Better than the first

Rating: 8/10 (23 April 2007)

I was stunned when I saw FINAL DESTINATION. It was a shocking and horrifically tense film that has images in that i had never seen before. A plane blew up right in front of your eyes, some lost their heads and death, in this case a noun, was after everyone, and it was unstoppable. It was a perfectly crafted horror film that I didn't think could be topped.
I was wrong. Not only is FINAL DESTINATION 2 a scarier and more gory film, it is a better made film that it's predecessor. I commented that Final Destination had the scariest 15 minutes to open a film perhaps ever. And although that may still be true, the opening highway sequence is at least as scary. And it is also one of the best directed scenes in the history of film. You can put this up there with the truck chase in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, the chase scene in BULLIT and the final lightsabre duel with Darth and Luke in RETURN OF THE JEDI. David R. ELLIS is a gifted director and perhaps that is why I enjoyed SNAKES ON A PLANE so much. He has an innate ability to milk a scene for everything it's worth and the opening 15 minutes of this film is the epitome of brilliance. It not only sets the tone for the rest of the film but by the time the last word is uttered in the scene, you're exhausted and exhilarated. I can't heap enough praise on this scene.
After you get past the opening sequence of the film, what must be marveled at is the story. Critics will tell you that the best sequels are films that further the story, not just retell it like the way a film like Friday THE 13TH PART 2 does. Final Destination 2 has one of the wildest stories and best continuations of any film ever. Excluding EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and perhaps ROCKY II, you won't find a better continuation of a story than you will here. This film connects the events from the first to the characters in the second. They are literally running from death because they should have and would have been affected by the chain of events in the original had the passengers not gotten off the plane. J. Gruber and Eric Hess devised a well thought out and brilliantly complex story line for this one that will send a chill through you.
And finally what must be mentioned is the creative deaths in the film. In today's horror climate where gore has made a successful comeback thanks to films like Saw and Final Destination, this one has some very strong and graphic images that will please all gore hounds. The special effects team and the CGI guys should be commended for their innovation. Watching someone get cut in two with wires is quite the thrill....as long as it's in the movies of course.
Finally, Ali Larter appears in here as well and it's great to see her character survive from the first. She is wonderful in here as well.
Final Destination 2 is a fantastic film and it surpasses the quality of the first. This is a great addition to the horror genre.
8.5/10