mschumann

So, I saw FD5 at its midnight release after purchasing my tickets days in advance. Yes, I'm that big of a fan; next to Nightmare on Elm Street, the FD franchise is my favorite. I don't want to make this a long review, but I will sum up my thoughts on this movie in one word… AMAZING! FD 5 is, IMO, the best installment to the franchise, and in some cases, surpasses the original. From start to finish, the movie is full of suspense, tension, excitement, and anticipation. It's enough to keep ME, someone who has followed this movie's production for the past year and knew just about everything about the movie going into it, at the edge of my seat. Yes, I knew who'd die, when they'd die, and how they'd die even before stepping foot into the theater. But, regardless, I wasn't let down one bit. This movie, unlike the others (minus the 1st), succeeded in giving character development. The death scenes were awesome and not too overly fictional, and even managed to throw in a new rule, "kill or be killed." Which gave a breath of fresh air to the almost stale plot that we all know of. The premonition scene is definitely the best of the franchise and the acting was on par. Not Oscar worthy, but definitely believable for what it is. I just can't say enough how great this movie is. Now I won't spoil anything for anyone, but the ending was EPIC! Words can't describe how amazing it was. Steven Quale did wonders with the use of 3D as well. Should it be seen in 3D…? YES! The film was shot in 3D and Quale knew when to emphasize the use of it without shoving it in our faces (except for the extra long title sequence, and credits). Anyways, while I loved this movie and everything about it, it did have a few things about it that underwhelmed me. The use of CGI blood was a bit more than I wanted, and at some points did look a bit fake. Also, some parts of the film were a bit too comedic. The comedic level should have been toned down for a particular scene (I'm looking at YOU, Issac.) Other than that, the movie was fantastic and an excellent installment into the FD family. I really recommend this movie, but only to those at least knowing what they are getting themselves into.