Review of The Final Destination (2009) by Chads. — 27 Aug 2009

Artistry redeems any subject matter, some say(in particular, Roger Ebert), so even a junky horror movie like this franchise's immediate predecessor can achieve a moderate level of greatness, which is no small feat, since the filmmaker has to abide by a constrictive narrative that's both rote and pedestrian.

People died in "Final Destination 3", but they died with undeniable pizazz, especially during the opening sequence at the amusement park involving a derailed rollercoaster. The build-up was terrific, truly suspenseful; a nifty piece of filmmaking that set the tone for more infectious, degenerate fun.

To die under the helm of a skillful filmmaker, arguably, is not to die in vain, as Ebert says, artistry redeems any subject matter, so by definition, not all hyper-violent movies, horror, in particular(his quote was attributed to John Carpenter's "Halloween"), are categorically not without redemption.

But "Final Destination 3" was a rare exception. Conversely, the opening sequence of this franchise's follow-up is nothing but cheap thrills, en route to more cheap thrills without artistry.

In "The Final Destination", there's nothing to finesse the formulaic story, in which each new plot point will be, more or less, the same as the last one: some crueler and bloodier than others, and all with the same tedious chain reaction set-up.

Despite all the stupid teenagers and stupider montages, the film does contain one transcendent moment. Whereas Quentin Tarantino("Inglourious Basterds") is charged with not being serious about the Holocaust in some quarters, the same could be said about the movie's evocation of civil rights movement narratives, in which an avenging redneck(the film stereotypes NASCAR's fanbase), whose racist act towards the black security guard is thwarted by fate, plays like a goof on Alan Parker's "Mississippi Burning", and other movies of its ilk.