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I said it two years ago - 2009's fourth Final Destination instalment carried the definitive-sounding title of The Final Destination, implying that the Grim Reaper had finally come for the franchise instead of the characters. The 3-D sequel turned a nice profit, though, so the studio were not going to let the series end just yet. Thus, here we are in 2011 with the more appropriately-titled Final Destination 5. Shockingly, though, this fifth instalment is more assured than one might expect from a high franchise number. Directed by Avatar's second-unit director Steven Quale and written by Eric Heisserer (2010's A Nightmare on Elm Street), Final Destination 5 introduces a few fresh ideas, allowing it to emerge as something more than a rote retread of its predecessors. Add to this a new selection of creative kills and a high amount of technical competency, and the film does its job more skilfully than it had a right to.
Unsurprisingly, Final Destination 5 retains the proverbial set-up - a young person has a mysterious premonition moments before an impending disaster, and manages to save a group of people before the disaster happens. Afterwards, the Grim Reaper begins to take the souls who avoided their fates. Young aspiring chef Sam Lawton (D'Agosto) has the trademark premonition while on a tour bus with a bunch of co-workers en route to a corporate retreat. Armed with a vivid vision of his friends dying in a grisly bridge collapse, Sam manages to clear out the bus just in time. This, of course, incurs the wrath of Death, who begins killing off the survivors in elaborate accidents.
2009's The Final Destination relied on gimmicky 3-D and overzealous gore to see it though, and it was so comfortable with the established formula that the filmmakers did not attempt any form of inventiveness. The rote script literally felt as if it was regurgitated by a computer. Those behind Final Destination 5, on the other hand, seem to have actually put a degree of thought into the screenplay. Surprisingly, the main characters are relatively well-written - they are adults with jobs, and there's not a high school kid among them. Most of the roles are archetypes, to be sure, but at least they're fleshed-out and somewhat amiable, and actually seem like real people. Added to this, new franchise ground is finally broken by Final Destination 5, and the film is cleverly tied into the original film (the ending is a jaw-dropper). With that said, though, a lot more could - and should - have been done, especially since the film only clocks in at a hair over 80 minutes. The lingering question remains unaddressed: why do characters have these premonitions?
Prior to making his directorial debut here, Steven Quale worked extensively with James Cameron. Clearly, his work on Cameron's movies perfectly prepared him for Final Destination 5, which is a slick and handsome horror movie. Production values are solid and special effects are spectacular (the excellent bridge collapse scene looks like something from a $100 million action blockbuster), not to mention the gore effects often seem practical as opposed to digital. And for the sequences in which Death begins prepping a character's imminent doom, Quale did a terrific job of building nail-biting tension. The Final Destination series is frequently marred by death scenes that are ludicrously elaborate, but #5 is not much of an offender in this sense. Sure, the deaths are somewhat elaborate since they are the bread and butter of the franchise, but most of them feel as if the could actually happen. Final Destination 5 was also delivered in 3-D like its immediate predecessor, which permitted Quale the chance to throw big gooey chunks of inexperienced actors into the faces of cinema audiences. Happily, the film was shot in 3-D rather than being post-converted, but the extra-dimensional effects remain squiffy - the 3-D adds nothing to the experience except for an unreasonable surcharge.
Final Destination 5 also signifies the return of a franchise staple: naming main characters after icons of the horror genre. Thus, we have characters named Peter Friedkin, Candice Hooper, and so on. It's a nice touch. Another positive asset of the film is that the actors are actually decent. Nicholas D'Agosto is an amiable protagonist who never comes off as bland or awful, and Emma Bell is extremely believable as Sam's on/off girlfriend. The star of the show, though, is Tom Cruise lookalike Miles Fisher. Fisher's performance as Sam's friend Peter is full of intensity, and the climax in particular represents a terrific showcase of the actor's skills. Surprisingly, comic actor David Koechner was also situated amongst the horror mayhem, and he also did a pretty good job. Meanwhile, Tony Todd returned to reprise his role here of the mysterious coroner who knows quite a bit about the whole "you can't cheat Death" thing. Todd (of Candyman fame) starred in the first two Final Destination movies and had a vocal cameo in #3 before going MIA for #4. As to be expected, Todd's performance oozes gravitas and menace. However, a lot more could've been done with his character, and he's too underused.
Easily the best in the series since the second film, Final Destination 5 is an absolute must-see for the franchise's diehard fans who will appreciate the plethora of blood and gore as well as the attempts to finally do something interesting with the stale formula. There's plenty of tension, a few good scares, and a bunch of masterfully-executed set-pieces.
6.8/10
