But the tension doesn't end with the explosion of the plane. Death stalking his prey makes for several nail-biting scenes. The first chump to fall victim to the Reaper gets it creeping up on him. Conversely, the second death scene comes out of nowhere, completely unexpected. It's at this point that you realize Final Destination isn't going to play by the rules and follow any particular pattern.
Death can come slinking up slowly or flying in like a bolt of lightning.
It's that uncertainty that generates constant tension, and you're continuously kept on your toes. Surprisingly, this movie has some good character interaction. In particular, we see the emotional effects the plane explosion has not only on the survivors, but the people at their school as well. But the horror is the main thing here, and the first half of Final Destination delivers one of the best scenarios of the genre in years. It's an utter disappointment, because there was some amazing potential here.