Final Destination reviews/discussion - 2009 DVDTalk Horror Challenge Day 28

[Trevor]

http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/3166/finaldestinationver4.jpg (http://www.imagehosting.com/)

IMDB link for Final Destination (2000) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0195714/)

Selection made by smashthesymbols.

These "2009 DVDTalk Horror Challenge Day #" threads are for the discussion of the films in the 31 Films in 31 Days subset (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/9715351-post170.html).

General discussion on the 2009 DVDTalk Horror Challenge goes here (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/dvd-talk/560775-100-movies-31-days-5th-annual-october-horror-movie-challenge-10-1-10-31-a.html), your list for the Challenge goes here (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/dvd-talk/561692-5th-annual-october-horror-movie-challenge-10-1-10-31-lists-go-here.html).

The plan is for everyone to watch this film on the October day in the thread title, and to start discussing it the morning of the following day. You may start discussion early if you want, but the preferred plan is for this to be as much of a group exercise as possible, with all of us viewing it "together" and discussing after.

Of course, you are totally encouraged to participate in these threads even if you haven't watched the movie on the designated day. Even if you haven't watched it in years, or are not participating in the Horror Challenge, please feel free to chime in.

Spoiler tags will not be needed, as it will be expected that anyone here has seen the film.
Do not read this thread if you have not seen the film, unless you don't mind the ending being spoiled for you.

[smashthesymbols]

I guess I had better chime in since this was my pick. I had actually never seen the movie until just now, I only picked it because my original pick got shot down and I had the Blu-Ray in my unwatched pile.

Anyway, I just finished watching it and I really liked it. It's not particularly scary, but overall the story works and the Rube Goldberg sequences death comes up with are pretty good. It also got one really big laugh out of me when Alex was in the cabin eating that chicken mush or whatever with a plastic spoon while wearing huge leather gloves. I have no idea why but that killed me. The one thing I really didn't get was the mortician character. He only had that one scene and it just felt like a lazy way for the audience and Alex to know what was happening without having to piece it together themselves.

On a related note, what the hell ever happened to Devon Sawa? He made several good movies (this, Idle Hands, SLC Punk) at the end of the 90s then vanished.

[Fist of Doom]

I prefer the sequel (A.J. Cook :drool:), but this movie is a lot of fun. "Rube Goldberg sequences" is a great description. Love the train decapitation scene! :lol:

The one thing I really didn't get was the mortician character. He only had that one scene and it just felt like a lazy way for the audience and Alex to know what was happening without having to piece it together themselves.

I think it was just an excuse to get Tony Todd, scariest man on the planet, in the movie.

[LickTheABCs]

^ Yeah, part 2 has A.J. Cook, Sarah Carter and one of the coolest car crashes ever.

I kinda like the first one. I can't stand Devon Sawa so maybe that's why I don't like it more.

[J. Farley]

I also prefer the second film, which is responsible for one of the most fun times I've ever had in a theater. The car crash (see Night Warning for another good one) is a stunning setpiece, the characters are the most entertaining in the series and the film has a morbid sense of humor that runs through every death sequence and beyond. That said, I appreciate the first film for an entirely different reason, that being the serious tone. I think this concept can swing both ways, and the first and second films prove it. Final Destination pulls off a feeling of doom that actually feels quite organic despite the fantastic storyline. I wouldn't have expected that beforehand, especially in a post Scream teen flick. The third film tried bringing this element back, but didn't quite succeed. Still a fun movie though.

[Trevor]

On a related note, what the hell ever happened to Devon Sawa? He made several good movies (this, Idle Hands, SLC Punk) at the end of the 90s then vanished.
I agree; thought he had really nice turns in Idle Hands and this, but then pretty much nothing since.
I think it was just an excuse to get Tony Todd, scariest man on the planet, in the movie.
I agree.
^ Yeah, part 2 has A.J. Cook, Sarah Carter and one of the coolest car crashes ever.
I like the first two pretty equally, and the third wasn't bad iirc. Anyone see the recent 3D one?