FD5 Spoiler Thread
No, this is not a remake of A Clockwork Orange.
At the request of Mr. Leydon, a spoiler thread for commenters who want to discuss Final Destination 5. Woe is blog.
May 6, 2024
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It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?
So I decided on three writers that I might be able to option their material and get some producer, or myself as producer, and then get some writer to do a screenplay on it, and maybe make a movie.
And so the three projects were “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” “Naked Lunch” and a collection of Bukowski. Which, in 1975, forget it — I mean, that was nuts. Hollywood would not touch any of that, but I was looking for something commercial, and I thought that all of these things were coming.
There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.
I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.
So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.
But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”
My friend paid my rent for a year while I wrote, because it turned out we couldn’t get a writer. My friends kept on me about, well, if you can’t get a writer, then you write.”
~ Hampton Fancher
“That was the most disappointing thing to me in how this thing was played. Is that I’m on the phone with you now, after all that’s been said, and the fundamental distinction between what James is dealing with in these other cases is not actually brought to the fore. The fundamental difference is that James Franco didn’t seek to use his position to have sex with anyone. There’s not a case of that. He wasn’t using his position or status to try to solicit a sexual favor from anyone. If he had — if that were what the accusation involved — the show would not have gone on. We would have folded up shop and we would have not completed the show. Because then it would have been the same as Harvey Weinstein, or Les Moonves, or any of these cases that are fundamental to this new paradigm. Did you not notice that? Why did you not notice that? Is that not something notable to say, journalistically? Because nobody could find the voice to say it. I’m not just being rhetorical. Why is it that you and the other critics, none of you could find the voice to say, “You know, it’s not this, it’s that”? Because — let me go on and speak further to this. If you go back to the L.A. Times piece, that’s what it lacked. That’s what they were not able to deliver. The one example in the five that involved an issue of a sexual act was between James and a woman he was dating, who he was not working with. There was no professional dynamic in any capacity.
~ David Simon
Second best movie in the series, if you ask me (“2” is by far the best). And, although this is a spoiler thread, I can’t bring myself to spoil that ending, which is mighty clever.
I still prefer the first film, as it plays as a real movie with genuine pathos, a brutally somber tone, and a refusal to play the deaths for laughs. I don’t know yet if I like part 5 better than part 2 (haven’t seen 2 in awhile, but I loved the idea that the survivors are all strangers and mostly adults with adult responsibilities and what-not), but it is miles better than 3 and 4. And yes, I agree with Chris. There are several wonderful surprises (the gym scene is crafted so well it’s positively Hitchcock-ian), and I see no need to spoil them for anyone who would enjoy this kind of thing. The 3D is terrific, the pay-offs work and, if you can stomach the whole assembly-line plotting and deeply cynical nature of the whole series (which ironically stems from test-audience-mandated reshoots of part 1’s originally dramatic finale), it’s darn good trashy fun. And bonus points for acknowledging that the hot burnette (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) is even hotter WITH glasses. Since this is a spoiler thread, the moral of her story is “Keep your glasses… be hotter, live longer”.
OK, did anyone else notice the date on the poster where the gymnastic events took place? Can’t say I thought much about it at the time — but could that have been the first hint of what would happen in the final scene?
Joe, the expiration date on the spa gift certificate is also some time in 2001, which is another clue. Isaac’s cell phone is also decidedly “un-modern.”
JoJo: Good catches.
…and there’s a scene where, in any other movie made today, the guy would be writing on a tablet computer. Instead, he’s doing it in longhand.
Chris: Another good catch. I suspect that, a few months from now, it’ll be a gas re-watching FD5 on DVD and counting the planted clues. Sort of like re-watching Citizen Kane — a movie I never expected to reference on a Final Destination thread — and counting the times Orson Welles waved that frickin’ sled in our faces
What I noticed (and I assume we’re into spoiler territory here, if anyone cares!) is that the ringtones were really cheesy and clunky sounding. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but going back over the movie in my head after the ending, I thought, huh, they really didn’t seem to slip up and include stuff that would’ve contradicted the ending.
There are also several visual references to the earlier movies throughout. The hot girl with the glasses Scott mentions is seen in a picture frame from a rollercoaster — I believe it’s the rollercoaster from FD3. Early in the movie, on the bus, they pass a truck carrying logs, a la the opening of FD2. And there’s some kind of a model airplane, nodding to FD1, early on in someone’s room or office or something.
But I have to say, no, this movie is not even close to best or even second-best of the series. I agree with Scott about how the first one plays it more straight, although, come on, it’s Morgan and Wong; I don’t think they didn’t expect anyone to at least giggle darkly at some of those Rube Goldberg deaths (though they were far less cartoonish in that one, to my knowledge). There is a dark sense of humor to the first one, but it is also played much more human — I read some Rotten Tomatoes stuff saying the FD5 acting is surprisingly good? Eh. I’d say that about the first one: surprisingly decent performances throughout that movie.
2 and 3 I don’t remember as well, except that I think I liked #3 more at the time than #2, even though there are some spectacular sequences in 2. Maybe I just prefer Morgan + Wong to Ellis (although I do like some Ellis movies a lot, especially Cellular! Anyone remember that one? Chris Evans and Jason Statham and I think Kim Basinger? Pretty slick, fun pulpy thriller). Plus, Mary Elizabeth Winstead? That counts for something, right? I pretty much like the initial trilogy: first one is the best, but 2 and 3 are inventive fun/silly slasher movies.
#4 is clearly the worst, and #5 had some of the same problems: boring actors (although they’re more boringly competent than awful, like some of the #4 people), computer-y cheesy-looking gore, and spending waaaayyyyy too much time before the characters have the “hey! we’re dying in the same order as in the vision!” revelation. I couldn’t believe I was watching the fifth fucking movie of the series where that gets figured out later than 40 minutes in. It feels a little more serious and less of a cheesy jape than the fourth one (I was sad that Ellis directed such a direct-to-video-reboot-looking-and-sounding movie!) and that twist at the end is clever enough, but it still kind of dawdles in the middle, shuffling the same Final Destination elements around. Also, while I like the murder angle, I feel like that should’ve come into it way, way earlier. I mean, we’re on the fifth entry; maybe we could’ve brought in an actually interesting new idea earlier than the proverbial last reel. There are some good sequences, though, far moreso than in #4; as Scott says, that gymnastics sequence was actually suspenseful, something that never happened in #4.
Jesse: But given the ending of FD5, doesn’t it really make sense that the characters would take a long time to figure out what was happening? Think about it.
Joe, sure, that makes sense in the context of the story, but:
(a.) It’s not as if the characters in FD3 or FD4 (or FD1) had someone explain the order thing to them, so while it does make sense, it did seem like these characters were a little slower on the uptake
and moreover:
(b.) It may make the movie more logical, but as the fifth entry in the series, it doesn’t make it more enjoyable to watch.
I can see what’s you’r getting at, Jesse. And I admit: It did see a bit odd to me at first that no one said something on the order of, “Hey, remember that plane crash a few years ago?” But, as I said, the ending changes everything — and when I replayed the movie in my mind afterwards, I was more appreciative and amused. Indeed, while I realize I’m likely giving this film more thought than it deserves, it even adds a new dimension to Tony Todd’s performance in the first film. When he says “Death is the Mack Daddy you don’t want to fuck with,” well, when you hear that line now…
I liked that the main guy was either a corporate paper company exec… or a professional sous chef, depending on what was required of each scene. Tom Cruise was pretty good too.
I also liked all the 3D feet in the gymnastics scene. Yay!
Lex is back!
Yay…. I think.
Because of Joe’s championing of FD5-3D I went out and saw it today, and I had an incredibly fun time with it. The 3-D was honestly top notch, and the bridge set piece at the beginning was incredible, the best use of the format I’ve seen other than AVATAR. A couple of the drops and falls were breath taking, and I found myself gasping throughout and then laughing to myself afterwards. All of the death sequences were clever and made me wince. Yes, the gymnast scene was terribly well done but what about the Lasik surgery! Holy crap, was that hard to sit through…It was some Fulci level eye-violence, and I appreciated it mightily as I watched it while squirming.
The one thing I really loved was the whole actively trying to kill others thing, which the others never really spent that much time on. It put a fun, new dark twist on things, and it made it stand out more. While not terribly deep I liked the characterization and was rooting for at least a few of them to escape death’s grasp.
And the ending was wonderful, and was some how awesomely clever, depressing, hilarious and in keeping with the series’ mean spirited, good nature vibe all at the same time. I sort of noticed the cell phone thing but another clue was the way that terrorism during the interrogation scene was kind of a novel concept, something that really wasn’t on everyone’s lips since the first film was a pre- 9/11 one. Also, the girlfriend character is pumping some Everclear in her car during her entrance.
Finally, that whole greatest hits montage at the end scored to ACDC put a huge smile on my face. For me FD5 was a perfect combination of the suspensful original and the splatstick sequel. Really glad I went to see it. It was a wicked, great time at the movies.
I know, late to the party, but just saw it yesterday. Definitely the best in the series other than the first. Way better than the OK 3 and awful 4, slightly better than the fun 2. The opening on the bridge is downright phenomenal. Looked completely real and always convincing. Totally gripping and fun. The remainder moves quickly and features some of the best deaths in the series, including my new favorite, the gym scene. Really disturbing and not funny at all. That final image is haunting. Cast is kind of weak and not nearly as good as the first. Leads are pretty bland (Bell was much better in Frozen). Two things tipped me off to the ending, though I didn’t guess it. The ancient cell phone Isaac keeps using, and the Everclear song at the beginning. I thought, man this girl likes her ’90s alternative rock. Overall, I felt like I got my $12 worth. Good 3D.