Film
Final Destination 5
Published: August 17, 2011
Final Destination 5
Directed by Steven Quale
By now you probably know the tried-and-true moneymaking formula that the Final Destination franchise has perfected (and recycled) over the past 11 years. What this installment of twentysomethings-cheat-death-and-death-cheats-back has to offer is how it diverges from the formula and puts its own twists on what you already expect. Director Steven Quale offers a relatively fresh take on a script that brings back an actual story to go along with the gruesome kill sequences. The franchise maintains its history of casting mostly unknowns, but this batch seems particularly well chosen, with Nicholas D’Agosto, Emma Bell, and Miles Fisher giving better-than-usual performances. Saturday Night Live’s David Koechner provides most of the comedic relief, while Tony Todd returns for a creepy cameo as the coroner, keeping things tongue-in-cheek. Where this movie excels over the last Final Destination (which was especially bad) is in its more subtle use of 3D. There are fewer stupid gags and more creative ways to exploit the technology, although only 3D enthusiasts are likely to see the point. Indeed, FD5 is fun and an improvement over the negative trend of the previous installments, but ultimately fans of the series will care most.
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