I love, love, love this film franchise! Unlike a lot of franchises, the Final Destination movies stay strong, right to the end - with the exception of maybe The Final Destination, but only because I didn't like the 3D effects. If it hadn't had those, though, it would have been just as good as any of the others.
I can just tell I'm not going to get a word in edgewise today.
Sorry, Jay. Go ahead.
Gee, thanks. You're absolutely right about it being a good franchise. There aren't any of the films that I disliked. They're all different, all gruesome. And, though they're all different, they always find a way to hearken back to the first one.
Sometimes, in very subtle ways. I especially like that, in the second one, they find out that they're the people that would have died if Alex hadn't interfered in the first one. I like that feeling of dawning realisation; you can really see it in their faces. It's very effective.
Except we're really supposed to be talking about Final Destination, not its sequels, right?
Right. Sorry.
'Final Destination' is a stylish movie. It had a big budget - but then, it had to be because of the effects.
And, even though FX have come a long way in the last 17 years, the ones we see in Final Destination are still very convincing and extremely gruesome.
Ahem.
Sorry. Continue.
'Final Destination' reminds me of that film where the pilot is missed by Death, with um, David Niven. What was that called?
A Matter of Life and Death?
Right. Except that in 'A Matter of Life and Death', David Niven's character gets another chance. The only one getting a second chance in 'Final Destination' is Death. 'Final Destination' had such a clever ending. Loved it. You can't escape Death. It's really not a nice ending. I prefer that sometimes, movies that make you feel comfortable, then pull away the blanket. The great thing about Final Destination is that there's no real baddie, just Death. A baddie, you can overcome or outwit but, no matter how clever you are, Death will eventually get you. Death always wins.
It's funny that you should mention A Matter of Life and Death because both that movie and Final Destination are about people who were missed by death, and both involve air planes. I don't think that's a coincidence. People were never meant to fly but here we are, doing it everyday. If I were a god and my creations started doing this thing I told them I didn't want them to do, I'd be pissed off. I might even punish them.
Flying is a pretty universal fear - not for me, obviously, because I love it - but a lot of people are terrified of flying. 'Final Destination' plays on your fears of flying. Even the terminology puts you off. "Terminal". "Departure". You see that, in the scene where Alex is checking in. The board clicks over to these words and the camera focuses on them. They start poking at that fear before you really know why you should be afraid. Clever.
Good foreshadowing. Also, I'm pretty sure this movie is exactly why I have a fear of flying. They did the plane explosion just a little too well for my tastes.
The deaths certainly are brutal. They're so outrageous, too. Real banana-skin deaths - but they're so outrageous that they're believable.
It plays on those silly things that you're afraid of, even though you know the chances of them happening are something like a million to one. But, hey, so's the lottery, right? And people win that. If people can win the lottery, you can have your head lobbed off with a piece of a car that's been smooshed by a train.
There's no way it could happen but... it could happen.
Exactly. Like Alex, you become so paranoid that you're afraid of everything.
Which is just so much fun when you're rocking Anxiety and mild OCD.
Hah. Well, it's fun for those of us who get to watch you.
Anyway, 'Final Destination' has a good cast too. Cast that grew into itself, rather than being huge at the time. The humour comes from Seann William Scott, of course, but my favourite has to be Tony Todd's cameo - although I like his cameo in 'Final Destination 2' better. I love that moment when they ask him who he is and he just smiles and looks at the camera like, 'Is this bitch for real'?
It really is a great cast. I always had a major crush on Devon Sawa as a kid so of course I was going to love this movie. And don't forget Ali Larter, who is a brilliant actress. Huh. I never thought of her being a scream queen before, but I guess she is.
I watched 'Final Destination' as an adult. It's really a teenage movie but still enjoyable. It's one of those movies you just can't copycat. Where would you go with it?
Exactly. It's so unique that anyone trying to do it again would so obviously be making a rip-off. It cements Final Destination's place as a modern classic.
What are your thoughts on Final Destination? Drop us a comment and let us know.
