The Final Destination   Starring: Bobby Campo, Shantel VanSanten, Haley Webb and Mykelti Williamson Entertainment in Video RRP: £19.99 EDV9602 Certificate: 15 Available 28 December 2009

A group of friends are enjoying a day out at the McKinley motor racing track when Nick undergoes a terrifying premonition. In it a chain of events culminates in a horrifying pile-up, with cars and debris flying off into the crowd-pack stands. He sees how his friends die and even witnesses his own death. Frightened to the core, he somehow persuades his girlfriend Lori and friends Hunt and Janet to leave the track. Seconds later the vision turns to reality. Both astounded and thankful for their survival, the friends have no idea that in the grand scheme they shouldn’t even exist. They are soon to find out that Death has a way of catching up with you...

This is a two-disc set which includes a 3-D version of the film. The latest generation of 3-D technology is currently much in vogue (even as I type this I’m about to set off to the pictures to see Avatar in 3-D), but I have my reservations about something which enhances the visual aspect to the point that it detracts from the story itself - which is much more important. Furthermore, as I didn’t receive a full retail set, which should include 3-D glasses, for review I’m loathe to talk about the impact or otherwise of that process.

So, what about the film itself. There have been three previous films in the franchise. When the original emerged it really was something special. Every so often something comes along to break the established moulds of horror, thereby creating a new sub-genre. The first Final Destination was new and fresh, with Fate or Death as an entity doing the killing, but not out of any maliciousness, merely to put the timelines straight. The ‘accidents’ came in inventive and unexpected ways. Anything which came after that groundbreaking movie was sure to be a poor substitute by comparison. The two sequels that followed, although eminently watchable, were the same stories told a slightly different way.

This one, simply called Final Destination again (as if it’s a remake), is merely a rehash of the first film in a different setting with new characters. The film is composed of a series of set pieces, with no linking characterisation. Put simply, you don’t sympathise with the main players. Even the deaths themselves are significantly less inventive, and those that are were pulled directly from the first film. I’ve enjoyed some of the film franchises such as Friday 13th (Jason), Halloween (Michael Myers), and Child’s Play (Chucky), but sometimes film companies just don’t know when to leave well alone. They could have at least done something different with Final Destination, or progressed the idea. I can only conclude that those viewers who haven’t come across the other films might find this enjoyable. Those who have will find this tedious and predictable.

Extras include deleted scenes and a trailer.

5

Ty Power