Nine years ago Jeffrey Reddick, Glen Morgan and James Wong (who all three contributed to writing tasks while Wong also handled direction) put their heads together to create a compelling tale of premonition, death, and ultimately the marriage of both. Reddick’s story centers around a French class, and the resident neurotic Alex (Devon Sawa) Browning who experiences an extremely vivid vision while boarding Flight 180, which is headed for Paris, France. Alex’s vision includes loose knobs, a shaky takeoff, and one hell of an explosion, which occurs just moments after beginning ascension. Naturally Alex is a bit freaked out by what seems to be life’s cruel case of foreshadowing, leading to an outburst on the plane which results in the evacuation of seven (including Alex) passengers.Not five minutes pass and Flight 180 erupts in an explosion of fire and debris. Stunned, those who were forced from the plane turn their confusion and anger toward Alex, unaware of how he could possibly have known the disastrous fate of Flight 180. To Alex’s credit, he’s just as confused as everyone else, but neither his classmates, nor officials are apt to believe that Mr. Browning is some form of clairvoyant, or sudden psychic. But Alex has been cursed by some form of premonitory ability, and the tragedy that was Flight 180 was only the beginning. One by one, in a strange, but particular order - those who managed to escape death’s grasp on Flight 180 are being killed. With logic and the law both opposed to Alex and his claims, the teenager must solve a riddle proposed by Death Himself before his own card is finally pulled.
Three years later, Kimberly (A.J. Cook) Corman finds herself afflicted by the same psychic traits Alex battled three years prior, but she’s initially unaware of any connections whatsoever. Until that is, she sees a horrendous pileup on the freeway that claims handfuls of lives…just minutes before it actually happens. Kimberly’s expeditious panic saves quite a few lives, but she’ll soon discover that death cannot be swayed, and when it’s time to go, there is no saving lives. Before Ms. Corman can decipher the situation at hand however, she and those who escaped the accident all come to realize that they are in fact directly connected in some way or another to the Flight 180 victims. It is at this point that the group understands the severity of their predicament. But once again, Death has chosen it’s course, and though briefly swayed - He’s back on the trail of those who seek to sneak beyond the Reapers grip.
Fast-forward three more years and Death’s Design is once again in full effect. This time around, a group of teens who avoid a rollercoaster disaster thanks to Wendy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) Christensen’s frighteningly accurate prediction of mechanical malfunction, are stalked and eliminated by life’s unseen nemesis. The clues are revealed in foreign fashion when compared to the pictures two predecessors, but the story is cohesive, despite a lack of sincere linking between these characters and the characters of the first two franchise installments. This time around Wendy and fellow survivor Kevin (Ryan Merriman) are forced to determine the means in which each victim will die, by discreet visual indicators located in pictures Wendy took the night of the accident. It’s a long journey to the end of the road, and Death has set out to see it‘s no comfortable trek. Whether or not anyone will survive this latest Design is a mystery… sort of.
THE VERDICT
Technically I think all three films are strong, well assembled pictures that clearly boast refined cinematography, sound direction, and precise, adequate script writing. James Wong did an impressive job directing the first and third franchise films, and David R. Ellis did more than hold his own while helming the first initial sequel. While each cast is built upon an overdose of teen friendly faces, the gore and sadistic nature of the violence is anything but teen friendly. The contrast makes for a unique vibe that few genre pieces manage to offer. The fact that that rare sensation has already been duplicated (with fair success) twice, only helps solidify FINAL DESTINATION’s place in horror history.
With the positive comes the negative, and like most (if not all) horror franchises, there’s only so far this story can go before it becomes little more than a special effects showcase, and launching pad for Hollywood’s fresh new faces. But really, does that mean we should discard all sequels beyond a direct follow up or two? No, I don’t personally think so. I believe franchise fans will always follow their favorites, whether it be the FINAL DESTINATIONs, or HALLOWEENs of the world isn’t relevant. What is, is the fact that we’ll always crave a new approach to an old tale, especially when that old tale holds a special place in our hearts.
THE FUTURE
In a matter of days THE FINAL DESTINATION, (the fourth film of the franchise, which will be featured in both 2-d and 3-d) will be unleashed in theatres and left to duke it out at the box office with Rob Zombie’s highly anticipated HALLOWEEN II. Who will emerge the financial superior remains to be seen, but fair earnings for both pictures could well lead to even more sequels. The best case scenario for genre fans is success for both pictures, whether future installments follow or not. Regardless of how many millions each respective flick draws, and what the future brings in direct relation to the embrace of each picture - in the end, it’s the fans who win when both films hit theaters this Friday!
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