Review of Final Destination 5 (2011) by Chipperx — 05 Sep 2011

Blood, guts, gore and violence - we all know what we're getting with a movie like Final Destination 5. Even though you have probably heard of this movie long, long ago, and even though you have probably seen one or two of its sequels, Final Destination as a movie franchise has always found a way to bring new viewers into theaters. I saw the trailer for the latest installation, and I was hooked. Is it the lure of death that calls to us? Are we morbid for watching movies like this? Perhaps. But any way you slice it, Final Destination 5 is an adrenalin ride from start to finish. The acting is passable - even laughable at times, and the character development is strictly B movie, but man, oh man, what a B movie. Some of the set pieces are actually pretty compelling - just when you think you know what's going to happen - *WHAMMO!* *SLICE!* *GROAN* Another victim of death is served up on a platter for all to see. There are plenty of "Oh My God" moments in this otherwise predictable movie, and the squeamish will indeed look away - a lot - during the kill scenes. This movie is meant to be fun, and it is fun. The plot is rather silly and contrived, and - let's face it - just an excuse to get to the killing. If you liked Nicholas D'Agosto in "Fired Up", then you'll love him in Final Destination 5. Nicholas plays it straight as Sam, and he even has a love interest, but you know what happens to EVERYONE sooner or later - they all die! The hook or deus ex machina for FD 5 is the clever way the characters try to cheat death - again. For a fleeting moment, even the audience is convinced it will work... But if it did, we would not have much of a movie! The deaths keep coming right up to the movie's end. Speaking of the end, could this be the end of the series? During the final scene, as a young man is escorted screaming from an airplane, my buddy shouted, "It's a prequel!" Sure enough, as the credits rolled, the entire series was flash-forwarded in gruesome scene after gruesome scene. The end... for now.

- Chipper F. Xavier, Esq.