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Well the long wait is finally over and if you’ve had a chance to read my re-cap of the Final Destination franchise earlier this month you’ll probably know I was “a little” excited about the fourth and perhaps final entry into the series. But how does it stack up? Is the well trodden formula still a blast to watch or is it time to lay this one to rest?
Nick, his girlfriend Lori and two friends Janet and Hunt are at the racetracks for the day and all seems to be going well. The only thing missing are some car crashes, as Hunt says “Of course I came to see a crash.” Sadly though that is about to happen with a forgotten screwdriver causing one hell of a catastrophe sending cars hurtling into the stands killing everyone in gloriously graphic ways. Luckily though it was all a premonition of Nick’s then sending him into a panic as he believes the same event will unfold within seconds. While trying to get himself and his friends out a small fight ensues with some other spectators leading a handful of people to be escorted outside the stadium and therefore avoiding the crash. Phew! Unfortunately Death doesn’t take too kindly to cheaters and soon after, a series of weird and crazy accidents start picking the survivors off one by one.
One thing you’ll notice right from the get go about this film is the sheer pace of it. Right away we’re thrown onto the track with cars speeding by and within the opening five minutes disaster has already struck. You hardly get a chance to breath. It’s clear the director opted for the kill count rather than character development or long conversations as only rarely do we get explanations or Nick and co discussing what to do next. It gives the movie a different feel to its predecessors and almost feels like an action rather than a horror at times.
The opening premonition is well shot and definitely ticks the right boxes. We have the build up to the inevitable first spiralling car, a ton of gory deaths and a lot of action all going on all at once. Like past films it is often fun to remember the order in which the characters bite the bullet as you can predict outcomes later on in the film. Sadly there there are major plot holes and after a word with the producer Craig Perry on a chat site it turns out they made a huge screw up in post-production. Sure people going for a laugh won’t care but fans will pick up on the flaws as people die out of turn when they aren’t supposed, to making the conclusion feel random rather than accomplished and clever.
The kills range from the truly spectacular to long and drawn out or over in a split second involving everyday objects like a swimming pool, fences, escalators and more. There are one or two where you’ll be left thinking that more could have been done but overall the range of ways and amount of blood and guts should satisfy even the most twisted of viewers. If there was one issue I had, it would be the lack of suspense and build up with some of the kills. What made the past movies so cool was watching each sequence of events trigger off something else eventually leading up to the pay off. Here things are kept very simple and with the exception of the hair salon scene and one or two more, the tension most of the time just isn’t there.
Obviously the big selling point of this film is the 3D element and thankfully it is well implemented. From the opening disaster to the finale in a shopping mall it definitely adds to the experience rather than simply feels tacked on. I was extremely impressed with little things like the branches of trees reaching out toward you and it is these small moments that feel just as immersive as objects being lunged at your face during the more action packed parts. One downside is that during the moments of conversation characters can look odd and like cardboard cut outs but it’s just a small gripe when you’ll tend to switch off during these rare moments anyway.
As for the acting, it’s passable at best but with screams and yelling taking up most of the lines in the movie who really cares? The music is well done with “Devour” by Shinedown accompanying the opening of the movie matching the feel and tone of the speedy racing perfectly. The credits too also deserve a special mention as anyone who has been a fan of the previous movies will notice X-ray animations of all the kills from the past films. It’s a nice touch and a good nod to the first three movies. Fans will love it.
This was never going to be a genre defining movie, but the real concern was if it would stand up with the previous three. It’s safe to say this definitely does and is a fun way to spend an hour and a half. The 3D definitely adds to the experience so pay the extra for it, but those who hated the last three will hate this. The ones who will get the most out of this are fans, gore fanatics and those looking for a fun 3D movie. A great way to end the summer!
Nick, his girlfriend Lori and two friends Janet and Hunt are at the racetracks for the day and all seems to be going well. The only thing missing are some car crashes, as Hunt says “Of course I came to see a crash.” Sadly though that is about to happen with a forgotten screwdriver causing one hell of a catastrophe sending cars hurtling into the stands killing everyone in gloriously graphic ways. Luckily though it was all a premonition of Nick’s then sending him into a panic as he believes the same event will unfold within seconds. While trying to get himself and his friends out a small fight ensues with some other spectators leading a handful of people to be escorted outside the stadium and therefore avoiding the crash. Phew! Unfortunately Death doesn’t take too kindly to cheaters and soon after, a series of weird and crazy accidents start picking the survivors off one by one.
One thing you’ll notice right from the get go about this film is the sheer pace of it. Right away we’re thrown onto the track with cars speeding by and within the opening five minutes disaster has already struck. You hardly get a chance to breath. It’s clear the director opted for the kill count rather than character development or long conversations as only rarely do we get explanations or Nick and co discussing what to do next. It gives the movie a different feel to its predecessors and almost feels like an action rather than a horror at times.
The opening premonition is well shot and definitely ticks the right boxes. We have the build up to the inevitable first spiralling car, a ton of gory deaths and a lot of action all going on all at once. Like past films it is often fun to remember the order in which the characters bite the bullet as you can predict outcomes later on in the film. Sadly there there are major plot holes and after a word with the producer Craig Perry on a chat site it turns out they made a huge screw up in post-production. Sure people going for a laugh won’t care but fans will pick up on the flaws as people die out of turn when they aren’t supposed, to making the conclusion feel random rather than accomplished and clever.
The kills range from the truly spectacular to long and drawn out or over in a split second involving everyday objects like a swimming pool, fences, escalators and more. There are one or two where you’ll be left thinking that more could have been done but overall the range of ways and amount of blood and guts should satisfy even the most twisted of viewers. If there was one issue I had, it would be the lack of suspense and build up with some of the kills. What made the past movies so cool was watching each sequence of events trigger off something else eventually leading up to the pay off. Here things are kept very simple and with the exception of the hair salon scene and one or two more, the tension most of the time just isn’t there.
Obviously the big selling point of this film is the 3D element and thankfully it is well implemented. From the opening disaster to the finale in a shopping mall it definitely adds to the experience rather than simply feels tacked on. I was extremely impressed with little things like the branches of trees reaching out toward you and it is these small moments that feel just as immersive as objects being lunged at your face during the more action packed parts. One downside is that during the moments of conversation characters can look odd and like cardboard cut outs but it’s just a small gripe when you’ll tend to switch off during these rare moments anyway.
As for the acting, it’s passable at best but with screams and yelling taking up most of the lines in the movie who really cares? The music is well done with “Devour” by Shinedown accompanying the opening of the movie matching the feel and tone of the speedy racing perfectly. The credits too also deserve a special mention as anyone who has been a fan of the previous movies will notice X-ray animations of all the kills from the past films. It’s a nice touch and a good nod to the first three movies. Fans will love it.
This was never going to be a genre defining movie, but the real concern was if it would stand up with the previous three. It’s safe to say this definitely does and is a fun way to spend an hour and a half. The 3D definitely adds to the experience so pay the extra for it, but those who hated the last three will hate this. The ones who will get the most out of this are fans, gore fanatics and those looking for a fun 3D movie. A great way to end the summer!
Thanks for the review.... i was he same as you excited with the fourth and possibly the final destination film. I'm gonna go see it at the weekend should be fun.
Well the long wait is finally over and if you’ve had a chance to read my re-cap of the Final Destination franchise earlier this month you’ll probably know I was “a little” excited about the fourth and perhaps final entry into the series. But how does it stack up? Is the well trodden formula still a blast to watch or is it time to lay this one to rest?
Nick, his girlfriend Lori and two friends Janet and Hunt are at the racetracks for the day and all seems to be going well. The only thing missing are some car crashes, as Hunt says “Of course I came to see a crash.” Sadly though that is about to happen with a forgotten screwdriver causing one hell of a catastrophe sending cars hurtling into the stands killing everyone in gloriously graphic ways. Luckily though it was all a premonition of Nick’s then sending him into a panic as he believes the same event will unfold within seconds. While trying to get himself and his friends out a small fight ensues with some other spectators leading a handful of people to be escorted outside the stadium and therefore avoiding the crash. Phew! Unfortunately Death doesn’t take too kindly to cheaters and soon after, a series of weird and crazy accidents start picking the survivors off one by one.
One thing you’ll notice right from the get go about this film is the sheer pace of it. Right away we’re thrown onto the track with cars speeding by and within the opening five minutes disaster has already struck. You hardly get a chance to breath. It’s clear the director opted for the kill count rather than character development or long conversations as only rarely do we get explanations or Nick and co discussing what to do next. It gives the movie a different feel to its predecessors and almost feels like an action rather than a horror at times.
The opening premonition is well shot and definitely ticks the right boxes. We have the build up to the inevitable first spiralling car, a ton of gory deaths and a lot of action all going on all at once. Like past films it is often fun to remember the order in which the characters bite the bullet as you can predict outcomes later on in the film. Sadly there there are major plot holes and after a word with the producer Craig Perry on a chat site it turns out they made a huge screw up in post-production. Sure people going for a laugh won’t care but fans will pick up on the flaws as people die out of turn when they aren’t supposed, to making the conclusion feel random rather than accomplished and clever.
The kills range from the truly spectacular to long and drawn out or over in a split second involving everyday objects like a swimming pool, fences, escalators and more. There are one or two where you’ll be left thinking that more could have been done but overall the range of ways and amount of blood and guts should satisfy even the most twisted of viewers. If there was one issue I had, it would be the lack of suspense and build up with some of the kills. What made the past movies so cool was watching each sequence of events trigger off something else eventually leading up to the pay off. Here things are kept very simple and with the exception of the hair salon scene and one or two more, the tension most of the time just isn’t there.
Obviously the big selling point of this film is the 3D element and thankfully it is well implemented. From the opening disaster to the finale in a shopping mall it definitely adds to the experience rather than simply feels tacked on. I was extremely impressed with little things like the branches of trees reaching out toward you and it is these small moments that feel just as immersive as objects being lunged at your face during the more action packed parts. One downside is that during the moments of conversation characters can look odd and like cardboard cut outs but it’s just a small gripe when you’ll tend to switch off during these rare moments anyway.
As for the acting, it’s passable at best but with screams and yelling taking up most of the lines in the movie who really cares? The music is well done with “Devour” by Shinedown accompanying the opening of the movie matching the feel and tone of the speedy racing perfectly. The credits too also deserve a special mention as anyone who has been a fan of the previous movies will notice X-ray animations of all the kills from the past films. It’s a nice touch and a good nod to the first three movies. Fans will love it.
This was never going to be a genre defining movie, but the real concern was if it would stand up with the previous three. It’s safe to say this definitely does and is a fun way to spend an hour and a half. The 3D definitely adds to the experience so pay the extra for it, but those who hated the last three will hate this. The ones who will get the most out of this are fans, gore fanatics and those looking for a fun 3D movie. A great way to end the summer!
Nick, his girlfriend Lori and two friends Janet and Hunt are at the racetracks for the day and all seems to be going well. The only thing missing are some car crashes, as Hunt says “Of course I came to see a crash.” Sadly though that is about to happen with a forgotten screwdriver causing one hell of a catastrophe sending cars hurtling into the stands killing everyone in gloriously graphic ways. Luckily though it was all a premonition of Nick’s then sending him into a panic as he believes the same event will unfold within seconds. While trying to get himself and his friends out a small fight ensues with some other spectators leading a handful of people to be escorted outside the stadium and therefore avoiding the crash. Phew! Unfortunately Death doesn’t take too kindly to cheaters and soon after, a series of weird and crazy accidents start picking the survivors off one by one.
One thing you’ll notice right from the get go about this film is the sheer pace of it. Right away we’re thrown onto the track with cars speeding by and within the opening five minutes disaster has already struck. You hardly get a chance to breath. It’s clear the director opted for the kill count rather than character development or long conversations as only rarely do we get explanations or Nick and co discussing what to do next. It gives the movie a different feel to its predecessors and almost feels like an action rather than a horror at times.
The opening premonition is well shot and definitely ticks the right boxes. We have the build up to the inevitable first spiralling car, a ton of gory deaths and a lot of action all going on all at once. Like past films it is often fun to remember the order in which the characters bite the bullet as you can predict outcomes later on in the film. Sadly there there are major plot holes and after a word with the producer Craig Perry on a chat site it turns out they made a huge screw up in post-production. Sure people going for a laugh won’t care but fans will pick up on the flaws as people die out of turn when they aren’t supposed, to making the conclusion feel random rather than accomplished and clever.
The kills range from the truly spectacular to long and drawn out or over in a split second involving everyday objects like a swimming pool, fences, escalators and more. There are one or two where you’ll be left thinking that more could have been done but overall the range of ways and amount of blood and guts should satisfy even the most twisted of viewers. If there was one issue I had, it would be the lack of suspense and build up with some of the kills. What made the past movies so cool was watching each sequence of events trigger off something else eventually leading up to the pay off. Here things are kept very simple and with the exception of the hair salon scene and one or two more, the tension most of the time just isn’t there.
Obviously the big selling point of this film is the 3D element and thankfully it is well implemented. From the opening disaster to the finale in a shopping mall it definitely adds to the experience rather than simply feels tacked on. I was extremely impressed with little things like the branches of trees reaching out toward you and it is these small moments that feel just as immersive as objects being lunged at your face during the more action packed parts. One downside is that during the moments of conversation characters can look odd and like cardboard cut outs but it’s just a small gripe when you’ll tend to switch off during these rare moments anyway.
As for the acting, it’s passable at best but with screams and yelling taking up most of the lines in the movie who really cares? The music is well done with “Devour” by Shinedown accompanying the opening of the movie matching the feel and tone of the speedy racing perfectly. The credits too also deserve a special mention as anyone who has been a fan of the previous movies will notice X-ray animations of all the kills from the past films. It’s a nice touch and a good nod to the first three movies. Fans will love it.
This was never going to be a genre defining movie, but the real concern was if it would stand up with the previous three. It’s safe to say this definitely does and is a fun way to spend an hour and a half. The 3D definitely adds to the experience so pay the extra for it, but those who hated the last three will hate this. The ones who will get the most out of this are fans, gore fanatics and those looking for a fun 3D movie. A great way to end the summer!