Reminiscent of early Hooper, Craven and Carpenter

Rating: Null/10 (26 May 2000)

Horror has to be one of the hardest genres to master. People think horror is simple because many of the horror films that they think of are films from the 80's that seem to have low production costs and a non existent cast. But look again at some of the good horror from the last 40 years and you will see that fine tuning the craft of horror is just as difficult as any other and that when you have a good horror film, they are some of the best films ever made. Personally, I place Jaws and Halloween on my top ten list of best FILMS ever made. Even look at films like SIXTH SENSE, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, SCREAM, TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, EVIL DEAD and Hitchcock's PSYCHO and you will see not just good horror films, but good films. You can add FINAL DESTINATION to that list of films. There is enough chills and scenes of true terror to make you jump and to satisfy any serious horror buffs craving an increase in pulse.
To start off, the film has what has to be some of the best (and scariest ) fifteen minutes to open a film. It involves a dream sequence that tells Devon Sawa that something terrible is going to happen. He dreams of an airplane crash. But not only does he dream of the crash itself, he dreams of details. The camera manipulates us into feeling what he feels as it circles frantically around his room and then it gives us the details of impending doom which is imminently lurking in the shadows. Then in real time, he tries to tell everyone that the plane is going to crash and he gets kicked off the flight just before it takes off. And then, in one of the best scenes in horror film history, we watch as the plane, visible from the window, blows up.
You know a film has achieved it's perogative in scaring you when you have seen that particular scene in the trailers and it still scares you. That is powerful film making and James Wong should be commended for his awesome vision. Wong worked on some small movies like TRICK OR TREAT in the 80's and he is an X-FILES veteran. But here he shows us that he has the same vision that made some of the greats from the past so stylistic. I know I am heaping a load of praise on the film and the director when I mention names like TEXAS, HALLOWEEN, and NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, but it is well deserved praise.
Final Destination doesn't have a true killer, not a tangible one anyway. There is no man with a hockey mask, or a dream figure with long finger knives that attack the kids in this film. But what we get are subtle shots of unstoppable signs of death. Winds gust up, shadows envelop the walls, the camera plays with us to make us think or in some cases lets us know that death is imminent. An unforeseen deity? spirit? demon? is approaching and there is nothing that anyone can do to stop it.
The casting is quite interesting as well. Devon Sawa plays the main character and he is a wise choice even after his disasterous IDLE HANDS, but it is the supporting cast that is best part of the casting director.

Kerr Smith sheds his sensitive gay persona from DAWSON'S CREEK and here plays a tough guy/jerk. And he plays it quite well. Stifler, from AMERICAN PIE, suffers the worst death in the film and although he is good, he is basically just another character. I would have liked to see him play more of a role, the producers of Road Trip got it right when they basically gave him the same role as the one he played in American Pie. But I guess this is a horror movie and that is of little consequence to the film. Ali Larter from VARSITY BLUES fame ( and a stint on Dawson's Creek ) is the one that shines here the most. Another reviewer in here noted that she was one of the best young actresses of her generation and although that is lofty praise, I have to concur. She carries the film when Sawa is absent and I expect to see great things from her in the future.
Final Destination is one of the scarier films to come out in the last 40 years. And yes I am serious. This is one that is definitely worth checking out. And for any of you horror buffs out there that haven't seen it ( and this is especially for you M.A. Rogers from New York, who is as big a horror movie buff as I am and I enjoy your reviews in the IMDb immensely ) really should get the time to see this. It is well worth your time.
9 out of 10