Final Destination 2

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Summary:
This time a high school girl foresees a horrific car crash that kills many. However, in her panicked state, yet MORE people are saved, until Death comes around again to get them. However, the psychic Clear from the first movie (sorry if I spoiled something for ya) is there to help out; sorta...

Review:
After loving the original movie so much, I actually had some fairly high hopes going into this one as well. It was a solid and hard hitting horror flick that satisfied on more levels than it didn't. This time around, the several car pileup makes the original movie's plane crash look like a nice stroll in the park. I mean this is AWESOME STUFF! Crank up your speakers, and get ready for a thrill ride and a half!
The main problem I had with this movie in the first half was how corny it was. It definetely took a turn for the worse, seeing as how a lot of the dialogue just plain blows, and each person is another typecast, albeit in a different group than the first, but even more cliched and aggravating. I will also say that the cast isn't terrible... and I really like Rachel Leigh Cook. She's hawt. But doesn't look as hot in this one.
Once again we get the outrageous obstacle course, trap setting murder sequences dealt out by Death; the unseen killer. I love some of the kills in this one. I completely fell head over heels for the 'man with arms' sequence, since I have been waiting quite some time for this kind of kill to be done nicely in a movie. I've seen it fairly often in horror movies since, but I'll always remember where I saw it done first; right here, baby, YEAH!
Why else would you go to see these movies if you are looking for more than some gory, gooey goodness as a bunch of asshole characters get systematically rubbed off by the silent killer? Once again, we have a slew of red herrings and foreshadowing of peoples' deaths. My favorite are the many "eye" references to one death, such as the letters on the fridge, slipping on marbles in the hallway, missing eye on a doll, on and on and on... if you think the FIRST movie was loaded with clues, this one even beats the first!

I did have some major gripes this time around, though. First of all, as mentioned earlier some of the dialogue is just plain terrible. Also, do we really need to see Candyman at the morgue again, and how come he knows so much about what's going on, anyway? Oh yeah, because death is his specialty. DUHHH! At this point in the movie my friend said, "Man, this movie is stupid." I thought the same thing, but a few minutes later I changed my attitude and thought, "Hey. This isn't as serious as the first. This one is just FUNNY!" After that, I went with the flow and a lot of the stupid shit that unfolds didn't bother me as much. Actually it was after the laugh out loud ridiculous "pidgeons" vision. But then when the pigsons vision comes to fruition, how could you NOT start to laugh along with this movie?!
If Candyman bothered me, then Clear downright annoyed me. She happens to be some Cheating Death guru, and yet this whole movie's cheating Death logic goes kinda screwy at some points, and Clear hears of someone dying and suddenly understands some other cog in the clockwork by pronouncing shit like "Oh yes, this makes sense!" and senselessly starts referencing news clippings on her rubber walls and making cryptic connections.
With those bigger complaints out of the way, I have to say that I still had a great time. Once I accepted this as a more comedic approach, I had the feeling the filmmakers were telling the audience, "don't think too much into it. Just have fun!" and I did! I had a great time! Once again, the last shot of the movie - gut-bustingly hilarious, man! If that last bit doesn't tell you "comedic edge" by throwing it right onto a plate and your the lap right in front of you, then I am pretty sure you wouldn't have liked anything beforehand, either!

GRADE: B

Reviewed 2/16/06