Review of Final Destination 5 (2011) by James V — 28 Nov 2012

The fifth, though probably not final, chapter in the "Final Destination" franchise is better than it's predecessor in every way. That's the good news. Now, here os the bad news: That isn't saying much.

"Final Destination 5" is the same song and dance routine: A man has a premonition of a gruesome accident on a bridge that kills him and his co-workers. Acting fast, he saves himself and all those on board the bus, only to discover that Death isn't going to let them slip by so easily.

The acting, well, lets just say that the acting died horribly after the third film, and that is putting it nicely. The effects aren't bad, and they are miles above the poor cgi-fest that was the fourth film.

The plot is...there, somewhere. The writers tried giving some of the characters a clashing emotional arc, but it comes off as cheesey thanks to the poor writing and sub-par acting. Now, let's be honest, no one watches these films expecting Oscar caliber acting, but it would be nice to see them put some type of effort in like they did in the first film (They tried in the second and third films, but the effort started to dwindle).

The deaths are the real star here, and the credit goes to the director. He manages to craft some very elaborate scenes that have multiple opportunities to them, and just when you think you know what is going to happen, the character bypasses that route of death.

It makes for some very intense scenes, namely the gymnast scene, and they are executed with an air of professionalism. Unfortunately, that is the only thing the film has going for it. Well, that and the twist ending that has (hopefully) secured it as the final film in the franchise.

If you like the film series, you'll enjoy this one, though, you may tire of the fifth round of the Waltz.