Final Destination 5
Encyclopedia
Final Destination 5 is a 2011 supernatural horror film written by Eric Heisserer
and directed by Steven Quale. It is the fifth installment in the Final Destination
film franchise and stars Nicholas D'Agosto
, Emma Bell
, Miles Fisher
, Arlen Escarpeta
, David Koechner
, and Tony Todd
(who is the only returning cast member of the series).
The motion picture's world premiere was August 4, 2011 at the Fantasia Festival
in Montreal, Canada. It was released in Real D 3D and digital IMAX 3D.
), who desires to have an apprenticeship in Paris
; his best friend Peter Freidkin (Miles Fisher
); Peter's girlfriend Candice Hooper (Ellen Wroe); and office assistant Olivia Castle (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood
). Along for the trip are Molly Harper (Emma Bell
), Sam's girlfriend, Peter's co-workers Isaac Palmer (P.J. Byrne) and Nathan Sears (Arlen Escarpeta
), and their boss Dennis Lapman (David Koechner
). While they cross the North Bay Bridge, Sam receives a premonition that it will collapse when their bus is still on it, killing everyone apart and except Molly. In panic, he grabs Molly and gets off the bus. Peter, Candice, Olivia, Nathan, Isaac, and Dennis follow. The bridge collapses as Sam foresaw, but this time they have been spared. Following the memorial service, local coroner
William Bludworth (Tony Todd
) mysteriously warns the survivors that they cheated Death
. They ignore his warnings and move on with their lives.
Later, Candice goes to gymnastics practice with Peter, only to be killed when she snaps her spine after flipping off the highbars
. The next day, Isaac is killed when his head is crushed by a falling Buddha
statue during an acupuncture session
at a Chinese spa. Bludworth, who has been present for both deaths so far, tells the remaining survivors that if they wish to cheat Death, they must each kill someone who was never meant to die on the bridge, and thereby claim their remaining lifespan. Sam and Molly suspected that Olivia is next and she's in danger, who has gone for laser eye surgery. They arrive at the clinic but are too late to see her fall to her death from a window onto a car's windshield. Later, after Sam and Molly studied Death's design, they notice that Nathan is next on Death's list.
Meanwhile, Nathan, who has returned to the plant, accidentally kills his antagonistic co-worker Roy (Brent Stait
) during an argument between the two when he shoves him in the path of a hook
, impaling his head. Nathan relays this information to the remaining survivors, who suggest that it means Nathan was successfully able to claim Roy's remaining lifespan and thus was skipped over. When Dennis arrives to question Nathan about the incident, he is suddenly killed when a stray wrench
is launched by a belt sander
and penetrated through his head.
That evening, Sam's mentor allows him to become an apprentice in Paris. He allows Sam to have the restaurant
to himself for a date with Molly. Peter, who has now been driven paranoid and insane by Candice's death, interrupts the date in order to inform them that he nearly pushed a stranger in front of a truck after convincing himself that he would be able to kill someone else in order to take their lifespan; subsequently, he has decided to kill Molly and take her remaining lifespan for himself. After drawing a gun and firing shots, Sam and Molly both escape to the restaurant's kitchen. Nearby outside, Agent Block (Courtney B. Vance
) overhears the shots and enters the restaurant. He arrives during the confrontation, but is shot and killed by Peter. Believing he is now safe from Death for taking Block's lifespan, he decides to kill both Molly and Sam to remove any witnesses. After some struggling, Sam kills Peter with a meat spit before he can harm Molly.
Two weeks later, Sam and Molly are boarding a plane to Paris. As they are taking their seats, a fight breaks out between two passengers, revealed to be Carter Horton and Alex Browning. As their argument irritates the other passengers being kicked out of the plane. The plane takes off, revealed to be Flight 180
, which starts to break up in mid-air. Realizing that they are too late to save themselves, both are killed in the resulting order.
Meanwhile, at Roy's memorial, Nathan learns from a co-worker that Roy had a brain aneurysm
that doctors said could have killed him at any moment. As Nathan realizes the repercussions of this information, the flaming landing gear
from Flight 180 crashes through the roof of the building and crushes him, with his cut hands flying over the screen.
, confirmed at ShoWest in March 2010 that Final Destination 5 was in works at ShoWest. Producer Craig Perry later added that the film will be shot in 3D
. Eric Heisserer
was announced as screenwriter in April 2010. The studio initially picked August 26, 2011 as the release date but later changed it to August 12, 2011. In June 2010, New Line Cinema
announced that Steven Quale would direct.
was the first to be cast in Final Destination 5. Three days after Fisher's casting, Arlen Escarpeta
, joined the film. In late August 2010 Nicholas D'Agosto
, Ellen Wroe and Meghan Ory
were. One day later, Tony Todd
, from the first three installments, joined the film.
On August 30, 2010, David Koechner
and P. J. Byrne
were announced to have joined the cast. On September 2, Emma Bell
was cast as the female lead; Molly. In mid-September both Jacqueline MacInnes Wood
and Courtney B. Vance
joined the main cast.
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Location filming returned to Vancouver
, where the first three films were shot. Principal photography
took place between September 13 to December 14, 2010.
Producers have said that this installment would be darker and more suspenseful in style to the original film
, rather than the almost comedic route of the fourth film.
Final Destination 3 star Chelan Simmons
revealed that the opening scene would be filmed on the Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver.
($25.5 million). It was also the third biggest Final Destination
opening to date behind 2009's The Final Destination ($27.4 million) and 2006's Final Destination 3
($19.1 million). Final Destination 5 grossed $42,587,643 domestically, and a strong $115.3 million overseas, bringing its total to $158,887,643 worldwide, making it the second highest grossing in the franchise.
reports that 61% of 119 critics have given the film a positive review, with an average rating of 5.8 out of 10, making it the first and as of yet only installment of the series to garner a "fresh" certification. It's currently the highest rated film in the series on the site. The site's consensus is, "It's still only for the gore-thirsty faithful, but Final Destination 5 represents a surprising return to form for the franchise". On Metacritic
, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, gives the film a score of 50 based on 24 reviews. The film was criticized for failing to bring anything new to the franchise, weak character development, and average dialogue. Though the reception to acting has been largely mixed, most positive reviews praised the film for being an improvement over the previous installment in the series, The Final Destination. Reviews also praised the use of 3D
, the visual effects
, the inventive death scenes, the return of suspense as opposed to a campy feel, and for both the premonition disaster sequence and the ending.
Richard Roeper
stated in his review "From the opening credits to the final kill this film displays a great use of 3-D." Todd Gilchrist of Boxoffice Magazine has declared the film in his review for being "the best 3D horror movie ever made." He described Final Destination 5 as "a clean, glossy thriller shot in native 3D (not post-conversion) that maximizes the technology without straining the audience's credulity or their constitutions." He also stated "Calling anything the 'best 3D horror film' has the ring of crowning the world's tallest midget, but Quale uses 3D almost shockingly well." In a review for Toronto.com, Linda Barnard has stated "this could be a case where the 3-D-shot movie is worth the extra few bucks to see".
The visual effects were praised for improving on the weak CGI
from the previous installment. Betty Jo Tucker of ReelTalk Movie Reviews said in her review "The film boasts some of the best visual effects ever, especially the bridge-crumbling sequence at the beginning of the film." In his review of Final Destination 5, Roger Ebert
said "...the special effects do an excellent job of beheading, incinerating, vivisecting, squishing and so on." "Final Destination 5 contain some of the most fun effects ever seen that purely enhance the thrills and bloody spills, rather than detract from them," stated Lisa Giles-Keddie from uk.real.com.
The death scenes in the film have been praised as being suspenseful, creative and shocking. Shockya.com said the deaths "are absolutely brilliant when it comes to building suspense". "The suspense comes from the ingenious methods that the characters meet their end" stated another reviewer from shockya.com. Boxoffice magazine said in praise "viewers connect to both the relatable pain of everyday injury and the gory gratification of a well-constructed, larger-than-life set piece." Nj.com has said "Admitted, there is a certain inventiveness to the way director Steven Quale stages the violence." San Francisco Chronicle said that the characters are "killed in gruesome and spectacular ways." The gymnastic set piece has been praised as "anxiety-filled", "a beautiful example of successful comic suspense", "Hitchcockian edge-of-your-seat suspense", and "inventively grotesque". Film.com stated in their review "The subsequent deaths are hit-or-miss, but they all show some creative spark. Quale sets them up like a cross between a joke and a magic trick, carefully establishing crucial details."
The opening bridge collapse has garnered considerable critical praise, with many stating it as being on par with the pile up sequence from Final Destination 2
. It has been said to be "one of the single best sequences of any film all year" by Boxoffice magazine. Uk.real.com stated that the opening bridge collapse sequence is "beautifully directed and choreographed". Eric D. Snider has stated in his review for Film.com that "The opening premonition is nerve-janglingly effective." The New York Post has called the bridge collapse sequence "spectacular", and Daily News has call it "terrifying". USA today has commented on the sequence "The effect is terrific and reminiscent of the bridge destruction from Mission: Impossible III
." Betsy Sharkey, a Los Angeles Times
film critic stated in her negative review "I will say, the bus, and the bridge it must cross, does make for a pretty incredible wham-bam opening sequence," she further adds "The big crumble is a stunner of an opener." In a review for MSN.com, Kat Murphy said "the fifth chapter starts out with a slambang catastrophe", then stated that the bridge collapse is "Skillfully orchestrated," and "this sequence is actually enhanced by 3-D: Holes in the disintegrating bridge seem to pull the gaze down -- dizzyingly -- to the river below, and jagged camera angles on hanging railings and sliding debris muddle our sense of what's up, what's down." The Hollywood Reporter praised "This film’s opening sequence is undeniably spectacular." Aaron Hillis from The Village Voice called the bridge collapse "breathtakingly staged". The Advocate stated that "Director Steve Quale and writer Heisserer stage the bridge’s collapse in swift but exacting detail." The Austin Chronicle said the bridge collapse sequence is "spectacularly gruesome".
, music composer of The Final Destination. It is also the second Final Destination
soundtrack album to be released.
, omitting commercially released songs that were featured in the film.
Commercial songs from film, but not on soundtrack
Eric Heisserer
- Career :Heisserer's professional screenwriting career was launched with the sale of The Dionaea House to Warner Bros. in 2005, based on an online epistolary story of the same name that he wrote in October 2004. He then developed an original television pilot for Paramount Pictures and CBS, and...
and directed by Steven Quale. It is the fifth installment in the Final Destination
Final Destination (film series)
The Final Destination series is a series of horror films based on an unproduced script written by Jeffrey Reddick for the X-Files television series. Distributed by New Line Cinema, all five films are centered on the themes of fatalism, predestination, and precognition, in relation to death...
film franchise and stars Nicholas D'Agosto
Nicholas D'Agosto
- Early life :D'Agosto was born in Omaha, Nebraska, the son of Deanna Rae and Alen D'Agosto, who own several Arby's in Omaha. His father is Italian and his mother is of Dutch and English descent. He was raised Catholic and selected Genesius of Rome, the patron saint of actors, as his confirmation...
, Emma Bell
Emma Bell
Emma Jean Bell is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Parker O'Neil, one of the main characters in the 2010 film Frozen, and as Amy in The Walking Dead. Bell played the female lead in the thriller-horror film Final Destination 5...
, Miles Fisher
Miles Fisher
Miles Fisher is an American film and television actor and musician. Born as James Leslie Miles Fisher, he was raised in Dallas, Texas until his family moved to Washington, D.C. He was educated at the St. Albans School in Washington, D.C...
, Arlen Escarpeta
Arlen Escarpeta
Arlen Alexander Escarpeta is a Belizean actor. He is best known for his roles as Lawrence in the 2009 remake of Friday the 13th and as Mike in the 2010 drama Brotherhood...
, David Koechner
David Koechner
David Michael Koechner is an American comedian, musician, and character actor. Koechner began studying improvisational comedy in Chicago at the ImprovOlympic, under the teachings of Del Close, before joining the Second City Northwest...
, and Tony Todd
Tony Todd
Anthony T. "Tony" Todd is an American actor and movie producer, known for his height of 6'5", and deep voice. He is well known for playing the Candyman in the horror movie franchise of the same name, William Bludworth in Final Destination and for guest starring roles on numerous television...
(who is the only returning cast member of the series).
The motion picture's world premiere was August 4, 2011 at the Fantasia Festival
Fantasia Festival
Fantasia International Film Festival is a genre film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996...
in Montreal, Canada. It was released in Real D 3D and digital IMAX 3D.
Plot
A group of co-workers are gathering for a company retreat. The group includes Sam Lawton (Nicholas D'AgostoNicholas D'Agosto
- Early life :D'Agosto was born in Omaha, Nebraska, the son of Deanna Rae and Alen D'Agosto, who own several Arby's in Omaha. His father is Italian and his mother is of Dutch and English descent. He was raised Catholic and selected Genesius of Rome, the patron saint of actors, as his confirmation...
), who desires to have an apprenticeship in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
; his best friend Peter Freidkin (Miles Fisher
Miles Fisher
Miles Fisher is an American film and television actor and musician. Born as James Leslie Miles Fisher, he was raised in Dallas, Texas until his family moved to Washington, D.C. He was educated at the St. Albans School in Washington, D.C...
); Peter's girlfriend Candice Hooper (Ellen Wroe); and office assistant Olivia Castle (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood
Jacqueline MacInnes Wood
Jacqueline MacInnes Wood is a Canadian actress perhaps best known for her role as Steffy Forrester on the long-running American soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. She is also known for her role in the Disney XD television movie Skyrunners and appeared in Horror film Final Destination 5...
). Along for the trip are Molly Harper (Emma Bell
Emma Bell
Emma Jean Bell is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Parker O'Neil, one of the main characters in the 2010 film Frozen, and as Amy in The Walking Dead. Bell played the female lead in the thriller-horror film Final Destination 5...
), Sam's girlfriend, Peter's co-workers Isaac Palmer (P.J. Byrne) and Nathan Sears (Arlen Escarpeta
Arlen Escarpeta
Arlen Alexander Escarpeta is a Belizean actor. He is best known for his roles as Lawrence in the 2009 remake of Friday the 13th and as Mike in the 2010 drama Brotherhood...
), and their boss Dennis Lapman (David Koechner
David Koechner
David Michael Koechner is an American comedian, musician, and character actor. Koechner began studying improvisational comedy in Chicago at the ImprovOlympic, under the teachings of Del Close, before joining the Second City Northwest...
). While they cross the North Bay Bridge, Sam receives a premonition that it will collapse when their bus is still on it, killing everyone apart and except Molly. In panic, he grabs Molly and gets off the bus. Peter, Candice, Olivia, Nathan, Isaac, and Dennis follow. The bridge collapses as Sam foresaw, but this time they have been spared. Following the memorial service, local coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
William Bludworth (Tony Todd
Tony Todd
Anthony T. "Tony" Todd is an American actor and movie producer, known for his height of 6'5", and deep voice. He is well known for playing the Candyman in the horror movie franchise of the same name, William Bludworth in Final Destination and for guest starring roles on numerous television...
) mysteriously warns the survivors that they cheated Death
Death (personification)
The concept of death as a sentient entity has existed in many societies since the beginning of history. In English, Death is often given the name Grim Reaper and, from the 15th century onwards, came to be shown as a skeletal figure carrying a large scythe and clothed in a black cloak with a hood...
. They ignore his warnings and move on with their lives.
Later, Candice goes to gymnastics practice with Peter, only to be killed when she snaps her spine after flipping off the highbars
Horizontal bar
The high bar, also known as the horizontal bar, is an apparatus used by male gymnasts in Artistic Gymnastics. It traditionally consists of a cylindrical metal bar that is rigidly held above and parallel to the floor by a system of cables and stiff vertical supports. Gymnasts typically wear leather...
. The next day, Isaac is killed when his head is crushed by a falling Buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
statue during an acupuncture session
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a type of alternative medicine that treats patients by insertion and manipulation of solid, generally thin needles in the body....
at a Chinese spa. Bludworth, who has been present for both deaths so far, tells the remaining survivors that if they wish to cheat Death, they must each kill someone who was never meant to die on the bridge, and thereby claim their remaining lifespan. Sam and Molly suspected that Olivia is next and she's in danger, who has gone for laser eye surgery. They arrive at the clinic but are too late to see her fall to her death from a window onto a car's windshield. Later, after Sam and Molly studied Death's design, they notice that Nathan is next on Death's list.
Meanwhile, Nathan, who has returned to the plant, accidentally kills his antagonistic co-worker Roy (Brent Stait
Brent Stait
Brent Stait is a Canadian actor, best known for his roles as Rev Bem in the science fiction television series Andromeda and Louis Ferretti in Stargate SG-1...
) during an argument between the two when he shoves him in the path of a hook
Lifting hook
A lifting hook is a device for grabbing and lifting loads by means of a device such as a hoist or crane. A lifting hook is usually equipped with a safety latch to prevent the disengagement of the lifting wire rope sling, chain or rope to which the load is attached.A hook may have one or more...
, impaling his head. Nathan relays this information to the remaining survivors, who suggest that it means Nathan was successfully able to claim Roy's remaining lifespan and thus was skipped over. When Dennis arrives to question Nathan about the incident, he is suddenly killed when a stray wrench
Wrench
A wrench or spanner is a tool used to provide grip and mechanical advantage in applying torque to turn objects—usually rotary fasteners, such as nuts and bolts—or keep them from turning....
is launched by a belt sander
Belt sander
A belt sander is a machine used to sand down wood and other materials for finishing purposes. It consists of an electrical motor that turns a pair of drums on which a seamless loop of sandpaper is mounted. Belt sanders can be either hand-held, where the sander is moved over the material, or...
and penetrated through his head.
That evening, Sam's mentor allows him to become an apprentice in Paris. He allows Sam to have the restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
to himself for a date with Molly. Peter, who has now been driven paranoid and insane by Candice's death, interrupts the date in order to inform them that he nearly pushed a stranger in front of a truck after convincing himself that he would be able to kill someone else in order to take their lifespan; subsequently, he has decided to kill Molly and take her remaining lifespan for himself. After drawing a gun and firing shots, Sam and Molly both escape to the restaurant's kitchen. Nearby outside, Agent Block (Courtney B. Vance
Courtney B. Vance
Courtney Bernard Vance is an American actor. He was formerly a regular on the NBC/USA television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent as Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver. He was also a series regular on the ABC series FlashForward. As of 2011, he appears on the TNT series The Closer as Chief...
) overhears the shots and enters the restaurant. He arrives during the confrontation, but is shot and killed by Peter. Believing he is now safe from Death for taking Block's lifespan, he decides to kill both Molly and Sam to remove any witnesses. After some struggling, Sam kills Peter with a meat spit before he can harm Molly.
Two weeks later, Sam and Molly are boarding a plane to Paris. As they are taking their seats, a fight breaks out between two passengers, revealed to be Carter Horton and Alex Browning. As their argument irritates the other passengers being kicked out of the plane. The plane takes off, revealed to be Flight 180
Final Destination
Final Destination is a 2000 supernatural slasher film written and directed by James Wong. The film was co-written by Glen Morgan and Jeffrey Reddick, both of them having previously worked with Wong in the TV series The X-Files. The film stars Devon Sawa, Ali Larter, Kerr Smith and Tony Todd...
, which starts to break up in mid-air. Realizing that they are too late to save themselves, both are killed in the resulting order.
Meanwhile, at Roy's memorial, Nathan learns from a co-worker that Roy had a brain aneurysm
Aneurysm
An aneurysm or aneurism is a localized, blood-filled balloon-like bulge in the wall of a blood vessel. Aneurysms can commonly occur in arteries at the base of the brain and an aortic aneurysm occurs in the main artery carrying blood from the left ventricle of the heart...
that doctors said could have killed him at any moment. As Nathan realizes the repercussions of this information, the flaming landing gear
Landing Gear
Landing Gear is Devin the Dude's fifth studio album. It was released on October 7, 2008. It was his first studio album since signing with the label Razor & Tie. It features a high-profile guest appearance from Snoop Dogg. As of October 30, 2008, the album has sold 18,906 copies.-Track...
from Flight 180 crashes through the roof of the building and crushes him, with his cut hands flying over the screen.
Cast
- Nicholas D'AgostoNicholas D'Agosto- Early life :D'Agosto was born in Omaha, Nebraska, the son of Deanna Rae and Alen D'Agosto, who own several Arby's in Omaha. His father is Italian and his mother is of Dutch and English descent. He was raised Catholic and selected Genesius of Rome, the patron saint of actors, as his confirmation...
as Sam Lawton - Emma BellEmma BellEmma Jean Bell is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Parker O'Neil, one of the main characters in the 2010 film Frozen, and as Amy in The Walking Dead. Bell played the female lead in the thriller-horror film Final Destination 5...
as Molly Harper - Miles FisherMiles FisherMiles Fisher is an American film and television actor and musician. Born as James Leslie Miles Fisher, he was raised in Dallas, Texas until his family moved to Washington, D.C. He was educated at the St. Albans School in Washington, D.C...
as Peter Friedkin - Ellen Wroe as Candice Hooper
- Jacqueline MacInnes WoodJacqueline MacInnes WoodJacqueline MacInnes Wood is a Canadian actress perhaps best known for her role as Steffy Forrester on the long-running American soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. She is also known for her role in the Disney XD television movie Skyrunners and appeared in Horror film Final Destination 5...
as Olivia Castle - P. J. ByrneP. J. ByrnePaul Jeffrey "P. J." Byrne is an American television actor, most known for his recurring role of Irv Smiff Sachs on the sitcom The Game....
as Isaac Palmer - Arlen EscarpetaArlen EscarpetaArlen Alexander Escarpeta is a Belizean actor. He is best known for his roles as Lawrence in the 2009 remake of Friday the 13th and as Mike in the 2010 drama Brotherhood...
as Nathan Sears - David KoechnerDavid KoechnerDavid Michael Koechner is an American comedian, musician, and character actor. Koechner began studying improvisational comedy in Chicago at the ImprovOlympic, under the teachings of Del Close, before joining the Second City Northwest...
as Dennis Lapman - Courtney B. VanceCourtney B. VanceCourtney Bernard Vance is an American actor. He was formerly a regular on the NBC/USA television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent as Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver. He was also a series regular on the ABC series FlashForward. As of 2011, he appears on the TNT series The Closer as Chief...
as Agent Jim Block - Tony ToddTony ToddAnthony T. "Tony" Todd is an American actor and movie producer, known for his height of 6'5", and deep voice. He is well known for playing the Candyman in the horror movie franchise of the same name, William Bludworth in Final Destination and for guest starring roles on numerous television...
as William BludworthWilliam BludworthWilliam Bludworth is a fictional character the the Final Destination film series, portrayed by Tony Todd in Final Destination, Final Destination 2, and Final Destination 5... - Brent StaitBrent StaitBrent Stait is a Canadian actor, best known for his roles as Rev Bem in the science fiction television series Andromeda and Louis Ferretti in Stargate SG-1...
as Roy - Devon SawaDevon SawaDevon Edward Sawa is a Canadian actor. Although he appears in independent films, he is best known for portraying the part of Alex Browning in the 1999 movie Final Destination...
as Alex BrowningAlex BrowningAlexander Chance Browning is the protagonist of Final Destination portrayed by Devon Sawa. He is a senior student of Mt. Abraham High and is one of the students aboard Voleé Airlines Flight 180. He is the sixth survivor of Flight 180 to die....
(archive footage) - Kerr SmithKerr SmithKerr Van Cleve Smith is an American actor best known for playing Jack McPhee on The WB drama series Dawson's Creek, Kyle Brody in The WB's, supernatural drama, Charmed and more recently Axel Palmer in My Bloody Valentine 3D...
as Carter Horton (archive footage)
Development
Alan Horn, the head of Warner Bros.Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
, confirmed at ShoWest in March 2010 that Final Destination 5 was in works at ShoWest. Producer Craig Perry later added that the film will be shot in 3D
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
. Eric Heisserer
Eric Heisserer
- Career :Heisserer's professional screenwriting career was launched with the sale of The Dionaea House to Warner Bros. in 2005, based on an online epistolary story of the same name that he wrote in October 2004. He then developed an original television pilot for Paramount Pictures and CBS, and...
was announced as screenwriter in April 2010. The studio initially picked August 26, 2011 as the release date but later changed it to August 12, 2011. In June 2010, New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema, often simply referred to as New Line, is an American film studio. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne as a film distributor, later becoming an independent film studio. It became a subsidiary of Time Warner in 1996 and was merged with larger sister studio Warner...
announced that Steven Quale would direct.
Casting
In August 2010, actor and musician Miles FisherMiles Fisher
Miles Fisher is an American film and television actor and musician. Born as James Leslie Miles Fisher, he was raised in Dallas, Texas until his family moved to Washington, D.C. He was educated at the St. Albans School in Washington, D.C...
was the first to be cast in Final Destination 5. Three days after Fisher's casting, Arlen Escarpeta
Arlen Escarpeta
Arlen Alexander Escarpeta is a Belizean actor. He is best known for his roles as Lawrence in the 2009 remake of Friday the 13th and as Mike in the 2010 drama Brotherhood...
, joined the film. In late August 2010 Nicholas D'Agosto
Nicholas D'Agosto
- Early life :D'Agosto was born in Omaha, Nebraska, the son of Deanna Rae and Alen D'Agosto, who own several Arby's in Omaha. His father is Italian and his mother is of Dutch and English descent. He was raised Catholic and selected Genesius of Rome, the patron saint of actors, as his confirmation...
, Ellen Wroe and Meghan Ory
Meghan Ory
-Life and career:Ory was born in Victoria, British Columbia and attended Royal Oak Middle School and then Claremont Secondary School. After receiving the Fine Arts Award for Acting from Royal Oak in 1996, she began pursuing a career in acting...
were. One day later, Tony Todd
Tony Todd
Anthony T. "Tony" Todd is an American actor and movie producer, known for his height of 6'5", and deep voice. He is well known for playing the Candyman in the horror movie franchise of the same name, William Bludworth in Final Destination and for guest starring roles on numerous television...
, from the first three installments, joined the film.
On August 30, 2010, David Koechner
David Koechner
David Michael Koechner is an American comedian, musician, and character actor. Koechner began studying improvisational comedy in Chicago at the ImprovOlympic, under the teachings of Del Close, before joining the Second City Northwest...
and P. J. Byrne
P. J. Byrne
Paul Jeffrey "P. J." Byrne is an American television actor, most known for his recurring role of Irv Smiff Sachs on the sitcom The Game....
were announced to have joined the cast. On September 2, Emma Bell
Emma Bell
Emma Jean Bell is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Parker O'Neil, one of the main characters in the 2010 film Frozen, and as Amy in The Walking Dead. Bell played the female lead in the thriller-horror film Final Destination 5...
was cast as the female lead; Molly. In mid-September both Jacqueline MacInnes Wood
Jacqueline MacInnes Wood
Jacqueline MacInnes Wood is a Canadian actress perhaps best known for her role as Steffy Forrester on the long-running American soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. She is also known for her role in the Disney XD television movie Skyrunners and appeared in Horror film Final Destination 5...
and Courtney B. Vance
Courtney B. Vance
Courtney Bernard Vance is an American actor. He was formerly a regular on the NBC/USA television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent as Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver. He was also a series regular on the ABC series FlashForward. As of 2011, he appears on the TNT series The Closer as Chief...
joined the main cast.
Filming
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, where the first three films were shot. Principal photography
Principal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
took place between September 13 to December 14, 2010.
Producers have said that this installment would be darker and more suspenseful in style to the original film
Final Destination
Final Destination is a 2000 supernatural slasher film written and directed by James Wong. The film was co-written by Glen Morgan and Jeffrey Reddick, both of them having previously worked with Wong in the TV series The X-Files. The film stars Devon Sawa, Ali Larter, Kerr Smith and Tony Todd...
, rather than the almost comedic route of the fourth film.
Final Destination 3 star Chelan Simmons
Chelan Simmons
Chelan Simmons is a Canadian actress, professional model and performer.-Early life:Simmons was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, the middle child of three .-Career:...
revealed that the opening scene would be filmed on the Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver.
Box office
Final Destination 5 ranked #3 at the weekend box office with $18.4 million behind Rise of the Planet of the Apes ($27.5 million), which holds the top spot for two weeks, and The HelpThe Help (film)
The Help is a 2011 comedy-drama film adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's novel of the same name. The film is about a young white woman, Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, and her relationship with two black maids during Civil Rights era America in the early 1960s...
($25.5 million). It was also the third biggest Final Destination
Final Destination (film series)
The Final Destination series is a series of horror films based on an unproduced script written by Jeffrey Reddick for the X-Files television series. Distributed by New Line Cinema, all five films are centered on the themes of fatalism, predestination, and precognition, in relation to death...
opening to date behind 2009's The Final Destination ($27.4 million) and 2006's Final Destination 3
Final Destination 3
Final Destination 3 is a 2006 supernatural slasher film, and the third film in the Final Destination series. The film was directed and written by James Wong, who co-wrote and directed the first film, and was produced by Craig Perry. It was released in North America on February 10, 2006...
($19.1 million). Final Destination 5 grossed $42,587,643 domestically, and a strong $115.3 million overseas, bringing its total to $158,887,643 worldwide, making it the second highest grossing in the franchise.
Critical reception
The film received generally positive reviews. Review aggregator Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reports that 61% of 119 critics have given the film a positive review, with an average rating of 5.8 out of 10, making it the first and as of yet only installment of the series to garner a "fresh" certification. It's currently the highest rated film in the series on the site. The site's consensus is, "It's still only for the gore-thirsty faithful, but Final Destination 5 represents a surprising return to form for the franchise". On Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, gives the film a score of 50 based on 24 reviews. The film was criticized for failing to bring anything new to the franchise, weak character development, and average dialogue. Though the reception to acting has been largely mixed, most positive reviews praised the film for being an improvement over the previous installment in the series, The Final Destination. Reviews also praised the use of 3D
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
, the visual effects
Visual effects
Visual effects are the various processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shoot. Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or...
, the inventive death scenes, the return of suspense as opposed to a campy feel, and for both the premonition disaster sequence and the ending.
Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper
Richard E. Roeper is an American columnist and film critic for The Chicago Sun-Times and now a co-host on The Roe Conn Show on WLS-AM...
stated in his review "From the opening credits to the final kill this film displays a great use of 3-D." Todd Gilchrist of Boxoffice Magazine has declared the film in his review for being "the best 3D horror movie ever made." He described Final Destination 5 as "a clean, glossy thriller shot in native 3D (not post-conversion) that maximizes the technology without straining the audience's credulity or their constitutions." He also stated "Calling anything the 'best 3D horror film' has the ring of crowning the world's tallest midget, but Quale uses 3D almost shockingly well." In a review for Toronto.com, Linda Barnard has stated "this could be a case where the 3-D-shot movie is worth the extra few bucks to see".
The visual effects were praised for improving on the weak CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
from the previous installment. Betty Jo Tucker of ReelTalk Movie Reviews said in her review "The film boasts some of the best visual effects ever, especially the bridge-crumbling sequence at the beginning of the film." In his review of Final Destination 5, Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
said "...the special effects do an excellent job of beheading, incinerating, vivisecting, squishing and so on." "Final Destination 5 contain some of the most fun effects ever seen that purely enhance the thrills and bloody spills, rather than detract from them," stated Lisa Giles-Keddie from uk.real.com.
The death scenes in the film have been praised as being suspenseful, creative and shocking. Shockya.com said the deaths "are absolutely brilliant when it comes to building suspense". "The suspense comes from the ingenious methods that the characters meet their end" stated another reviewer from shockya.com. Boxoffice magazine said in praise "viewers connect to both the relatable pain of everyday injury and the gory gratification of a well-constructed, larger-than-life set piece." Nj.com has said "Admitted, there is a certain inventiveness to the way director Steven Quale stages the violence." San Francisco Chronicle said that the characters are "killed in gruesome and spectacular ways." The gymnastic set piece has been praised as "anxiety-filled", "a beautiful example of successful comic suspense", "Hitchcockian edge-of-your-seat suspense", and "inventively grotesque". Film.com stated in their review "The subsequent deaths are hit-or-miss, but they all show some creative spark. Quale sets them up like a cross between a joke and a magic trick, carefully establishing crucial details."
The opening bridge collapse has garnered considerable critical praise, with many stating it as being on par with the pile up sequence from Final Destination 2
Final Destination 2
Final Destination 2 is a 2003 supernatural horror film and the sequel to the 2000 film Final Destination and was directed by David R. Ellis. It was written by Jeffrey Reddick, Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber. The film stars Ali Larter, A. J. Cook, Michael Landes and Tony Todd...
. It has been said to be "one of the single best sequences of any film all year" by Boxoffice magazine. Uk.real.com stated that the opening bridge collapse sequence is "beautifully directed and choreographed". Eric D. Snider has stated in his review for Film.com that "The opening premonition is nerve-janglingly effective." The New York Post has called the bridge collapse sequence "spectacular", and Daily News has call it "terrifying". USA today has commented on the sequence "The effect is terrific and reminiscent of the bridge destruction from Mission: Impossible III
Mission: Impossible III
Mission: Impossible III is a 2006 spy film, the third based on the spy-themed television series Mission: Impossible starring Tom Cruise who reprises his role of IMF agent Ethan Hunt....
." Betsy Sharkey, a Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
film critic stated in her negative review "I will say, the bus, and the bridge it must cross, does make for a pretty incredible wham-bam opening sequence," she further adds "The big crumble is a stunner of an opener." In a review for MSN.com, Kat Murphy said "the fifth chapter starts out with a slambang catastrophe", then stated that the bridge collapse is "Skillfully orchestrated," and "this sequence is actually enhanced by 3-D: Holes in the disintegrating bridge seem to pull the gaze down -- dizzyingly -- to the river below, and jagged camera angles on hanging railings and sliding debris muddle our sense of what's up, what's down." The Hollywood Reporter praised "This film’s opening sequence is undeniably spectacular." Aaron Hillis from The Village Voice called the bridge collapse "breathtakingly staged". The Advocate stated that "Director Steve Quale and writer Heisserer stage the bridge’s collapse in swift but exacting detail." The Austin Chronicle said the bridge collapse sequence is "spectacularly gruesome".
Home media
Warner Home Video has announced a December 27, 2011 release for Final Destination 5 in 3D and 2D DVD and Blu-ray with Apollo 18.Soundtrack
The soundtrack to Final Destination 5 was released physically on the 16th of August in 2011, four days after the release of the film. The soundtrack contains 19 tracks composed by Brian TylerBrian Tyler (composer)
Brian Tyler is an American composer, producer, conductor, and film producer most known for his scores of Eagle Eye, The Expendables, Battle: Los Angeles, The Final Destination, Rambo, Fast & Furious, Fast Five, and Final Destination 5. Tyler is a symphonic conductor and conducts his own scores....
, music composer of The Final Destination. It is also the second Final Destination
Final Destination (film series)
The Final Destination series is a series of horror films based on an unproduced script written by Jeffrey Reddick for the X-Files television series. Distributed by New Line Cinema, all five films are centered on the themes of fatalism, predestination, and precognition, in relation to death...
soundtrack album to be released.
Track listing
The album contains 19 cues composed by Brian TylerBrian Tyler (composer)
Brian Tyler is an American composer, producer, conductor, and film producer most known for his scores of Eagle Eye, The Expendables, Battle: Los Angeles, The Final Destination, Rambo, Fast & Furious, Fast Five, and Final Destination 5. Tyler is a symphonic conductor and conducts his own scores....
, omitting commercially released songs that were featured in the film.
- "Main Title" (3:47)
- "Fates Bridge" (6:31)
- "Repercussions" (4:06)
- "Kill or Be Killed" (4:30)
- "Cheating Death" (2:13)
- "Bludworth" (2:43)
- "Death's Work" (10:12)
- "Olivia" (1:35)
- "Eye Can't See No Good" (4:16)
- "The Gift Certificate" (2:50)
- "Meet the Gang" (1:10)
- "Hook in Mouth" (2:09)
- "Isaac's Got a Point" (2:08)
- "Recognition" (0:59)
- "Mystery" (2:47)
- "Bend Over Backwards" (4:38)
- "The Order of Death" (7:20)
- "Plans Within Plans" (3:45)
- "Infinite Finale" (1:31)
Commercial songs from film, but not on soundtrack
- "I Will Buy You a New LifeI Will Buy You a New Life"I Will Buy You a New Life" is a rock song by the band Everclear from their 1997 album So Much for the Afterglow. It peaked at number three on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart, number 20 on the Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks chart, and number 31 on the Top 40 Mainstream chart...
", by EverclearEverclear (band)Everclear is a rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1992 best known for their radio hits spanning more than a decade. For most of its existence, Everclear has consisted of Art Alexakis , Craig Montoya , and Greg Eklund . Eklund replaced original drummer Scott Cuthbert in 1994... - "Dust in the WindDust in the Wind"Dust in the Wind" is a song by American progressive rock band Kansas, first released on their 1977 album Point of Know Return.The song peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of April 22, 1978, making it Kansas' only top ten Billboard Hot 100 charting single...
", by KansasKansas (band)Kansas is an American rock band that became popular in the 1970s initially on Album-Oriented Rock charts, and later with hit singles such as "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind"... - "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)", by AC/DCAC/DCAC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...