- Starring
- Bobby Campo, Shantel VanSanten, Nick Zano
- Writer
- Eric Bress
- Director
- David R. Ellis
- Rating
- 18A (Canada), R (United States)
- Running Time
- 82 minutes
Overall Score
Rating Summary
The Final Destination is the lowest the franchise has ever stooped and is largely considered to be the worst installment. The film sees the return of director David R. Ellis who helmed Final Destination 2 but unfortunately showcases none of the talent he brought to that film. This installment follows the exact same premise as the others where Nick (Campo) has a premonition of a deadly accident at a racetrack that ends with him, his friends and several other innocent bystanders graphically getting killed. A select few escape the chaos and then quickly begin dying one by one as death starts coming after them.
Where to even begin with The Final Destination because unlike the others this film has very few redeeming qualities. For starters, it contains easily the weakest and laziest deaths in the entire franchise. Seriously, there’s absolutely no suspense in the buildup to the deaths and then when they actually happen, they’re so disappointing because of how cheap most of them feel. The deaths are so bad that one person is killed by a falling tire and another by a rock getting shot out of a lawnmower while both were used heavily in the film’s marketing. In a franchise primarily known for its elaborate death scenes, this one feels like everyone involved ran out of creative juice and energy or simply didn’t have the time to come up with anything good which is odd considering how long the franchise had in between films. The opening crash at the racetrack is decent at least even if it doesn’t rank anywhere near the top of this franchise’s opening sequences.
Adding 3D to this franchise wasn’t a bad idea and certainly would add a bit of guilty pleasure fun if it was watched in that format but when that’s the only thing that feels like the filmmakers put any effort into then that’s a serious problem. This film got a big budget increase compared to its predecessors and unfortunately a lot more CGI is added which looks absolutely terrible for the most part. The film’s overuse of CGI, including for blood and organs which look extremely fake and laughable. At least there are a few effective practical shots to remind viewers what the franchise once was. Meanwhile, its running time of 82 minutes is both a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing as the film breezes by and never drags but on the other hand, it also makes it feel rushed and choppy overall.
The characters have never been the franchise’s strong suit but as opposed to the previous films, almost all of them here are a complete joke and mostly unlikeable. One doesn’t learn a single thing about any of them or grow attached to a single one and because of the film’s short length, most feel like cameos or the most basic stereotypes imaginable before they bite it. Somehow the acting takes a huge nosedive this time around and it contains without a doubt the worst lead in the franchise in Campo. He’s definitely trying but he doesn’t have the strength to carry a film and it doesn’t help that he’s surrounded by those who are even worse than him. The only actor who gives a good performance is Mykelti Williamson as George who is also the only character given a somewhat decent backstory.
Despite how bad and poorly put together The Final Destination is, it’s not a horrible or painful viewing experience by any means and it’s entertaining enough for franchise diehards. The short running time helps make it fly by and despite most of them being lazy or ruined by CGI, there are a few solid deaths that fit in nicely with this franchise. It’s just very clear the only thing anyone involved with this project cared about was making cool 3D effects and adding as much CGI as they could. It’s not a good film and easily the worst in the franchise but considering how horrible some other installments in popular horror franchises get, this isn’t that bad by comparison.
still courtesy of New Line Cinema
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