Let's face it, nobody watches horror film franchises for the ingenious story telling...not even the Scream or Saw movies. There's only on reason that the Elm Street or Friday the 13th series have endured as long as they have; the kills. Horror fans watch these movies for the inventiveness of the brutal killings and the liberal application of gore and ,if we're lucky, maybe some expertly staged suspense to keep us entertained until we bust our load.
Final Destination 5 fits that bill perfectly. The plot is tedious in the extreme going absolutely nowhere a 5 year old couldn't anticipate, the dialogue cheesy and the young cast woodenly shuffling to and from their marks. If we applied the regular rules of film critique, FD5 would be firmly labeled blandly unwatchable.
But then there are the kills and the kills are glorious. The disaster sequence, which precedes each entry this time takes place on a collapsing Suspension Bridge and is littered with blackly comic deaths, a full dose of dramatic tension and some epic, first rate effects. Then, as fate or death inevitably catches up with the cast, they're dispatched in some gleefully gory and imaginative ways, my favorite being the bone-crunching gymnastic demise. It's the best franchise entry since the second film, retaining some of that flicks darkly knowing humour as it messes with audience expectations regarding just how the poor bastards are gonna buy it. It doesn't skimp on the prosthetic gore either providing Fangoria magazine with opportunities for centre spreads for the next twelve months plus it's got a clever and unexpected twist to wrap the film, and potentially the franchise, up perfectly.
If you love franchise horror, you'll love it. If you prefer 'story' and 'acting' alongside your carnage, seek entertainment elsewhere.
2 comments:
Heh. Spot on review.
Now THIS is what 3D is all about.
This and Kelly Brook naked of course.
I had a great time with FD5, giggling like an idiot throughout.
You gotta approach the FD films from the right angle. They are black, black cartoon comedies - basically sick and twisted Loony Tunes gleefully finding new and horribly ingenious and graphic ways to slaughter annoying people. Part of the fun is trying to work out how each idiot is gonna get it - separating the real death traps from the red herrings. And when they're as sickly good as they were in this one then that simple pleasure never gets old. Only thing missing: some quality boobage. Sadly we don't get that with these films. Just the death and dismemberment. :(
Still, lack of boobage aside, best comedy of the year so far.
Oh I'm such a sick, sick puppy.
Ha ha! Another smashing review! Good job dude - now off I go to watch FD5 lol
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