Final
Destination 3 isn’t so much a sequel as it is a retread, but then the same
could be said for Friday the 13th 1-1000. The bottom line is, if the first entry
makes a ton a cash, you can bet someone is going to capitalize on it – particularly
in the horror genre.
This
installment basically follows the same rules put into motion in the first two
pictures. The only difference is, in part three there is no plane crash and there
isn’t a massive pile up on the highway. This time around, a young woman is
convinced that the roller coaster that she and her friends are about to ride,
will derail. She manages to convince some of the thrill seekers to get off the
speedy amusement park attraction, and sure enough – CRASH! The coaster does
indeed jump the tracks. It seems that this handful of would-be victims manage
to cheat death, and the reaper ain’t at all happy about it. As the film progresses,
those who managed to escape their fates as it were, begin dropping like flies
in ingeniously creative ways (albeit these gruesome deaths aren’t nearly
as creative as they were in Part 2).
The
first Final Destination (directed by James Wong) was a mild diversion featuring
sufficient gore and a couple of terrific scares (including that classic “pedestrian
take out”) but overall, it was merely passable entertainment. The second
picture by comparison was superior and featured a livelier tone. The death scenes
(let’s face it –that’s why people want to see these films) were
endlessly creative and David R. Ellis’ direction was surprisingly assured.
Look no further than that horrific (and breathtaking) car wreck in the first ten
minutes of the picture. It’s an unforgettable sequence. Ellis really took
the ground work that James Wong laid out, and ran with it.
Wong
is back in the director’s chair with Part 3, and while this second sequel
never reaches the crazed, kinetic heights of Part 2, I still had a pretty fun
time.
Final Destination
3 never takes itself too seriously, and because of this I think I prefer it to
the first picture. It does overstep it’s bounds on several occasions and
even goes so far as to make a reference to 9/11– one that seems sorely out
of place. And with exception of a brief mentioning of incidents that occurred
in the first two pictures, FD3 doesn’t really link itself to it’s predecessors
as part 2 did in such clever fashion. These are all new dumb characters put in
virtually the same situation.
Still,
audiences are going to see this film for the kills and I’m here to tell you
that there are plenty of them. There’s ample amounts of gore and hilarity
to boot. In fact, a friend of ours was having so much fun during the screening,
that he couldn’t stop laughing. This prompted a disgruntled audience member
to call our buddy an asshole. I guess this guy was under the impression that this
movie was meant to be taken seriously. Where he got that idea is beyond me.
Final
Destination 3 is a stupid movie. It features idiotic characters doing idiotic
things, and the ending is particularly lame. Having said that, I have to admit
– I had a really good time. That probably doesn’t make sense to a lot
of readers out there but if you’ve seen the film and liked it, you know what
I’m talking about. Final Destination 3 is short, silly and chalk full of
glorious gore. It doesn’t push the boundaries of the genre as Hostel or the
upcoming The Descent do, but it’s far more entertaining than the dismal When
a Stranger Calls remake. In the end though, let’s hope death takes an extended
holiday because three Final Destinations is more than plenty.
