Miles Fisher, Emma Bell and Nicholas D'Agosto in "Final Destination 5"
photo courtesy of Warner Brothers Pictures

“Final Destination 5” (Warner Brothers)
Same Old Same Old

“Final Destination 5” has the same basic plot as “Final Destinations 1 – 4.” That means seven or eight attractive young people will be starting a train ride, bus ride, or roller coaster ride and one of them will have a premonition of doom. This will cause him/her to urge others to escape the upcoming tragedy and save themselves. Once the group has saved itself, death will come looking for them – in the order in which they should have died. No change in the plot at all.

This time out the “group” is going on a business retreat. They are on a bus that is crossing over water on a suspended bridge – think the Golden Gate but smaller. There is road construction going on and lanes have to merge. Suddenly Sam (Nicholas D’Agosto) has a premonition. This results in him getting seven people off the bus before the bridge begins to collapse.

At the funeral for those who didn’t survive, the group is confronted by an ominous man (Tony Todd) who tells them death doesn’t like to be cheated. Soon after this warning a member of the group is killed and then another and then another. Just like dominos.

The special effects of the movie are good and the 3D elements actually make you bob and weave as things fly off the screen. All of the deaths are grizzly, especially one which will make you never, ever consider laser surgery on your eyes. The grizzly deaths and the little bit of added humor are all the movie has going for it as a selling factor.

The actors are all unknowns except for the aforementioned Mr. Todd and Courtney Vance who pops up as a police detective. The most interesting of the unknowns is Miles Fisher who looks like Tom Cruise’s younger brother.

The film is rated R for violence and profanity.

If you want a movie that offers thrills but no substance then this is the movie for you. The chills and thrills are certainly there. But substance, forget about it! “Final Destination 5” is more of the same old same old, but done with a little more flair.

I scored “Final Destination 5” a repeated 5 out of 10.