Final Destination Movie Review:


Final Destination is an okay teen horror film that has some interesting moments in it. Alex Browning (Sawa) is a typical high school student that is taking a trip to Paris with his classmates. As the plane is about to take off, Alex has a fatal premonition of seeing the plane exploding in mid-air. As Alex panics and warns everyone to get off the airplane, he and six other people are forced off the plane. While trying to calm down in the airport lounge, Alex's premonition comes true as the plane explodes after taking off. After many questions are left for Alex to answer, he figures out that he and the other passengers have some how cheated death. Now, Alex and the survivors have to figure out when death is coming back after them.

Final Destination is a horror film that has a unique plot and few exciting moments. Though Final Destination is probably the best horror film that I have seen since Stir of Echoes, the film still had some flaws.

Final Destination was directed and co-wrote by James Wong. Wong is a veteran director of the X-Files episodes on television. I liked Wong's creepy and quick direction in this film. There are a few predictable moments in the film of something jumping out. However, it is the moments that the audience least expect something to surprise them that works well in this film. The script is where the film runs into problems. Wong co-wrote the script with Glen Morgan and Jeffrey Reddick. The dialogue is absolutely absurd in this script. An example of the bad dialogue is when Alex has an encounter with Carter, who is student that was an original passenger that blames Alex for the tragedy. While Cater is referring to Alex as a freak, he tells him, " I am going to live forever". The script also has some loopholes, the biggest one develops in the last scene of the film, in which I thought all the open questions in the film would be tied up, but they are not.

The acting ensemble of Final Destination is full of mostly young actors. Devon Sawa, who plays Alex, shows some depth with his character, and he will only get better in the future. Ali Larter, who plays Alex's love interest Clear, is not too established at all with her character in this film. However, the worst performance in this film is by Dawson Creek's Kerr Smith as Carter. Smith plays the hothead jock of the group. His performance is flaky and lost. The bright spot of the cast is Sean William Scott, who plays Billy. Scott was the scene-stealer as Stifler in last summer's American Pie. Though, Scott doesn't have as much area to work with in Final Destination as he did in American Pie, he still turns in the best and most likeable performance in the film.

Final Destination might be a movie that will do well at the box office. I can see it finding its own audience and becoming a sleeper hit.

Report Card Grade: C

Joseph Tucker

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