The third Final Destination outing is by far the weakest entry in this otherwise excellent horror franchise. Final Destination 3 begs, borrows and steals from the two earlier films while never quite matching their originality or credibility. It's not surprising for a sequel to offer more of the same but there is usually some consolation for such shameless recycling in the form of bigger, if not better, action. Unfortunately, everything about Final Destination 3 is smaller and less impressive than its predecessors - from the special effects to the crucial scare factor.
The highlight of the Final Destination franchise is the trademark disaster sequence that opens the film. The plane crash in "Final Destination" is memorably terrifying, while the car crash that triggers events in "Final Destination 2" surely counts as one of the most spectacular sequences to grace a mainstream horror film. Given the high standard of these disaster sequences, the absolutely pathetic nature of the roller-coaster crash in Final Destination 3 is even more disappointing. I mean, a roller-coaster? I wonder what they have in mind for Final Destination 4, a collision on the dance floor of a roller-disco? Not only is this premise far less probable than a plane or car crash, it is filmed with such desperate reliance on CGI that the entire sequence is rendered unrealistic to the point where it might as well have been animated. At least that would have saved us from the cringe worthy, green-screen debacle of the jock dangling from the ride.
The good news is that the film somehow manages to overcome its ridiculous start and is ultimately entertaining in a rather generic, teen horror kind of fashion. Final Destination 3 is aided immeasurably by the basic premise that underlies the franchise - that death has a hit list and does not react kindly when someone manages to escape their intended destiny. There is an inevitability about this concept that works excellently within the framework of a horror movie. After predicting the lame roller-coaster accident, Wendy and the other survivors soon realise that they are literally living on borrowed time. This triggers a series of deaths, which vary considerably in shock value and originality.
The gore content in the Final Destination series has always been reasonably high for mainstream horror and this outing is no exception. The sunbed death sequence has been well and truly done before, but the tacky breast nudity gives this scene a refreshing sense of 1980s tastelessness. The death by motor scene is fantastic, while the nail gun death contains some of the best work I have seen with a fake dummy head for some time. The CGI "eye" is one of the few examples of credible computer effects in the film. There are also several memorable head crushing accidents and one unfortunate impaling. These scenes are technically well handled and very skillfully edited. The problem is that by returning to the stupid "death breeze" from the first film (deaths are pre-empted by a wind), all sense of shock, tension and surprise is eliminated.
This film is almost painfully reminiscent of the first Final Destination - which is not surprising given the return of James Wong, the original director. Unfortunately, this is massive step backwards. David R. Ellis injected the far superior second outing with a large dose of suspense, realism and excitement. These characteristics are sorely missing in this film. The supernatural touches that Wong has resorted to, such as that damned breeze and the bending trees, appear ridiculous in contrast. If the direction has taken a step back, so has the acting. I don't know who the nerd playing Kevin is - and to be honest, I really don't care. I do know that he has all the appeal of week old bread. Mary Elizabeth Winstead shows some potential as Wendy, particularly during the dramatic moments but she currently lacks the charisma to carry a movie on her own. The only decent supporting performance comes from Alexz Johnson as the goth girl.
For all its faults, Final Destination 3 is not a bad film. It is, however, a very disappointing entry in one of the very few decent modern horror franchises. I'm not sure if there is enough gas left in the tank for a 4th film but I'm guessing New Line will find a way to squeeze out a few more. I really hope they don't involve amusement park malfunctions, which really aren't scary for anyone over the age of 10.
The highlight of the Final Destination franchise is the trademark disaster sequence that opens the film. The plane crash in "Final Destination" is memorably terrifying, while the car crash that triggers events in "Final Destination 2" surely counts as one of the most spectacular sequences to grace a mainstream horror film. Given the high standard of these disaster sequences, the absolutely pathetic nature of the roller-coaster crash in Final Destination 3 is even more disappointing. I mean, a roller-coaster? I wonder what they have in mind for Final Destination 4, a collision on the dance floor of a roller-disco? Not only is this premise far less probable than a plane or car crash, it is filmed with such desperate reliance on CGI that the entire sequence is rendered unrealistic to the point where it might as well have been animated. At least that would have saved us from the cringe worthy, green-screen debacle of the jock dangling from the ride.
The good news is that the film somehow manages to overcome its ridiculous start and is ultimately entertaining in a rather generic, teen horror kind of fashion. Final Destination 3 is aided immeasurably by the basic premise that underlies the franchise - that death has a hit list and does not react kindly when someone manages to escape their intended destiny. There is an inevitability about this concept that works excellently within the framework of a horror movie. After predicting the lame roller-coaster accident, Wendy and the other survivors soon realise that they are literally living on borrowed time. This triggers a series of deaths, which vary considerably in shock value and originality.
The gore content in the Final Destination series has always been reasonably high for mainstream horror and this outing is no exception. The sunbed death sequence has been well and truly done before, but the tacky breast nudity gives this scene a refreshing sense of 1980s tastelessness. The death by motor scene is fantastic, while the nail gun death contains some of the best work I have seen with a fake dummy head for some time. The CGI "eye" is one of the few examples of credible computer effects in the film. There are also several memorable head crushing accidents and one unfortunate impaling. These scenes are technically well handled and very skillfully edited. The problem is that by returning to the stupid "death breeze" from the first film (deaths are pre-empted by a wind), all sense of shock, tension and surprise is eliminated.
This film is almost painfully reminiscent of the first Final Destination - which is not surprising given the return of James Wong, the original director. Unfortunately, this is massive step backwards. David R. Ellis injected the far superior second outing with a large dose of suspense, realism and excitement. These characteristics are sorely missing in this film. The supernatural touches that Wong has resorted to, such as that damned breeze and the bending trees, appear ridiculous in contrast. If the direction has taken a step back, so has the acting. I don't know who the nerd playing Kevin is - and to be honest, I really don't care. I do know that he has all the appeal of week old bread. Mary Elizabeth Winstead shows some potential as Wendy, particularly during the dramatic moments but she currently lacks the charisma to carry a movie on her own. The only decent supporting performance comes from Alexz Johnson as the goth girl.
For all its faults, Final Destination 3 is not a bad film. It is, however, a very disappointing entry in one of the very few decent modern horror franchises. I'm not sure if there is enough gas left in the tank for a 4th film but I'm guessing New Line will find a way to squeeze out a few more. I really hope they don't involve amusement park malfunctions, which really aren't scary for anyone over the age of 10.