You spin me right round baby right round like a record baby.
Hee, no surprise to find great division among horror fanatics, whatever the film or franchise, hot debate - even furious anger - can be found. FD5 has unsurprisingly garnered mixed reactions, but even allowing for the fact that as an idea it's a series that can't get better, part 5 is a considerable step up from the very poor part 4. It also boasts a neat trick of the tail, where some ingenuity is used to bring the series full circle, with a glint in the eye and a bloody tongue in the cheek.
The first "Final Destination" movie in 2000 was a rather innovative 'Dead Teenager Movie' in that the killer was Death itself, an invisible spirit. A group of people, mostly youths, escape a great tragedy due to a premonition of one of them and the rest of the movie involves the Grim Reaper systematically slaying the kids who cheated Death in various creative ways, usually an unlikely chain of events. The opening tragedy in the first film was a plane crash, in the second a highway pile-up, in the third a rollercoaster mishap, in the fou... read the rest.
Final Destination 5 is a solid step up from the last few entries, but it still doesn’t come close to the original. The plot follows the usual formula, with a group of people escaping a disaster only to find out that death doesn’t like being cheated. It doesn’t try to break new ground, but it delivers what fans expect. The directing is competent, with well-paced tension leading up to the signature over-the-top death sequences. The cinematography and visual effects stand out, especially with the impressive 3D work that actually enhances the experience instead of feeling gimmicky.
'Final Destination 5' actually won me over in the end. There's a detail about it that I didn't know about before watching, it's to do with the conclusion. I'm glad I was unaware, it made it much more enjoyable to see. If you plan of seeing this, go in as blind as possible - it's worth it.
The film does eventually (much of the film plays out similarly, mind) do something different with the plot, which is something I've wanted to see whilst watching the previous four entries. It involves Miles Fisher's Peter, a character that isn't perfectly written but is narrowly serviceable.