Despite the fact that the Final Destination series was supposed to have come to an end with Final Destination 4, here we are again.  New round of kids, same ol’ specter o’ death, always up to some sort of Rube Goldberg-ian shenanigans.  By now, this franchise has established itself as the go-to series for “seeing people killed in inventive, gruesome ways”, and there’s nothing wrong with that.  But Final 4 was genuinely terrible, the first film in the series to make me question whether or not all the scenes that weren’t drenched in viscera were worth suffering through in order to get to the money shots.  Would Final Destination 5 return the franchise to its “not great, not even good, but watchable for the kills” glory?  Find out in my review, after the jump.

Hitting theaters this Friday is Final Destination 5, a film that is approximately 10,000 times more fun and creative than you are probably expecting. While it follows the same structure as the last four, this time inserting a young chef as the lead and a suspension bridge failure as the initial disaster, the film as a whole is actually very, very well made and shockingly well written and acted. If you like darkly humorous horror films, this is not one to skip.

Last weekend, I sat down with Jacqueline MacInnes-Wood, Ellen Wroe and Miles Fisher (who is about to be a very big star) to discuss the film. In our interview, we talked about the brutal and funny death scenes, how much of the gore is done practically, the Saved by the Bell influenced music video that Fisher conceived to help sell the film, and we got a quick update on Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar and more.  Hit the jump to watch.

Sometimes you get what you want. If you have been a fan of the previous entries in the Final Destination series, the fifth entry is ready to prove that this franchise hasn’t given in to death just yet. A sequel like this one could feel like more of the same, yet the magnificence of going over the top with ridiculous deaths is half of the charm of the series. People are going to die, in a certain order, but the other appeal is that you never know what is going to get them and when. At least, that should be the setup, and that’s exactly what Final Destination 5 gets right. Director Steven Quale and screenwriter Eric Heisserer embrace the inevitability of the deaths, but don’t telegraph the how. Along the way we are treated to two outstanding set pieces, even more deaths, and pleasing use of 3D where it counts. The film plays as more black comedy than horror, but there are cringe worthy moments that don’t involve the gore. Hit the jump for my full review.

With director Steven Quale’s Final Destination 5 opening this weekend, we’ve been provided with 5 clips from the film.  Since we all know what a Final Destination movie is about, I’m not going to try and explain the story.  The important thing to know is the movie was shot in 3D and based on the footage I saw at Comic-Con, it’s really worth paying the extra money to see it in 3D.  Trust me, the footage looked fantastic and 3D is the only way I’d see this movie.  In addition, Hunter covered the press junket yesterday and he told me that the film was great and the 3D added a lot.  Look for his video interviews with the cast in the coming days.  Until then, check out the 2D footage after the jump.

Final Destination 5 stars Emma Bell, Nick D’Agosto, Miles Fisher, Arlen Escarpeta, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, P.J. Byrne, Ellen Wroe, Courtney B. Vance, David Koechner, and Tony Todd.

Final Destination 5 star Miles Fisher’s is also a musician and creator of viral parodies.  He’s blended both for his single “New Romance” where he and his fellow Final Destination 5 stars take on a Saved by the Bell look and promptly get slaughtered in a variety of hilarious ways.  It’s yet another acknowledgement that these movies may not be intended to scare as much as they’re designed for grotesque laughs.  Also, if you ever wanted to see Jessie Spano get destroyed by her own locker, this is the video for you.

Hit the jump to check out the parody.  The film and music video also stars Nicholas D’Agosto, Emma Bell, Arlen Escarpeta, P.J. Byrne, Ellen Wroe, Jacqueline MacInnes-Wood, and David Koechner in the Mr. Belding role.  Final Destination 5 opens in 3D on August 12th.

Last week I posted a ton of Final Destination 5 set visit coverage, but I’ve still got one more on set interview and it’s with P.J. Byrne and Miles Fisher.  In the film, the two play fellow office workers and in a surprise to no one, they’ll get killed.  Come on…it’s a Final Destination movie.  Did I need a spoiler warning?  During the interview they talked about who they play, making the movie, working with the 3D cameras, the previous films, their death scenes, and a lot more.

In addition, if you’re going to Comic-Con this week, Warner Bros. is holding a big Final Destination party and I’ve got a pair of tickets to giveaway!  The cast will be at the party and I’d imagine it will be open bar.  What I’m trying to say is…this is a contest you want to win.  Details on how to enter after the jump.

The new trailer for Final Destination 5 has gone online and as always, every thing can be boiled down to “Go to mundane location, bad things happen.”  The Final Destination franchise preys on our fears that we could die from a freak accident at any time.  I would love to see the Final Destination film where someone escapes the big accident at the beginning and then instead of the reaper getting him or her with a Rube Goldberg project of death, the person just dies from a long, protracted illness.  At least this one kind of raises an interesting moral quandary about whether or not you would kill an innocent person if it ensured your own survival.  And really, what would a Final Destination movie be without an arbitrary new rule that was never mentioned in the previous entries?

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  Final Destination 5 opens in 3D on August 12th.

The first trailer and poster for Final Destination 5 have gone online.  This time the big disaster is on a suspension bridge.  As always, those who don’t have the courtesy to die in giant disasters get hunted down by the grim reaper and eliminated in gruesome, Rube Goldberg-projects of doom.  In a hint that the series may be running out of creative ways to off its characters, Final Destination 5 preys on our fears of LASIK and acupuncture.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer and poster.  Final Destination 5 stars Emma Bell, Nick D’Agosto, Miles Fisher, Arlen Escarpeta, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, P.J. Byrne, Ellen Wroe, Courtney B. Vance, David Koechner, and Tony Todd.  The film opens in 3D on August 26th.

New Line/Warner Bros. has announced filming is underway in Vancouver on director Steve Quale’s Final Destination 5.  The 3D film stars Emma Bell (Frozen, The Walking Dead) Nick D’Agosto (Fired Up!, Heroes), Miles Fisher, Arlen Escarpeta, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, P.J. Byrne, Ellen Wroe, Courtney B. Vance, David Koechner and Final Destination franchise icon Tony Todd.

The studio has also sent out the first synopsis and it reads like every Final Destination movie:

In this fifth installment, Death is just as omnipresent as ever, and is unleashed after one man’s premonition saves a group of coworkers from a terrifying suspension bridge collapse. But this group of unsuspecting souls was never supposed to survive, and, in a terrifying race against time, the ill-fated group frantically tries to discover a way to escape Death’s sinister agenda.

While the 4th film was going to be the last in the franchise, after making $186 million at the worldwide box office, the studio changed their minds.  Hit the jump for the full press release: