In what appears to be the fifth and final installment in the "Final Destination" franchise, this entry manages to successfully blend everything that has made this an above-par horror movie franchise.
Obviously, the concept behind every "Final Destination" film is to concoct the most devilishly absurd death scenes ever imagined. Whether or not that was the intention of the original, it is certainly what the franchise has come to now. To me, though, that’s what I love so much about these movies. It’s all about turning your brain off and watching people get what’s coming to them in the most absurd ways possible. What’s not to love, really? "Final Destination 5" carries on this tradition with some of the most inventive deaths to date. Moreover, it perfectly wraps up the series and manages to bring the franchise full circle in the process.
For a film franchise as basic as this, it's of the utmost importance to make the gore a top priority in terms of realism. Of course, somebody being split in two by a plate-glass window is already highly unfeasible, but I nonetheless appreciate the attention to detail. Being a horror nerd, I am a total fan of the old school rather than the new when it comes to effects. That is to say that I'll take papier-mâché limbs and blood packets over CGI blood-splattering any day of the week. "Final Destination" is not that kind of film, but that's OK. The death sequences are so positively ridiculous that it doesn't even matter.
The deaths look even more exquisite in Blu-ray. I'm talkin' high-def decapitations so vivid that you'll be wiping the blood splatter from your face. I'd have to go out on a limb and call this the most grim and unpredictable "Final Destination" yet, which says a lot given its predecessors. The premonition scene (coincidentally the linchpin for the entire film) is brutal in all the best ways. Save for a few laughably bad performances, the film is also cast rather well to boot — most notably Tony Todd's reprised role as William Bludworth and renowned funnyman David Koechner in a rather familiar role as the lovable goof.
The special features included with the disc are to be expected. There's a rather lackluster alternative death scenes montage and some "making of" pieces. The effects details in the premonition scene are discussed in depth for all you special effects nerds out there. Other than that, the real bonus is being able to see this movie in crystal-clear Blu-ray form, and it's a definite must-see for every gorehound out there.
Film: 3.5 Yaps Extras: 3 Yaps