Final Destination 5

Unoriginal, but doesn’t disappoint By Lauonfilm

Lover: Taken from IMDB
"I had low expectations when I entered the theater to see the 5th installment of the FD series, because the 4th movie was such a disappointment. But after watching it, I was surprised. First off,this movie was way,( and I mean), way better then the last two movies were. It was darker and had a lot of elements from the first movie, which I loved. I don't want to give away too much, but I do want to say that the last scene of the movie will leave you speechless. It had me thinking, "OMG, that was AMAZING how they came up with that twist." One last thing I loved about this movie was that it was well planned out and thought of, unlike the forth movie which was a joke and in my opinion, shouldn't have never been made. The deaths weren't rushed as opposed to the deaths in the forth movie, and it gave more screen time to introduce us to the characters. Note: I will say that there is one death scene in the movie that I didn't see coming, besides the ending. I recommend you see this movie. It might have the same theme as the first four movies, but unlike the first four, it's on a much higher scale."

I would largely agree with this review, and having not seen the third or fourth Final Destination offerings, I feel glad for having avoided them!

Hater: Taken from IMDB
"Final Destination 5 is the same movie you may have seen four times prior and of course if you have not then don't bother (with the exception of the very first film).
FD5 brings one new minor plot device to the series, kill or be killed, but this isn't nearly enough to distract the viewer from the fact every other sequence of events unfolds exactly as they have in the previous films. The acting here isn't anything special at all and the film is so predictable the only thing you're watching it for is how people die. If you're a gore-hound I could see you having some enjoyment from this film but otherwise skip it.Final Destination has not been reinvigorated with new life, it has no promising future, and at this point it is simply being created because it can be "milked" for a decent profit."

Kill or be killed was actually an interesting addition, I was unsure whether this devise had been used previously in the sequels. Yes, this franchise has been milked for profit, but this doesn’t mean the films cannot still attempt to entertain audiences – FD5 certainly gave it its best shot!

What Lauonfilm thought:
Okay, so let’s begin with the obvious. If you’ve seen any of the previous Final Destination movies you will know the plot of this film, so don’t get your hopes up – there’s no formulaic attempts at originality here. A group of youngsters escape a disaster and death sets upon them, picking them off one by one in elaborately gruesome ways. You know it, it works, they could improve on it but.....nah. However, given the unoriginality of the storyline, this film was actually a surprise. Simply in terms of how genuinely entertaining it was, with the unpredictable death sequences undoubtedly making the film.

I’ve found that comparisons are sometimes drawn between the Final Destination and Saw franchises, which aren’t really warranted: for a start the Final Destinations are a hell of a lot tamer, although the effects for the death sequences could easily rival the latter. In my opinion, the Saw sequels (I am not including the original in this, as it was genuinely a great film) and other “torture porn” films aren’t something that I always feel comfortable enjoying. At the risk of sounding insensitive though, with FD you don’t get the same awkward feeling from watching the characters meet their doom – the deaths in Final Destination 5 are often just plain funny in terms of how shocking and grisly they can be. They’re extremely over-the-top and, with advances in special effects, also very realistic. Final Destination films employ the invisible Mr Death instead of a psychotic serial killer to create elaborate chains of events that help the victims meet their inevitable, gory doom, which certainly adds range for more creative demises, evident within this film. And the additional casting of David Koechner (Anchorman / Talledega Nights), offering comic relief and Tony “The Candyman” Todd at his bone-chilling best, helps make FD5 that much more enjoyable.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an ardent follower of the franchise, or the horror genre in general. I enjoyed the first film, and tentatively viewed the second, but it seemed pointless continuing to watch the further instalments knowing what was in store every time and I’ll admit I lost some faith. However, this film has reawakened my love of the franchise, even made me fancy getting friends together for an FD marathon. The reason these films continue to get made is that people will continue to give them a chance. Whether they’re predictable or not plot-wise, audiences know more often than not that they will be entertained overall, and by offering a large budget and adding creativity to the mix, this certainly didn’t disappoint.

So in summary, original plot – no. Original deaths – definitely. Entertaining – absolutely. The best sequel since the first FD – quite possibly. As good without 3D – probably not, as guts flying towards your eyes does add a certain appeal. So see this film in the cinema while you can (or wait and watch on your 3D TV set if you’re lucky enough to own one).

In Cinemas Friday
Running Time: 92mins
Cert: 15