high school trip to Paris, France. Alex starts, seemingly nervous and iffy about the trip he's about to go on. Still, everything comes to the forefront when he has a harrowing premonition of the plane exploding with everyone on board. When he sees his premonition start to play out, he causes a scene, and he and several others deplane, some blaming Alex for having to, and some scared by Alex's behaviour. But while an argument about Alex's "freak-out" occurs on the ground, the plane takes off and explodes, proving his premonition true. As one might expect, Alex and the others; jock Carter Horton (Kerr Smith), along with his girlfriend, Terry Chaney (Amanda Detmer); Alex's best friend, Tod Waggner (Chad Donella); teacher Valerie Lewton (Kristen Cloke); bumbling comedy relief, Billy Hitchcock (Seann William Scott); and the somewhat mysterious Clear Rivers (Ali Larter) get brought in for questioning, and the FBI becomes heavily suspicious of Alex for being the culprit of the explosion. With nothing to go on, however, everyone gets released. But something even more unusual is about to happen to this whole group. Alex's premonition came true, and as a result, everyone who left the plane happened to avoid getting killed. However, this puts an unforeseen ripple in their fates, as they were meant to die that day. Soon, some of the group started falling victim to strange and unusual deadly accidents, seemingly a checklist of those who survived the plane explosion. Eventually, when Alex and Clear break into a morgue to see one of the first bodies, they meet the mysterious and creepy William Bludworth (Tony Todd), who informs them about the "plan" death has for people. If they can figure out death's pattern, perhaps they can keep avoiding death. This film came out around the perfect time for me to see it, as I was around 18, and my taste for horror was only developing for a year or two. Admittedly, when I first saw this, it turned out that I loved it. It was a super creative idea, as well as one that every audience member watching could relate to. We all must go one day, and we can't predict how or when it will happen. 'Final Destination' has a way of horrifyingly highlighting that concept. We don't know when we're going to die, but here, while these people still don't know, they do know it's soon, so it's all about constantly looking over one's shoulder for that icy hand. Nowadays, I can easily watch this as a piece of nostalgia, but I still appreciate the ideas the film has to offer, along with some of the kills. But at this point, the series does have what I might consider to be one or two better chapters, and this has since aged just a little - not necessarily in any harmful way; it's just a bit of old news at this point, fitting into that early '00s era perfectly. It's a fun time capsule, though, and I still enjoy it for what it is, having a soft spot for a lot of the horror I got into back then. Unlike most horror franchises, though, the first movie here isn't necessarily the best. 3/5 |
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