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Final Destination, 2000
High schooler Alex (Devon Sawa) is supposed to go on a school trip to Paris, but a vivid nightmare about the plane crashing leads him to freak out and get kicked off of the plane along with several other students and a teacher. When the plane does actually crash, Alex comes under some scrutiny for having predicted the tragedy. But things get even weirder when the survivors begin to suffer unlikely accidents, and Alex starts to suspect that death is claiming those who escaped their fate on the flight.
There was more to this film than I'd expected there to be. I remember one slightly unfavorable review referring to it as mainly existing to showcase a series of Rube-Goldberg deaths. While this is, well, sort of true, there is enjoyment enough to make it a pleasant watch.
Sawa is an engaging enough lead, and I thought that he especially sold Alex's panic in the initial sequence on the airplane. As Alex notices more and more strange omens (like scorch marks on the plane's wing, or strange stippling around its door), his discomfort grows. As someone who (1) doesn't like flying and (2) unconsciously looks for "signs" when I'm stressed, the mounting tension of this sequence really resonated with me.
The supporting cast is fine. Seann William Scott is on board as the surprisingly easy-going Billy. Ali Larter is the love interest as Clear (did anyone else spend most of the movie thinking everyone was pronouncing "Claire" in a weird way? Just me?), a young woman who gets off of the plane because she believes Alex when he warns the passengers about his vision. Tony Todd swings through in a fun, 2-minute cameo as a mortician who enlightens Alex about the dangers of messing with Death's plans.
Unfortunately, the movie never really got me to a place where I was very engaged. All of the survivors are destined to die. And . . . .? There is some talk of continuing to cheat the "design", but how? It all stays kind of vague. There is literally one short sequence of Alex "death-proofing" a cabin (though he still has a kerosene lantern right next to his face?!), but that's about it. I know that the idea of unavoidable destiny is really scary, but it doesn't necessarily make for compelling viewing. Aside from Clear, the rest of the survivors are clearly canon fodder, and that makes it hard to stay invested in them aside from appreciating the intricacy of their deaths.
A decent teen horror flick.
Final Destination, 2000
High schooler Alex (Devon Sawa) is supposed to go on a school trip to Paris, but a vivid nightmare about the plane crashing leads him to freak out and get kicked off of the plane along with several other students and a teacher. When the plane does actually crash, Alex comes under some scrutiny for having predicted the tragedy. But things get even weirder when the survivors begin to suffer unlikely accidents, and Alex starts to suspect that death is claiming those who escaped their fate on the flight.
There was more to this film than I'd expected there to be. I remember one slightly unfavorable review referring to it as mainly existing to showcase a series of Rube-Goldberg deaths. While this is, well, sort of true, there is enjoyment enough to make it a pleasant watch.
Sawa is an engaging enough lead, and I thought that he especially sold Alex's panic in the initial sequence on the airplane. As Alex notices more and more strange omens (like scorch marks on the plane's wing, or strange stippling around its door), his discomfort grows. As someone who (1) doesn't like flying and (2) unconsciously looks for "signs" when I'm stressed, the mounting tension of this sequence really resonated with me.
The supporting cast is fine. Seann William Scott is on board as the surprisingly easy-going Billy. Ali Larter is the love interest as Clear (did anyone else spend most of the movie thinking everyone was pronouncing "Claire" in a weird way? Just me?), a young woman who gets off of the plane because she believes Alex when he warns the passengers about his vision. Tony Todd swings through in a fun, 2-minute cameo as a mortician who enlightens Alex about the dangers of messing with Death's plans.
Unfortunately, the movie never really got me to a place where I was very engaged. All of the survivors are destined to die. And . . . .? There is some talk of continuing to cheat the "design", but how? It all stays kind of vague. There is literally one short sequence of Alex "death-proofing" a cabin (though he still has a kerosene lantern right next to his face?!), but that's about it. I know that the idea of unavoidable destiny is really scary, but it doesn't necessarily make for compelling viewing. Aside from Clear, the rest of the survivors are clearly canon fodder, and that makes it hard to stay invested in them aside from appreciating the intricacy of their deaths.
A decent teen horror flick.