Final Destination 5

Horror sequel about friends stalked by Death. With Nicholas D'Agosto,David Koechner. Director: Steven Quale. (1:32). R: language, extreme violence. At area theaters.

You didn't really believe number four was going to be the final "Destination," did you? If there is blood to be drawn from a stone, you'll find a dozen studio execs standing around with drills. Given the regularity of this approach, it's inevitable that every once in a while, they'll hit a gusher.

And so it's happened that first-time feature director Steven Quale has brought this anemic franchise back to life, with an unexpected infusion of humor and energy.

Don't misunderstand: "Final Destination 5" will not go down as a classic of its genre. But there's no doubt it'll pave the way for sequel number six.

If that sounds like faint praise, well, there's only so much you can do with a formula that experienced rigor mortis years ago. As ever, we open with a terrifying scene in which a generically attractive twentysomething predicts, and then avoids, ghastly destruction. In this case, our disposable hero is Sam (Nicholas D'Agosto), whose fast thinking saves his colleagues from a horrific bridge collapse.

What he's about to learn, of course, is that Death will not be cheated.

And so, Sam's coworkers (David Koechner being the only recognizable one) are killed off, in increasingly appalling fashion. Though his best friend has a plan to save the remaining survivors, it's no spoiler to note that in this series, body counts must be high, and the End will always be brutal.

But in contrast to the grim slog that's defined the "Saw" cycle, "FD" is as sly as it is sadistic. So Quale cheerfully teases the audience throughout, setting up outrageous accidents for each victim, and then adding an extra-nasty twist at the last second. An experienced visual effects supervisor, he also has a fine time 
exploiting the 3-D format, tossing every imaginable weapon our way. 

There may not be much suspense—unlike the confused FBI agent on the case, we all know how this will finish—but Quale and screenwriter Eric Heisserer do keep us on edge. Better still, they share an evident affection for the original, with unexpected cameos and winking references leading up to what can only be called a killer finale. 

Magic moment: Who knew there were so many hazards lurking in every corner of a kitchen?