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Benjamin Franklin famously wrote "in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." I've read director Guillermo del Toro say that we "walk life side-by-side with death" and that "everybody in this planet boarded a train that was... final destination: Death". But aside of being certain for all of us, is it set? That is the premise that the films in the Final Destination franchise explores; can we cheat death and live for a while longer? Based on all five films, it seems not.
Like all four films before it, Final Destination 5 follows a group of friends and co-workers that end up surviving a deadly bridge collapse when Sam (Nicholas D'Agosto) has a vision about it. But as it's usual in these films, "death comes for them all" to fix those "wrinkles" and set things straight again.
Like I said when I wrote about the fourth part last week, this is a franchise that knows how to balance horror and fun in a very twisted way, but without feeling as abrasive or convoluted as, say, the Saw franchise. As gory and shocking as some deaths might be, there is always a darkly humorous vibe to it all, which comes in part, thanks to the numerous contrivances that lead to each death.
It was nice to see that, after the fourth one which felt a bit stale, the writer and director here still managed to throw a couple of misdirections and surprise us with some of the deaths. Plus, some of them were really gory, surprising, or just cringe-inducing (the eye laser one had me squirming in pain). The opening bridge collapse scene was also well executed, and it was nice to see the return of Tony Todd as the mysterious "seer".
But more important, I think that the filmmakers succeeded in making us care about the characters. The story about the paper company, the impact that the bridge collapse has in the business and its employees, plus the subplot of Sam wanting to move to Paris for a chef internship add a nice and effective subtext to everything. Plus, that last bit leads to a wicked twist that, even though I knew, still works.
After the average fourth part, it was nice to see the franchise bounce back with a final installment that knew how to balance gore and humor with decent characters, while also looping back to the first installment in a way that feels organic and meant to be. Kinda like straightening a wrinkle.
Grade:
FINAL DESTINATION 5
(2011, Quale)
(2011, Quale)
"A lucky few survive a disaster. And then one by one... death comes for them all. You changed things on that bridge. There's a wrinkle in reality. And that wrinkle is you."
Benjamin Franklin famously wrote "in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." I've read director Guillermo del Toro say that we "walk life side-by-side with death" and that "everybody in this planet boarded a train that was... final destination: Death". But aside of being certain for all of us, is it set? That is the premise that the films in the Final Destination franchise explores; can we cheat death and live for a while longer? Based on all five films, it seems not.
Like all four films before it, Final Destination 5 follows a group of friends and co-workers that end up surviving a deadly bridge collapse when Sam (Nicholas D'Agosto) has a vision about it. But as it's usual in these films, "death comes for them all" to fix those "wrinkles" and set things straight again.
Like I said when I wrote about the fourth part last week, this is a franchise that knows how to balance horror and fun in a very twisted way, but without feeling as abrasive or convoluted as, say, the Saw franchise. As gory and shocking as some deaths might be, there is always a darkly humorous vibe to it all, which comes in part, thanks to the numerous contrivances that lead to each death.
It was nice to see that, after the fourth one which felt a bit stale, the writer and director here still managed to throw a couple of misdirections and surprise us with some of the deaths. Plus, some of them were really gory, surprising, or just cringe-inducing (the eye laser one had me squirming in pain). The opening bridge collapse scene was also well executed, and it was nice to see the return of Tony Todd as the mysterious "seer".
But more important, I think that the filmmakers succeeded in making us care about the characters. The story about the paper company, the impact that the bridge collapse has in the business and its employees, plus the subplot of Sam wanting to move to Paris for a chef internship add a nice and effective subtext to everything. Plus, that last bit leads to a wicked twist that, even though I knew, still works.
After the average fourth part, it was nice to see the franchise bounce back with a final installment that knew how to balance gore and humor with decent characters, while also looping back to the first installment in a way that feels organic and meant to be. Kinda like straightening a wrinkle.
Grade: