I finally finished Final Destination 5. I’m kicking myself in the ass for bailing so early upon my first attempt, the finale of this feature is nothing short of genius, or as the trendy net kids may say, an “epic win”. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a huge fan of the franchise sans the first two films, but there’s absolutely no denying the impact and overall quality of the latest (and hopefully the last; I can’t see how you wrap this franchise up any tighter) installment.
Initially I witnessed some questionable CGI, a few technical mishaps (see the bridge scene - which for the record is astonishingly overrated - in which a giant slab of concrete gives way and plunges into the waiting water below, and the fact that neither the bus nor any other vehicle on said slab so much as shift mid-plummet) and a handful of seriously forgettable performances. While some of my quips still stand (both Miles Fisher and Ellen Wroe turned in dreadful performances, and you’ve got to admit that some of the death scenes look like they leapt from a cartoon), I’ve got to extend masve praise to scribe Eric Heisserer (who also penned last year’s The Thing and 2010’s Nightmare on Elm Street reboot), who turns in the finest script nce the franchises launch.
The film plays out just as you’d expect, for a solid hour, and then some shifts really come into play. I won’t spoil the final act for anyone yet to see the picture, but I’ll say this: Heisserer’s decion to incorporate a villainous figure other than death was brilliant, and the final twist(s) in the picture are absolute gold. I never saw the major reveal coming, and for me, that’s a pretty amazing feat: I predict films like you wouldn't believe, trust in that. The death sequences themselves won’t baffle you, as the majority of them are uber-predictable (a couple were revealed in the actual trailer, and early clips), and of course, anyone who’s seen at least one FD flick knows the formula, which means you’ve got a pretty damn good idea of who’s going to die, and who isn’t. That said this one doesn’t live and breathe on gore alone: there’s a quality tale here, as astonishing as that sounds.
If you’ve been sleeping on this genre installment (in part thanks to the absolutely unbearable fourth film, at least in my case), now’s a good time to drop a few bucks on a rental. The final act alone is worthy of your hard earned cash, and I must admit, it’s very refreshing to see such a finely tuned script emerge this deep in the series. Remember, don’t expect remarkable kill scenes just expect an amazing script with one of the most rewarding payoffs offered forth by the genre in quite some time. Hell, you can go in completely blind, with zero expectations: just don’t make the mistake I made and bail early, you’ll miss something truly special!
Follow Matt Molgaard on Twitter