Final Destination (2009)

Alright, alright, just please don't go spoiling anything for us! 😁

AMC Theatres has rescheduled the film screening to October 8th!😠

I just finished watching the movie.

It is certainly an improvement over the third installment; that one was easily the weakest of the bunch.

The screenplay feels mediocre at best. The one-liners delivered right before a character meets their end are quite poor, though fortunately, there are only two instances of them.

As for the 3D effects, they are decent, yet nothing extraordinary. In my estimation, the film could have been produced entirely in 2D; the 3D feels more like a marketing gimmick than a necessity. The production seems to lean heavily into the 3D effect during the opening, but that focus tapers off significantly as the story progresses. There is one effective moment early on involving a small object that feels genuinely startling—as if it might actually strike you—but the filmmakers fail to design subsequent moments with that same level of ingenuity.

Now, let us discuss the opening accident.

The initial disaster is executed somewhat better than the sloppy sequence we saw in the third part. However, the highway accident from the second film remains more skillfully captured and engaging. There are perhaps two standout deaths (a sharpened board and a heavy object falling onto a woman), but there are also several poorly handled deaths, such as the fall involving concrete and the final death in the vision, which felt like a mere variation of a previous scene.

Regarding the other accidents, they are unremarkable, though still superior to those found in the third film.

The worst sequences are the first one (a tow truck involving a semi where everything is obscured, resulting in a severed head) and the incident at the beauty salon (a chaotic chain reaction in the salon that lacks clear logic, followed by a woman dying far too quickly from a stone to the eye).

The highlight of the film is the car wash scene.

This includes everything from the very beginning, starting when the woman hands money to the panhandler.

I will never step foot in a car wash again.

And I certainly won't look at a swimming pool with the same indifference.

There is a clever twist involving suicide, though the narrative didn't give it enough room to breathe.

The start of the film serves as a sort of tribute to the first three entries, utilizing an X-ray aesthetic.

The acting and character development aren't any worse than what we saw in the third film, but I found myself much more invested in the characters from the second part, particularly the first.

The final scene takes place in an AMC Theatres located inside a shopping mall.

It is a clever way to play with the audience's expectations.

And there I was, sitting in an AMC Theatres inside a mall myself.

Even if that specific scene wasn't necessarily the best part of the movie.

When I walked out of the theater, I felt a genuine sense of unease.

I will never look at escalators the same way again.

The conclusion of the film is somewhat underdeveloped; the direction could have been much stronger.

DJ, I’ve always found myself watching these three films with a certain sense of reluctance, almost as if I were doing it against my better judgment, though I watched them nonetheless😬
I have a nagging suspicion that the fourth installment isn't going to be any different, and I'll likely find myself sitting through it too🤣

I thought the previous installments were decent enough in a sort of quirky, comedic way, and since this one's been done with 3D tech, it might actually be worth checking out.

I’ve seen all three movies already, so I definitely plan on catching this one too—plus, I’m doing it in 3D. You going? 😁

Jonathan Collins43 said:I watched the movie.

It’s definitely better than the third installment; part three was easily the worst of the bunch.

The script is mediocre. Those one-liners right before someone dies are pretty bad, though luckily there are only two of them.

The 3D is decent, but nothing to write home about. They honestly could have just shot this in 2D; the 3D feels more like a marketing gimmick. At the start of the film, they lean into the 3D effect, but it fades away as the movie progresses. Early on, there's one effective moment where a small object flies toward you so suddenly it actually feels like it might hit you, but after that, they stop being creative with how they use the depth.

Now, let's talk about the opening accident.

The setup here is handled a bit better than that sloppy mess in the third movie. Still, the highway accident from the second film was filmed with more tension and interest. There are maybe two standout deaths (a sharpened board and some heavy object falling on a woman), but then you get some subpar kills, like the one involving falling concrete and the final vision, which felt like a recycled version of something we'd already seen.

As for the other accidents, they're middle-of-the-road, but still an improvement over what we got in part three.

The worst ones are the first one (a tow truck scenario where you can barely see anything, but it ends with a head popping off) and the one at the salon (a whole chain reaction of mishaps at a beauty salon—not sure why it happens that way—and a woman dying way too quickly from a stone hitting her eye).

The best scene is the one at the car wash.

That includes everything from the very beginning when the woman hands money to the guy on the corner.

I am never stepping foot in a car wash again.

And I've lost my sense of security around swimming pools, too.

There's a decent little suicide twist, but they didn't really flesh it out enough.

The start of the film acts as a sort of tribute to the first three movies, using an X-ray style aesthetic.

The acting and character work aren't any worse than they were in the third one, but I found myself caring much more about the characters in the second film, especially the first.

The final scene takes place in a theater inside a shopping mall.

It's a clever way to mess with the audience.

And I happened to be in a theater in a mall myself.

Even if that specific scene wasn't the absolute highlight.

When I walked out of the theater, I definitely felt uneasy.

I'll never look at escalators the same way again.

The ending felt rushed; they could have shot it much better.

signature, especially regarding the bolded parts

1(bold) Yeah, it's brutal, and I actually liked the bit with the snake.
2car engine
3In my opinion, it's unrealistic even for a movie like this.
4 I was also at a mall; that bit about the cinema was a nice touch.
I'd also add that I was impressed by the 3D. The last (and first) time I saw a movie in 3D was Spy Kids, and compared to that, this was amazing. (Though I think you meant it was shot specifically for 3D rather than saying they "made" it in 2D).
Basically, for anyone who hasn't seen the first two but loves this kind of genre, this will definitely be great.🤷