Maybe because God had decided that the poor people of Paris didn’t need forty American students visiting them, he sent the young “Alex” (Devon Sawa) a premonition that all on that plane was not going to go smoothly. Just as it is about to take off from New York he decides to get off the thing and takes a few colleagues and one of his teachers with him! Next thing, well the river is being trawled and everyone is confused. Is he some sort of terrorist? Is he a warlock? Was it all fate or is there more to come? Is anyone safe? This is actually quite a solid story about just how people deal with trauma, grief and death whilst also introducing that mysterious question of pre-determination. Is death a thing that’s fluid, alive and scheming - or was it just bad luck that someone was aboard a busted aircraft or got hit by a bus or got their head sliced off by a rogue piece of metal…? Anyway, James Wong does well to galvanise a pretty lacklustre collection of acting talent, most of whom would entirely deserve any grizzly fate, and the stunt co-ordinators and visual effects technicians deliver something that has it’s tongue in it’s cheek (even if that’s not necessarily in a head on the right shoulders) - and just who was that mortician? Good fun, well paced, entertaining and at the better end of the teen horror genre.

<em>'Final Destination'</em> is top entertainment! I've been meaning to watch this franchise for ages - happy to get started. The only thing I know coming in is there's some sort of scene with a car driving behind a (presumably unsafely loaded) lorry? Presumably that's in a sequel. This is the first time I've watched Devon Sawa at this age of his, I know from watching TV's <em>'Chucky'</em> that people always mention this film(s?) when talking about him. He is a well chosen lead, for sure. Ali Larter is solid too. Interesting to see Seann William Scott involved. Some of the characters behind that trio are iffy, in terms of how they are written/portrayed. Kerr Smith's Carter is mostly annoying, for example. Larter's Clear is written a bit odd around the middle part too. The bit with touching the thing (no spoilers) with Kristen Cloke's character is also silly. To be fair, it is a movie designed to be entertaining rather than being something super intricate and highly logical. It does deliver in regards to the former, the effects are great and the deaths do get nicely creative. It is well paced as well, a 90 minute run time is perfect for a film like this. I will say that the ending seemed a bit off to me (if still fun and fine), it kinda felt like the filmmakers didn't know how to end it given how the 'skipping' works and obviously they wanted to set a sequel. It's not a big issue whatsoever, it did seem a little roughly concluded though. All in all, as you can see from my rating, I did love watching it. Interested to see how the follows-up turned up, I'd imagine it's a mixed bag (at best) but time will tell.

Final Destination kicks off with an eerie premise that immediately sets the tone for what’s to come. The plot follows a group of characters who narrowly escape a disaster, only to realize that fate doesn’t like being cheated. Instead of diving deep into the mystery of why things are happening, the movie focuses more on tension and the creative ways death finds its victims. While the concept is solid, the execution sometimes feels a bit surface-level, making it more about the spectacle than the psychological depth it hints at. The directing does a good job of keeping the suspense alive, using clever foreshadowing and unsettling visual cues to build tension. Cinematography plays into this well, with zoom-ins on seemingly random objects that later become crucial, adding an extra layer of unease. The film also makes great use of lighting and framing to amplify the feeling that something ominous is always lurking around the corner. It’s not a groundbreaking approach, but it works effectively within the horror-thriller genre. Acting is decent for the type of movie it is, with a few standout performances that help sell the fear and paranoia. The script keeps things moving, though some dialogue can feel a little forced at times. Where the movie really shines is in its sound design, using an eerie score and well-placed sound effects to enhance the tension. Overall, Final Destination is a fun, suspenseful ride that delivers on its concept, even if it doesn’t explore its deeper themes as much as it could have.