The concept for the Final Destination movie series is something I can imagine legendary greats Rod Serling and Alfred Hitchcock drooling over, since both experimented with similar ideas at various points in their illustrious careers (the Twilight Zone episode The Hitchhiker immediately comes to mind).
While the franchise has grown to an absurd five movies as of 2011, the series began with the 2000 original “Final Destination.” While each of the sequels succeeds in out-grossing and out-goring the one before, the original “Final Destination” is the only one worth watching, and with that being said, even this James Wong effort is only average at best.
The plot is great. A high school class trip to France is rocked by an airplane crash that kills everyone on board. The movie then follows the post crash lives of the six students and one teacher that weren’t on board the plane for various reasons.
The focal point of the airport mayhem is student Alex Browning (Devon Sawa) who experiences a handful of eerie premonitions that the plane is about to crash, prompting his chaotic exodus from the craft before departure. Alex is joined by fellow students portrayed by the gorgeous Ali Larter, and Kerr Smith of Dawson’s Creek fame to name a few.
“Final Destination” has a great and truly chilling beginning, and the concept of cheating death, and the unpreventable ramifications that follow is intriguing. A cameo by Tony Todd solidifies the movie as horror.
The overall idea of when its your time, its your time, has been explored for decades in film and literature alike. I’m reminded of a true story of a man who cheated death on 9/11 only to parish in the Staten Island ferry crash some 25 months later.
My complaint is the presentation itself. While “Final Destination” begins with the potential to be a great horror tale, it morphs into a more fun type scary movie in the mold of “Scream” before turning into a gross and gory blood fest that’s no more than a cheap excuse to show grisly deaths.
I would like to have seen “Final Destination” directed by Mr. Serling, or Mr. Hitchcock. Perhaps even M. Night Shyamalan could have done a better job of brining a frightening concept to the big screen, without a littered and nonsensical bloodbath in its wake.
“Final Destination” has some scares, and some good parts. In the end its just a typical horror movie that should have been the final destination for the entire franchise.
