Final — Destination 4

The Final Destination franchise lives or dies (pun intended) by its death scenes. Part 2 gave us the log truck. Part 3 gave us the tanning bed. Part 4 gives us a mixed bag that ranges from clever to cartoonish.

The Highlights:

The Lowlights:

Spoilers ahead. Traditionally, Final Destination movies end with a sense of ironic dread. Part 1 ended with a plane explosion. Part 2 ended with a log truck callback. Part 3 ended on a subway train.

Final Destination 4 tries to be clever. Nick figures out that he can "kill Death’s design" by killing the surviving survivors before Death gets them. In a shocking twist, he shoots his friend Janet in a diner. The police arrive, and just as Nick and Lori think they’ve won... Nick slips on a gun, shoots Lori in the chest, and is then crushed by a falling sign. Final Destination 4

Then, in the film’s most controversial moment, Nick wakes up. It was all a premonition within a premonition. He stops the shooting, but as the characters sigh in relief, a nearby explosion kills them all anyway.

This "double fake out" was widely panned. It felt like the writers had painted themselves into a corner and used a "just kidding" to escape. It doesn’t feel clever; it feels lazy. The Final Destination franchise lives or dies (pun

In previous films, the protagonist has to interpret vague signs. In Final Destination 4, Nick has full-blown, detailed third-person visions of how everyone will die. This removes all mystery. We aren’t guessing; we’re just watching a countdown.