Film Reviews

Final Destination 2

• Rating:
• Director: David R. Ellis.
• Starring: Ali Larter, A.J. Cook, Michael Landes, T.C. Carson, Jonathan Cherry, Keegan Connor Tracy.
• Details: US / 83 mins / (18).

On the evidence of that title alone, one must deduce that the filmmakers must have something resembling a sense of humour, with this sequel to the above average original of a few years back. A reworking of the original premise, Final Destination 2 sees the only survivor of the first movie, Clear Rivers (Ali Carter) having checked into a mental home in an effort to protect herself from the fate that death has in store. As the anniversary of the events of the first movie gets close, Kimberly Corman (A.J. Cook) has a premonition while driving on the freeway and inadvertently saves the lives of several people. Death won't be cheated again and soon starts to pick off the survivors in gruesomely imaginative ways, so Kimberly enlists the aid of a reluctant Clear to outwit the reaper once again. Although played straight, there's a wicked sense of humour abiding through Final Destination 2 with some of the most imaginative and -dare-I-say-it - ambitious scenes of orchestrated carnage I've ever seen. Indeed, with Final Destination 2, there's a lot to be said for death's sense of humour, as unwitting early victims are offed in a spectacular fashion, accompanied by some of the most banal dialogue this side of a Sylvester Stallone double bill. Unfortunately it's not enough to make this film anything more than a sporadically entertaining farce and one that isn't really worthy of a trip to the movies. Wait for the video, get a couple of mates around and savour that carnage in slow-mo.

Review by Garreth Murphy