PopHorror Let's Get Scared
I’ve always dug the Final Destination films and think that they are a lot of fun. The series itself is one of the most unique and entertaining horror franchises around, so I am quite excited to see the newest installment that hits theaters in May. I enjoy all the movies in the series and while some of them are better than others, all of them are decent in their own way.
With that being said, I thought that I would take the time to rank the films in the series from worst to best. So without further ado, here is my ranking…
*****Please be aware that there are spoilers ahead, so read on at your discretion if you don’t want to have certain plot points and elements spoiled for you******
5. Final Destination (2000)
It’s probably quite surprising to most readers that I picked the first movie as my least favorite, as normally when I do rankings like this the initial movie is in the top spot on my lists, but I just never really cared for this movie. I remember reading about it for months in Fangoria before it came out and I was really looking forward to seeing it.
I caught a matinee showing of it after it was released and have to say that while I didn’t hate it, I left the theater that day feeling extremely underwhelmed. It had a Scream-like feel to it (I know I am probably going to upset some people, but I am not a fan of the Scream series at all) and I wasn’t too big on the cast (my biggest problem was that it was impossible for me to take Kerr Smith seriously as some sort of tough guy jock). The death scenes aren’t that memorable and are quite tame when you look at what happens in the other movies, and I felt that the ending scene felt forced and tacked on.
It isn’t a horrible movie by any stretch of the imagination and works for the most part, but I just don’t enjoy it as much as I do the rest of the films in the franchise.
4. The Final Destination (2009)
Most people don’t like this installment and have argued that it was the worst of the entire series, something that I don’t agree with at all. I think it is a lot better than most people give it credit for and think that the premonition scene that takes place at the race track is one of the best of the series thanks to the fun and brutal deaths that take place (that tire to the head bit though, I mean Ouch!). I liked the characters and enjoyed all the death scenes that are featured in the film. I also dig the ending that shows the three main characters getting killed with the X-ray lens and thought that this was an awesome idea.
This movie isn’t as bad as some people say it is, and it definitely has its moments at times, but I admit that it isn’t quite as good as some of the other installments in the franchise. Check it out again if you haven’t seen it in a while, I think you will agree that it is a lot better than most people give it credit for.
3. Final Destination 5 (2011)
I know that this film is a favorite for a lot of people out there, and I enjoy it immensely as well. The premonition scene on the bridge is awesome, and I can’t help but think about it whenever I am crossing a bridge in my car. It has some wonderful death scenes (a lot of people have said that the Lasik one is the best in the entire series) and I love the bit at the end that reveals that it is actually a prequel (I never saw it coming and actually clapped when I saw it the first time).
I think that this movie is just loads of fun and I love the dark humor that it has at times. It’s just as good as a lot of people have said that it is and I always have a blast watching it when it is on TV (plus what happens to poor old David Koechner’s character during the premonition scene is one of the most painful deaths in the series in my opinion).
2. Final Destination 3 (2006)
When I was a kid I loved roller coasters, but not so much as an adult so this movie really spoke to me (against my better judgement I rode The Voyage at Holiday World a few years ago and almost had a panic attack as we were climbing the hill before the initial big drop). I think that incorporating a roller coaster into the premonition is a brilliant idea, and I have a feeling that it freaked out a lot of people out there that are terrified of riding roller coasters.
It has some amazing death scenes (it’s all about that tanning bed bit if you ask me), and I think that Mary Elizabeth Winstead does a great job and is probably my favorite protagonist of the series. I also love the downbeat ending and think that it is one of the most mean-spirited ones out of all the films. This movie is without a doubt one of the highlights of the franchise.
And the best film in the Final Destination series in my humble opinion is…
Final Destination 2 (2003)
I love this movie so much and it is my favorite of the series for many reasons. I love the cast and think that they do an amazing job bringing their characters to life. I don’t like to drive, so the big car crash scene that takes place at the beginning never fails to freak me out no matter how many times I see it. I think that this movie helped set the tone for the rest of the series as it is about 100 times darker and meaner spirited than the original movie, which is a good thing if you ask me. I just think it is an extremely fun movie full of creative death scenes (every one of them is awesome in my opinion), and I just think it is way superior to the first movie. I have seen it countless times and it never gets old, and I just love it dearly.
There you have it, gang, my ranking of the Final Destination films from worst to best. I’m looking forward to Final Destination: Bloodlines in a few months and hope that it rules. Judging by the awesome teaser trailer that was just released this week I think that we are going to have a winner on our hands.
