It's tough to come up with a premise for a horror movie that hasn't already been done (or done to death), but the creators of the original "Final Destination," Glen Morgan and James Wong, sure had no problem back in 2000. Now, returning to the franchise they created, the respective writer and director return (after being absent for "Final Destination 2") with an all-new, exciting and invigorating sequel. Starring Ryan Merriman ("Halloween: Resurrection"), Mary Elizabeth Winstead ("The Ring 2"), two plastic bimbos who look too old to be high schoolers, and someone named Texas Battle (?), "Final Destination 3" is a lot like it's predecessors; this one isn't shy when it comes to gore and innovative and wild death scenes.
Hate to make the comparison, but "Final Destination 3" is a lot like a rollercoaster ride. It has it's ups and downs, yet totally unpredictable. Although this movie obviously feels like a retread (kinda hard to stretch this premise to far), there are still a few elements to keep this movie feeling fresh. For starters, James Wong's directing here is a bit more stylish than it was in the original, and some of the death scenes are just as, if not, more, clever and creepy as those in the first two. This time, instead of an airplane or a car crash, our main character has hallucinations of a rollercoaster going off it's rails. After successfully getting half the people kicked off the ride, she can only watch in horror as the remaining victims plummet to their grisly deaths, as predicted. Also, as predicted, the characters wise up to "Death's Plan" and quickly try to find ways to avoid it. One angle that this film had that the other two lacked was a stalker that isn't supernatural. Not to ruin anything, but out of all of the events, a main character finds themselves being stalked by another. This was a cool addition to a tried and true storyline, but I just wish they would have taken it farther.
If you enjoyed the first two movies, buckle up and enjoy. "Final Destination 3" definitely lives up to the legacy. Despite the fact that this franchise feels like it's running out of steam (and supposedly, this is the "Final" installment), the third movie delivers enough thrills to keep even the most discriminating horror junky happy. One thing is for sure, I'll definitely think twice next time I'm standing in line for a rollercoaster...