With news about Final Destination 6 making headlines recently, it's time to take a look back at the previous five films, or, in this case, how Rotten Tomatoes ranks them. A franchise that started over 20 years ago and ushered in a new villain to horror that we all fear: death. But not death in the form of a killer with a bloody mask or a creature on the prowl, but rather death itself, the force that takes our lives away.
Rotten Tomatoes may have been a little hard on these films. But fans flocked to them, forgiving some cringy dramatic moments and praising the elaborate death sequences, which is really the reason why people pay the price of admission to these films. In anticipation for the new Final Destination 6 down the road, here's how Rotten Tomatoes ranks the first five installments.
5 The Final Destination (2009) - 27%
What was originally supposed to be the final installment ended up not being that, and it also ended up not being loved by critics either. The Final Destination received a 27% score on Rotten Tomatoes, the worst of the franchise. Most viewers agree with the critics; it really is the weakest of the franchise and has a tiresome tone to it. The deaths are not as elaborate, the acting is poor, and unlike past films, you really cared about the characters.
There isn't enough time to get too invested in these. The movie never misses a beat to have us get involved in the lore of it all. There was also not really anything new about it, even in terms of exposition.
4 Final Destination (2000) - 36%
It's strange, the movie that started off a franchise has this low of a score on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics seemed to hate Final Destinationfor the over the top performances of its characters, as well as the poor execution of the material. However, moviegoers in March 2000 found the movie to be a thrill ride that never lets up. Thus creating a massive franchise that would follow. Sometimes audiences just want to have fun at a horror movie, and that's what they get here. With an ensemble cast, the movie was released when the genre was beginning to look for its new batch of movies to define an era.
3 Final Destination 3 (2006) - 43%
43% on Rotten Tomatoes could still be deemed low, but in this part of this franchise, that's actually pretty good for a third installment. Final Destination 3 has cool kills that were highly prevalent at the time of its release. The infamous tanning bed kill stands out to many. There is a lot of amusement and thrills in the opening roller coaster premonition. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is a perfect lead for this new installment. It's just a fun movie that shocked audiences with how good it actually was.
2 Final Destination 2 (2003) - 50%
Three years after the release of the original, the highly anticipated Final Destination 2 was released. Let's start with the obvious: the film's opening is a massive highway car wreck that makes any millennial nervous around a logger truck. It is one of the elements of the film that defines the whole franchise. The kills in this one are bigger and better and, frankly, trump the previous movie. One thing this franchise was good at doing early on was making you anxious rather than scared.
Final Destination 2expands on that. Having you enter every scene where you know something awful is about to happen, you just don't know how or when death is going to fully strike. Scares in horror movies are often compared to the set-up of a joke. That analogy is on full display in a lot of these death scenes; attention to even the smallest detail still gets a big payoff.
1 Final Destination 5 (2011) - 63%
Who would have thought the fifth installment of this franchise would have the highest score out of all of them on Rotten Tomatoes? Why, you may ask? Well, here are some reasons. Final Destination 5 benefits from the use of 3D quite well. A gimmick mostly used at some point in a horror franchise actually fits in the movie. Five also doesn't have cringe-worthy performances in it. These have been plagued by overly dramatic deliveries that, at times, are laughable. It feels big in scale with the opening bridge sequence. And lastly, there is the twist. Spoiler alert ahead if you have never seen Final Destination 5.
It is indeed a prequel and not a sequel. It is actually set before the first one. And we learn this in the final part of the film, as it ends where the first began, as Sam (Nicholas D'Agosto) and Molly (Emma Bell) are getting on the plane that kicked off the franchise. Once you see Alex (Devon Sawa) and Carter (Kerr Smith), your jaw can't help but hit the floor. In a franchise known for its formulaic thrill ride full of scares and anxiety. It was a nice change of pace to see a twist like that.
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