फाइनल डेस्टिनेशन: ब्लडलाइन्स

I don't know how they managed to pull this off, but somehow Final Destination: Bloodlines is the best Final Destination film of the lot!

What it does so well is to stand on its own as a fun experience, whilst also building on and adding to existing Final Destination mythology. It contains some nice nods and easter eggs to the previous films, and also weaves in Tony Todd's stalwart Final Destination character in a very satisfying way. However, none of this feels out of place to the point where newcomers will feel lost. Watching this film makes the previous Final Destination films better in my opinion due to the way it adds to the mythology.

Another great thing about this film is that it deviates from the standard Final Destination formula. Don't get it twisted, it is still largely the same thing, but the whole 'bloodlines' element does add something different. This makes it feel quite fresh, which is a big problem the franchise had after the second film in my opinion.

In terms of the performances and characters these are good. Certainly more fleshed out than the last couple of films. Kaitlyn Santa Juana is a strong lead as Stefani, and the rest of the characters are decently developed and interesting enough. Unlike some of the previous Final Destination films, I did find myself caring about the fate of these characters.

Then there is the main attraction of these films, the gory kills. You won't be disappointed watching this instalment as there are some top kills. The use of practical effects work was also very impressive in bringing them to life. They are all classic Final Destination kills, and will stick in your mind long after watching the film!

Overall this film was such a big surprise. It easily had potential to be a lazy cash grab, but they managed to make a thoroughly entertaining film that showed a lot of love and appreciation for the franchise. If you have enjoyed any of the previous Final Destination films or just have a penchant for gory horror, then you will definitely enjoy this!

It's crazy to me to think that the last time a 'Final Destination' movie came out I was a young 20 year old man full of hopes and dreams. And the title of the fourth film in the series, 'The Final Destination', implied it would be the final instalment of the series back in 2009, however anyone familiar with modern Hollywood probably knew that was unlikely to remain the case - and it lasted 2 years.

When you make an instalment 14 years after the last, there's probably a sense that you have to do something a little different in order to justify it. And this film does mix the formula up - slightly. Just enough that it feels a little different, but not enough that it really alters the formula we have come to know and love.

The opening scene in this movie was really good. It was lengthy, fairly creative and had some great individual kills in the mix. From there thing go into a lull for a while, allowing the story to set itself up. Then the film goes bananas the rest of the way and we are treated to brilliant kill scene after brilliant kill scene. There are some really good ones in this film.

One thing that was a problem here - and something that has plagued the series in almost every film - is that it is riddled with unlikable characters. I can only think that's being done intentionally at this point to make people feel disposable and like no one is safe, but I can't help but feel the films would be slightly more impactful if the characters were a bit more likable overall.

All in all though I would say 'Final Destination: Bloodlines' was a lot better than it had any right to be 25 years after the original. 8/10.

There's a scene around the middle of the film Final Destination: Bloodlines where William John Bludworth, the character played by Tony Todd throughout the series says "I intend to enjoy the time I have left, and I suggest you do the same. Life is precious. Enjoy every single second. You never know when... Good luck."

It such a wistful moment because this was Tony Todd's last film and was extra impactful because it almost looked as if Tony broke the fourth wall and spoke directly to the audience. It was an extremely poignant moment, especially since Todd appeared to be in such ill health.

We all know the general premise by now - cheating death just delays the inevitable.

When a woman named Iris saves hundreds of people from death in a space needle like structure that's about to collapse what happens is that they eventually die but it takes decades instead of days and Grandma Iris's family is now on the chopping block. Her granddaughter Stephanie has been having these insane nightmares about her grandmother's death in the tower and when she goes to see her, Iris tells her that you can cheat death, but you can't escape it.

And well, you can't.

This sixth installment in the final destination series ranks up there with the logging incident in the second installment. The opening scene of carnage is nothing short of amazing and superbly well-crafted and choreographed and funny and, thankfully, the perpetrator who caused all the damage was immediately rectified. 71-year-old stuntwoman Yvette Ferguson came out of retirement for a fire stunt in the premonition scene, which some believe to be a world record for the oldest person set on fire on camera.

Let's face it, at its core, the final destination movies are Rube Goldbergesque slasher films, but this one really had the best sense of humor of all the films in the series. Whereas the first few movies had scenes in which you would laugh out of relief this movie has scenes that genuinely make you laugh out loud, not from relief, but because the sense of humor evinced by the writers and directors is just so spot on.

Does it break new ground? Other than the laughs it provides, probably not, but it is still a highly entertaining film.

I am going to give this an extra half star "In Memory of Tony Todd."

WATCH IT

4/5.

Not bad at all. It makes the most logically-connected sense out of all the FD series. But... Realism? Way less now. Personally, it's still between "mid" to the "quite good" level. The FD series have always stood out in the category of horror. This movie still has some questionable scenes that leaves me with slight curiosity on how some of the occurences could be avoided, but it didn't disappoint me. The casting is wonderful and so is the acting. Plus, this one's highly supernatural and not as gory as the others in terms of screen time. A lot relies on the sound/music, and angles. I watched it in Premiere so I got the benefit of the sound system's work. The special effects and lighting quality made every scene look realistic in portrayal. What impressed me is that this is one of those moderate-comeback horror thrillers that's categorized as supernatural but isn't involving a visible entity or character. These kinds of movies stand out to me. And I'm overall impressed by the tense moments FD is able to exhibit. Also, this is my first review on IMDb!

Final Destination: Bloodlines isn't going to pull a rabbit out of its undead hat, reinvent the horror wheel, or stake its claim as a genre-defining masterstroke-but that's not the point.

What it does do is breathe new life into a franchise that felt like it had run out of steam. Bloodlines is a solid sixth installment, packing the same patented "inevitable death" mechanics we know and (occasionally) love, but with enough fresh twists to keep die-hard fans from checking out.

If you never warmed to the idea of "death's design" calling the shots, this won't convert you. For everyone else, the film delivers brilliantly choreographed set pieces of grisly demise-think elaborate Rube Goldberg traps drenched in splatter FX-that hit the sweet spot between macabre creativity and good old-fashioned gore.

The biggest upgrade this time around is emotional buy-in: the victims aren't a bunch of arbitrary strangers thrown together by fate. Instead, Bloodlines builds sincere rapport with its core ensemble, giving each death a bit more narrative weight (and, yes, a smidge of pathos) before the inevitable payoff.

Unfortunately, the dialogue remains as thin as ever-flat exposition one moment, telenovela melodrama the next-reminding you that subtlety wasn't high on the call sheet.

On the plus side, the movie leavens the carnage with genuinely funny, ironically staged moments-many courtesy of Erik, whose over-the-top flair steals scenes from our so-called protagonist-and the delightfully absurd chain reactions (who knew the garbage truck could be such a menace?).

Even though the film trudges into its predictable finale with all the subtlety of a wrecking ball, Bloodlines is pure adrenaline: brutal, energetic, and darkly comedic. In other words, exactly what you paid for when you bought that Final Destination ticket.