There’s no beginning this review without setting the scene from a personal standpoint; I am a diehard Final Destination fan. I’ve seen them all countless times and love them all to death (no pun intended), that is until The Final Destination tainted my beloved franchise. Sure, it’s tough to keep a plot fresh four times over, but drowning it in 3D technology is no way to spice it up and Final Destination 5 proves it. No, it doesn’t solidify the third dimension as anything more than a gimmick, but the film has more than enough in terms of the performances, visuals and smart writing to make this an incredibly valiant and successful effort and an installment that I welcome into the franchise with open arms.
The employees of Presage Paper are going on a company retreat. Dennis (David Koechner) is the man in charge, but his second in command, Peter (Miles Fisher), does the honors of rounding everyone up and ushering them onto the bus. He pops a squat next to his intern girlfriend, Candice (Ellen Wroe), while Nathan (Arlen Escarpeta) gets comfortable a few seats away, happily away from the factory underlings who don’t appreciate having a youngster as a boss. Sam (Nicholas D’Agosto) spends the beginning of the ride sulking as the love of his life, Molly (Emma Bell), opted to end things just before hitting the road. There’s also Isaac, who, well, would rather talk to his many ladies on the phone than socialize with his co-workers and Olivia (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) who doesn’t appreciate how her glasses ruin her rock star style.
However, once the bus creeps onto a suspension bridge that’s under construction, none of those petty issues matter, as the structure begins to crumble and everyone just has to do whatever they can to survive. But this is the Final Destination franchise we’re talking about; none of them do, that is until Nick wakes up from his premonition realizing no blood has been spilled just yet and he’s got one shot at getting his friends, particularly Molly, off the bus. If only he knew the consequences of his actions, Sam might have opted to ride the bus to the netherworld. Instead, he makes it out alive along with Molly, Peter, Candice, Nathan, Olivia, Isaac and Dennis, putting them all on Death’s list, sending them straight towards even more gruesome demises.
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