Final Destination 3 - Febuary 2006

You’d think a movie with the word 'Final' in the title wouldn’t be allowed to have a single sequel, much less two. However, when Tinseltown finds success in something original and innovative, it just can’t resist trying to leverage that success by repeating and diluting it. Hence I found myself sitting through the second sequel of a movie with the word 'Final' in the title.

To recap, "Final Destination" found a young person having a premonition of a disaster and saving himself and a handful of others from the catastrophe. An unseen and apparently cheated Death then started recapturing the survivors one by one. In FD, Death was very creative and had quite the sense of humor, witness the use of John Denver music playing in the background at every death scene. Same plot for FD2, although Death wasn’t quite as creative or lyrical, but the movie had a comely heroine, so I was on board. However, while Death in FD was akin to Rube Goldberg, in FD3 he’s more like Tony Montana. There is no humor whatsoever in this incarnation.

FD3 also had a comely heroine, so I was ready to give it a pass even though it had more gore and less fun than its predecessors. That was until the last scene. FD3 doesn’t end, it just stops. We’ve all seen movies that use abrupt endings to imply more peril or an unexpected conclusion, but for that to work, it has to be set up. FD3 starts one last catastrophe involving the three who cheated death and just ends. No clue of how we’re supposed to think it ends or anything. Comely heroine or not, I insist my movies end appropriately. Therefore, I recommend you skip "Final Destination 3." Maybe this one will actually be final.

[2009: I saw a poster for "Final Destination 3D" the other day. How lame can a studio get? That's a rhetorical question. I'll be skipping that sequel.

The comely heroine from "Final Destination" was Ali Larter, who came to prominence in "Heroes." For me, FD was her follow-up to "Drive Me Crazy," so I was all aquiver to see her in FD.

The comely heroine from "Final Destination 2" was A.J. Cook, who is now seen in "Criminal Minds." In FD2, they dyed Cook's blond hair black and it, in combination with her pale blue eyes, made for a stunning look on the big screen, so much so that I feel disappointed when I see her as a blond on "Criminal Minds."

The comely heroine from "Final Destination 3" was Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who came close to being an "It" girl a few years ago but didn't quite reach critical mass. She was notable in "Sky High," "Death Proof," and "Die Hard with a Vengeance," but nothing yet to propel her to paparazzic heights.]