Very few film series have had as big a real-life affect as Final Destination. Accidents like plane crashes, bridge collapses, or roller coaster derailments have always been in the backs of our minds, but we think twice now about taking part in activities like those in the off-chance that something bad will happen. In five movies, we get a solid story of Death’s relentless pursuit to correct mistakes caused by a small blip in the system (a premonition). Unfortunately for those caught in the mess, Death always wins in the end. The easiest way to wrap up this is to give a mini review of all five films, followed by a review of the series as a whole, so without further adieu, let’s take a look at the plane crash that started it all.
Final Destination (2000)
- Premonition: Flight 180 plane explosion
- Noteworthy deaths: “Lewton Bus,” bathtub hanging, neon sign fall
Final Destination is the reason why I force myself not to imagine bad things happening on planes, because you never know if those thoughts will turn out to be a premonition of an event to come. The idea originally came from a script for an X-Files episode but had so much potential for a good story that it was turned into a movie instead. A good choice, as Final Destination as a whole has made a tremendous mark on pop culture since its inception. Stars like Devon Sawa, Ali Larter, and Tony Todd teach us about the rules of Death, and that no matter how hard you try, it finds a way… kind of like the reverse of Jurassic Park’s Ian Malcolm quote. With plenty of horror callouts and graphic Rube Goldberg-inspired death scenes, Final Destination is a solid starter to a fantastic series.
Final Destination 2 (2003)
- Premonition: Route 23 car pile-up
- Noteworthy deaths: Glass panel squish, elevator decapitation, airbag push into PVC pipe
Final Destination 2 is the sole reason why no one drives behind logging trucks anymore. Fitting in with the original idea to “do what Jaws did for swimming in the ocean,” this sequel made it incredibly difficult to feel safe behind trucks carrying pretty much anything that wasn’t fully enclosed in the trailer unit. Again, we get the same rules of engagement when Death knocks on your door, but we’re given a small sliver of hope when there’s a chance others could be saved with a new life coming into play. While the sequel isn’t bad, Final Destination 2 didn’t quite satisfy my thirst like the first did. I don’t know if it was the slightly blue-hued, made-for-TV quality, the characters, or story itself, but I’d rate this as “good” instead of “great.” Par for the course I guess.
Final Destination 3 (2006)
- Premonition: Devil’s Flight roller coaster derailment
- Noteworthy deaths: tanning bed fire, nail gun to the head, subway train derailment
This is the first Final Destination I saw in theaters, and it made a big difference in terms of really seeing the carnage happen on screen. Not only were the characters close to my own age at the time, they did things I did in real life — riding roller coasters for example. We don’t get our Tony Todd mortician explanation like the first two films, but we do get more of a sense that he is still connected as the voice of the ill-fated Devil’s Flight coaster — cue conspiracy theories! Highly creative deaths and an ending that surpasses those of the first two make Final Destination 3 one of my favorites of the series.
The Final Destination (2009)
- Premonition: McKinley Speedway race accident
- Noteworthy deaths: pool drain super suction, movie theater screen explosion, escalator malfunction
And now we see this series has a clear “up and down” pattern, where every other movie is kind of bad. Pair that with it releasing in 3D and we have a recipe for disaster. Not only were the effects clearly CG (in a bad way), the acting/characters felt too campy and stereotypical to be real. Even the accidents didn’t feel quite right — some events were possible but unsatisfying, and others were just too bizarre to be possible. With a title like “THE Final Destination,” it felt like the creators were trying to make this the biggest and last of the series; it did well in terms of ticket sales, but is widely viewed negatively. Good thing it wasn’t the last, because it would be a sad ending to a cool concept.
Final Destination 5 (2011)
- Premonition: North Bay Bridge collapse
- Noteworthy deaths: gymnastics fall, laser eye surgery malfunction, acupuncture incident
Prepare to have your mind blown, because *SPOILER* the last movie in the series is actually a prequel to the first. Brilliantly told so we didn’t realize this movie takes place in the 90s/early 2000s, the group that survives the North Bay Bridge collapse and subsequent accidents is unfortunately caught on Flight 180, dying there instead. After a poor fourth installment, Final Destination 5 brought us back to our roots with ingenious deaths that many of us could stand behind. Everything we thought we knew (like switching lives or adding time) was upturned and presented in a new way, adding endless freshness to a now-stale storyline. And again, the ending was the best of the series, hands down. Unexpected and packing a huge punch.
As of early this year, a new addition to the series is being planned, this time focusing on first responders. Not much is known about when we could see a release, but with the incredible last installment and the 20th anniversary of the first film just passing, it sure is good timing to bring audiences back to the world of Death. For now, we can all bask in the greatness that is the Final Destination series, one that made us fearful of everyday things and an unstoppable force making us fight for our lives.
What is your favorite Final Destination movie? Let us know in the comments!
