Simple but effective

Rating: 6/10 (14 February 2015)

Most film reviewers probably have an anomaly; a film or film series which they shouldn't like but do. The Final Destination films are mine. While the acting and writing are painful at times, the premise is intelligent and they're more effective than they're given credit for. Final Destination 2 sees a wimpy young woman(Alex Browning she ain't) foresee a hideous car pile up. She stops various people who were meant to die from getting onto the road, but death is not happy and soon starts claiming their lives in gruesome, gory Rube Goldberg machine style freak accidents. Gore hounds, you've met your match. This is weaker than it's highly underrated predecessor and is the 2nd worst in the franchise, although it's certainly not a bad film. The FD flicks were my first horror films and I used to be a big fan. I'm not as big a fan now, but they still hold up. FD 2 is not a scary film, but with a scare tool box of a log truck, a ladder, a window, a lift, a pipe, barbed wire, hospital equipment and a barbecue it is a surprisingly effective film. With it's dark atmosphere and suspenseful tone, you will be on the edge of your seat throughout.
The thing which lets FD 2 down is the acting, which is awful. Ali Larter has improved a bit, Tony Todd is in full on creepy mode (In a good way) and 2 of the survivors, a stoner and a high school teacher, and reasonably well played. However, AJ Cook is a terrible lead, and most of the other acting performances are awful. Even though these people are seeing things which would traumatize a person for life, they look like they're watching Halloween cartoon for kids. The script is weak, with a lot of exposition and the characters in general aren't as likable as the survivors in the first film. The writing, acting and predictability of the plot weigh this down, but FD 2 is still a solid sequel. It's dark, creative and often genuinely tense. While it may lack a really good finale, there's still plenty of tension throughout. The car pile up is the best car crash scene in cinematic history as far as I'm concerned, and although this sequel makes no secret of the fact it's about the deaths rather than plot, it'll satisfy the gore thirsty fans and provide plenty of ghoulish thrills for many, myself included. They shouldn't have killed off Clear Rivers though.
6/10