Final Destination 5 Review

Year: 2011
Directed By: Steven Quale
Starring: Nicholas D'Agosto, Emma Bell, Miles Fisher, Arlen Escarpeta, David Koechner and Tony Todd
Run Time: 92 minutes

There's no cheating death right? Or is there? This being the fifth film in the series, I'm pretty sure you all know how the premise goes by now but Final Destination 5 threw a new twist into its game of "who can survive the longest", making this installment the most intriguing one of them all. For those who aren't familiar with a single Final Destination film, they all usually follow a group of survivors of a horrific accident who weren't suppose to survive at all. A central member of the ensemble sees a vision of the accident occurring before it actually happens and warns as many people as he can before said tragedy takes the lives of a shitload of people. Everything should be peachy right? The survivors should be granted a second lease on life and live each day as if it's there last right? Well the later part is right and this being a Final Destination film, more is in store for those survivors than they could ever imagine.

In the fifth installment, death stalks a group of co-workers who avoid a grisly demise in a massive suspension bridge collapse after one of them experiences a terrifying premonition. Those survivors are then killed one by one in ways that lead people to believe that each death is just a strange coincidence. However, before each survivor is picked off they are told that there is a way to cheat death... by killing someone, having them take your place on death's hit list which allows you to take over there life living out their remaining years. Sounds nice in theory, well not really but in the end, death always has more tricks up it's sleeve!

Now after five movies some would say that there's only so much left to do when it comes to the central element in these films which is the death's themselves. That is why we've shown up year after year to see these films right? I think it's safe to say that none of the actors involved will win an Oscar for their performance but no FD film has had what can be considered a suitable actor/actress since Final Destination 2 and this is a horror film so you kinda have to give them the benefit of the doubt. Nicholas D'Agosto played Sam Lawton, the male lead in the film and did a decent job I guess but didn't have that leading man stature that one would look for so his performance fell flat and kinda made you forget that he was the one that started the chain of events int he first place. But he was the least of the acting problems. What I do have some qualms with is the emotionless acting that was displayed by Emma Bell who played Molly Harper in the film.

The moment bell stepped on screen it was as though she was disinterested in acting in this film all together. Even during the intense moments where people actually started dying around her she really didn't seem to give a shit! Female leads are know for their crying, their over-exaggeration of fear and the sheer terror that is usually written all over their face. Bell displayed none of the above and it was quite shocking because I've seen the actress in films and TV series' previously and going into this film I thought out of everyone she would have been my pick for the actor/actress to show me something worth raving about acting wise. Don't get me wrong the supporting cast wasn't anything to write home about either, mainly Miles Fisher, who played Peter Friedkin in the film. His acting was so bad at times it made me question whether or not he had an acting experience prior to this film at all -- but according to his Wikipedia page he does. But again this is a horror movie so my judgement will stop there.

That said, director Steven Quale did a hell of a job keeping the death's in the film fresh and even gave us one of the more grisly yet entertaining kills the series has ever seen during a certain the "gymnastics scene" which has been shown briefly throughout the promo trailers for the film. I'll also go as far as to say that Final Destination 5 went the route of actually trying to create a believable storyline to go along with those kills and both gelled rather nicely together. Now after you wrap your head around the fact that this is the FIFTH film in the series and the fact that you already know how the film is going to end -- with everyone DEAD, the filmmakers decided to send us off with a bit of a surprise ending that alone is worth the price of admission. So for fans of the previous films and newcomers to the franchise I think overall Final Destination 5 is an enjoyable flick, a popcorn film as some would call it and I think if you are just willing to overlook some of the bad acting and just sit back, relax and enjoy the film -- you will!