You can’t cheat death.
Well, not for long anyway. In the original Final Destination, Alex has a vivid vision of his friends and himself dying on the plane his class is taking to France. Shortly after, he wakes up on that very plane, realizing that if he and his friends remain on the plane they are doomed. Alex does what he can, but with the exception of a few members of his class, the plane still explodes with everyone on it.
This only beginning, they were meant to die.
Final Destination is one of those movies that I have seen put down for many reasons, some I agree with. In reality this movie taps into a very really fear for many people, we are incapable of controlling what happen to us, in the larger scheme of things. What if the dominos we knock over earlier in the day cause the chain of events that ultimately end us? What if something else sets up those dominos? Can you ever really escape the chain of events that your undoing?
There are several things I enjoy about this movie. The most being the Rube Goldberg method Death has for eliminating those pesky survivors. Tony Todd’s appearance, though short, is enjoy able. As the morbid undertaker that knows a little too much, Todd helps guide the teens onto a path to fight the inevitable. Unlike many of the sequels this movie spawned, I felt enough story was in it for it not feel completely hollow.
The down side to the movie, in my opinion, is the shadow of Death. The literal shadow that precedes the end of the characters felt a bit… heavy handed? Some of the effects also feel a little too drawn out, maybe in a failed attempt to build suspense. Also, a few of the kill felt like the character was meant for more, but then was reduced to a body for the count.
IMDB: 6.7/10
Rev. Krueger : 7/10
