Interesting first half

Rating: 6/10 (18 January 2006)

I may have written a review of this under my previous moniker. Watching FINAL DESTINATION 2 again the other day, I am again struck by the highway pileup, which appeared to have been largely physical gags and not a heck of a lot of CGI. It is probably the best highway accident scene I have ever seen in a movie, although a couple of others come close, including the ending of 2002's TRAPPED with Kevin Bacon and Charlize Theron. The second half of this so-called sequel sucks, plain and simple. There are a couple of very gory deaths that look as fake as they come, and appear to be right out of an OMEN movie. The most offensive is probably the plate glass falling onto the kid. Without even slowing down the action, you can plainly see the glass hitting what appears to be the bottom half of a dummy filled with stage blood. Ali Larter's cartoonish flaming, flying death near the end is almost as bad. I love gore in movies, but only when it is handled realistically. The very first death after the highway scene, involving the goofy guy who has just won the lottery, is actually the most interesting to watch as it plays out like a slapstick routine that Steve Martin or Jim Carrey or even Lou Costello might have performed. The director may have thought he was making a comedy because you certainly can't take this movie seriously. And to think a second sequel is about to come out. Heaven help us! Where's Damien when you need him? Couldn't they at least have Death from FAMILY GUY make a guest appearance?