David Ellis – Tripping Through Gateways

The Final Destination was directed by David Ellis (Final Destination 2). It’s cast is unconnected to the previous films, but it connects itself to the original film, suggesting that this film closes Death’s plan.

The film begins at a Nascar race. We meet a group of really obnoxious people and also Nick and Lori. some of the only sympathetic characters in the film. Nick has a vision of a terrible car wreck that kills everyone in the stands. So, he freaks out and most of the obnoxious people leave with him, as they are yelling at Nick, there is an explosion and everyone realizes they lucked out. One of the obnoxious guys is a racist who wants to run back in to get his wife, but is stopped by a black security guard.

As one no doubt expects at this point, people start to die. Nick starts to put it all together. The characters are mostly unsympathetic, and in this film, the deaths actually seem more vindictive. The racist goes to put a burning cross on the security guard’s lawn only to get hooked by his own tow truck and dragged to a flaming death. They try and save the remaining people, as Nick figures out that folks are dying in the order of his vision.

One of the things hinted at in the first film is you cannot die outside of the order of death, or at least if it skips you and goes to the next person, it just goes through the remaining order and jumps back to you. This film expands on this, with one character trying to commit suicide, and being unsuccessful every time.

There was talk that this was the last film in the franchise, as the returns were ever decreasing. This is why, instead of Final Destination 4, they titled it The Final Destination. This is, not a particularly good end to the franchise, but I guess it would be an ending. If they had not gone on to make Final Destination 5. The advertising made a big deal about how it was in 3-D, but the 3-D was not all that effective.

All in all, this is a very mediocre sequel, not even reaching a so bad it it’s good range.

The first film was successful enough for the studio to produce a sequel. They hired second unit director David Ellis (who would go on to direct a later installment in the franchise and Snakes on a Plane).

Kimberly and her friends are going on a road trip. While waiting to get on the highway, Kimberly has a vision of a massive and horrific traffic accident. When she blocks the exit ramp, people start getting upset and a state trooper starts to talk with her…in the midst of their discussion, the accident occurs.

In this film, everyone is aware of Flight 180 from the first film, allowing the characters to quickly come together and try and figure out how to beat the system. There is some question for the audience on how much these deaths occur because of the characters interference (one character likely would not have died had the characters not called her on the phone and freaked her out). The film brings back Clear, who has had herself committed, because a padded room is as safe as it can get (or so goes her logic). Clear is the last survivor, Alex apparently dying between films. She helps Kimberly and they visit Bludworth the mortician (Tony Todd). He gives them some mumbo jumbo about new life severing the design of death.

The film culminates in an orgy of Rube Goldberg styled deaths. Everything leads to someones death, until there are only a few survivors. And this is what the franchise becomes from here on out. Just how ridiculously elaborate can the deaths be?

The film has a twist towards the end tying back to the first film. But the revelation does not really add anything to the story, other than, “Oh wow, they were connected to the original film!” The film starts the trend of expanding the cast to allow for more death and mayhem. Also, just like the first film, the last names of the characters are famous names of horror.

Tag: David Ellis

In the End Pt 4 (The Final Destination, 2009)

In the End Pt Two (Final Destination, 2003)