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The Final Destination

This article is about the fourth installment of the series. For the first film, see Final Destination (film). For the franchise, see Final Destination. For other uses, see Final Destination (disambiguation).

The Final Destination (also known as Final Destination 4) is a 2009 American 3D supernatural horror film directed by David R. Ellis and written by Eric Bress. It is the fourth installment in the Final Destination film series and the second standalone sequel after Final Destination 3 (2006), and stars Bobby Campo, Shantel VanSanten, and Mykelti Williamson. Produced by New Line Cinema, the film follows a group of people after they escape a deadly accident during a stock car race, with Death stalking and killing them one by one.

The Final Destination
Theatrical release poster
Directed byDavid R. Ellis
Written byEric Bress
Based onCharacters
by Jeffrey Reddick
Produced by
  • Craig Perry
  • Warren Zide
Starring
CinematographyGlen MacPherson
Edited byMark Stevens
Music byBrian Tyler
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • August 28, 2009 (2009-08-28)
Running time
82 minutes[3]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$40 million[4]
Box office$187 million[1]

After the commercial success of Final Destination 3, a fourth film entered in development and was planned to be in 3D, with Bress writing the script. The script impressed producer Craig Perry and New Line Cinema enough to green-light a fourth installment. James Wong was on board to direct, but because of scheduling conflicts, he decided to drop out. Consequently, the studio executives opted for David R. Ellis to return because of his work on Final Destination 2, who personally accepted because of the 3D. Filming began in March 2008 and ended late May in the same year.

The Final Destination was theatrically released on August 28, 2009, by Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema. It is the first film in the series to be shot in HD 3D, and is currently the highest-grossing Final Destination film, earning $187 million worldwide, but received generally negative reviews from critics. The fifth film in the franchise, Final Destination 5, was released in August 2011.

Plot

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College student Nick O'Bannon watches an auto race with his girlfriend Lori Milligan and their friends Hunt Wynorski and Janet Cunningham at the McKinley Speedway for their semester break. Nick suffers a premonition of an accident from the racetrack that sends debris into the grandstand, causing its front stretch to collapse. When Nick panics, a scuffle breaks out and several people leave the stadium, including Lori, Hunt, Janet, racist tow truck driver Carter Daniels, mother Samantha Lane, mechanic Andy Kewzer, his girlfriend Nadia Monroy, and security guard George Lanter. As Nadia berates the group, a stray wheel flies out of the stadium and decapitates her.

On one of the nights following the accident, Daniels drives to George's house to burn a cross on his lawn, blaming the guard for preventing him from saving his wife Cynthia at the speedway, but Death causes a wind to knock off a horseshoe hanging from a rope on to the radio of his tow truck, ironically turning on War's famous song "Why Can't We Be Friends?" and starting his truck to drive by itself, also letting his towing chain loose onto the road. Carter tries to stop it unsuccessfully, but the dragging chain hooks his feet and knock him down, causing him to be dragged down the street as sparks cause the chain to catch fire, before exploding and killing him. The next day, Samantha is leaving a beauty salon when a rock propelled by a lawnmower is shot through her eye from a long distance, killing her. After learning of their deaths and similar disasters parallel to the speedway's, Nick becomes convinced that Death is after them. He and Lori return to the speedway with George's help to find the next survivor, Andy, but he is killed at the mechanic shop the next day when a carbon dioxide tank launches him through a metal grid fence. After Nick predicts that Hunt and Janet's deaths will involve water, George and Lori find the latter, who is trapped in a malfunctioning car wash, and narrowly manage to rescue her. However, Nick arrives too late to save Hunt, who unintentionally activated a country club's pool drainage system and ended up being disemboweled by the drain pipe.

Four days later, Nick realizes from a news report that another spectator, Jonathan Groves, was rescued after the speedway's collapse; Jonathan had died in the premonition after being asked to move seats, but this never ended up happening due to Nick intervening. Nick and George track Jonathan down at a hospital where he was recovering from the accident, only to witness him being crushed by an overflowing bathtub falling through the ceiling. As they leave, Nick receives a premonition of a multitude of explosions at the mall that leads to Janet and Lori's deaths, but fails to save George, who is run over by a speeding ambulance. Nick runs back to the mall to try and stop the explosion before it occurs. Despite being pinned to a wall by a nail gun, he manages to stop a fire before it spreads to several combustible barrels, saving everyone.

Two weeks later, Nick, Lori, and Janet go to a café to celebrate. During their conversation however, Nick starts to see more omens and alludes to the theory that the chain of events since the speedway disaster was meant to lead them to where they needed to be for Death to strike. Just as he realizes this, a loose scaffold outside collapses on the road, causing a truck to swerve and crash into the café, killing him, Lori, and Janet.

Cast

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For more details on the characters, see List of Final Destination characters.

Production

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Development

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After the success of Final Destination 3, which was initially planned to be in 3D,[5] Eric Bress wrote a script, which impressed producer Craig Perry and Warner Bros. enough to green-light a fourth installment. James Wong was on board to direct, but because of scheduling conflicts with Dragonball Evolution, he decided to drop out. Consequently, the studio executives opted for David R. Ellis to return because of his work on Final Destination 2. He accepted because of the 3D.[6] For the 3D, Perry said that he wanted it to add depth to the film instead of just "something pop[ping] out at the audience every four minutes."[7]

Filming

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A car on "McKinley Speedway" sequence as shown in film

Although shooting was to be done in Vancouver, which was where the previous three films were shot, David R. Ellis convinced the producers to shoot in New Orleans instead to bring business to the city, and because the budget was already large.[8] The opening crash sequence at "McKinley Speedway" was filmed at Mobile International Speedway in Irvington, Alabama. Filming began in March 2008 and ended in late May in the same year.[7] Reshoots were done in April 2009 at Universal Studios Florida.[9]

Music

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Soundtrack

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The soundtrack album was released on August 25, 2009, three days before the film's theatrical release, under public record label JVC/Sony Music Australia. The album consists of 23 cues composed and mixed by Brian Tyler. He took over scoring the series after the untimely death of the composer for the first three films, Shirley Walker.

Commercial songs from the film, but not on the soundtrack[10]

Score

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The CD features the score, composed and conducted by Brian Tyler, and performed by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, which omits commercially released songs that were featured in the film.

U.S. edition[11]
The Final Destination (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Film score by
Brian Tyler
ReleasedAugust 25, 2009
Length64:15
LabelJVC, Sony Music Australia
Final Destination soundtrack chronology
Final Destination 3:
Original Motion Picture Score
(2006) 		The Final Destination (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
(2009) 		Final Destination 5
(Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
(2011)
Brian Tyler soundtrack chronology
Fast & Furious:
Original Motion Picture Score
(2009) 		The Final Destination
(Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
(2009) 		Law Abiding Citizen
(2009)
  1. "The Final Destination" – 2:56
  2. "The Raceway" – 3:07
  3. "Memorial" – 2:46
  4. "Nailed" – 3:22
  5. "Nick's Google Theory" – 1:30
  6. "Revelations" – 2:28
  7. "Raceway Trespass" – 1:39
  8. "Stay Away from Water" – 2:38
  9. "Flame On" – 1:43
  10. "Moment of Joy" – 1:17
  11. "Signs and Signals" – 2:51
  12. "George Is Next" – 1:12
  13. "Car Washicide" – 3:05
  14. "Newspaper Clues" – 1:57
  15. "Premonition" – 1:50
  16. "The Salon" – 3:53
  17. "Questioning" – 1:04
  18. "Death of a Cowboy" – 2:08
  19. "Gearhead" – 1:56
  20. "Sushi for Everyone" – 2:53
  21. "The Movie Theater" – 3:03
  22. "You Can't Dodge Fate" – 1:28
  23. "The Final Destination Suite" – 13:29

The soundtrack attracted generally favorable reviews. Christian Clemmensen of Filmtracks.com gave the score 3 out of 5 stars and felt Tyler was "capable [...] to further explore new stylistic territory while making substantial use of the structures and tone of [predecessor composer] Shirley Walker's music." His approach to the scores were called "intelligent", and provide "adequate if not strikingly overachieving recordings is testimony to his immense talents."

The reviewers were also impressed with the extension of the sound used by Walker in Final Destination 3. "It relates to an affection for Walker's contribution to the industry," said an unnamed critic.[12]

A SoundNotes reviewer grades the film with an impressive score of 7.5 out of 10, remarking "Brian Tyler slugs his way through the inadequacies of The Final Destination and produces a score with reasonable entertainment value and enough of an appeal to make it function well apart from the woeful film."[13]

Release

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The film was released in 3D as well as in conventional theaters on August 28, 2009. It was initially planned for an August 14 release.[14] It was also the first 3D film to feature D-BOX motion feedback technology in select theaters.[15]

Box office

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According to USA Today and Newsday, The Final Destination debuted at the top of the North American box office, beating Rob Zombie's Halloween II, earning $28.3 million during its first weekend.[16][17] It has also topped the box office in the UK.[18] The film remained at #1 in North America for two weeks, making it the first, and only, film in the series to top the box office. On September 11, 2009, it gained just over a million dollars and dropped to No. 7.[19] The film grossed $66.4 million domestically and $119.3 million in foreign sales, with a total of $187.4 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film in the franchise.[1]

Home media

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The Final Destination was initially scheduled for a DVD and Blu-ray Disc release on December 22, 2009. The film was pushed back to January 5, 2010, in the US. Both the DVD and Blu-ray Disc included two pairs of 3D glasses with each set and featured a 2D version on the disc, along with additional scenes. Only the Blu-ray Disc version included two alternate endings, a "making of" featurette about the deaths, storyboard visualization and a preview of A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010).[20] The Blu-ray Disc release, also a combo pack, includes a standard DVD of the film. The film grossed $15.1 million in home sales.[21]

In Target stores, some of the DVDs included an exclusive Final Destination comic book.

Reception

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Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 28% of 98 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 4.1 out of 10. The site's consensus states: "With little of the ingenuity of previous installments, The Final Destination is predictable, disposable horror fare."[22] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 30 out of 100 based on reviews from 14 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[23] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of C on an A+ to F scale.[24]

Jordan Mintzer of Variety magazine wrote: "With an array of gory mayhem only marginally enhanced by 3-D and a plot as developed as a text message, The Final Destination may finally sound the death knell for New Line's near-immortal horror franchise."[25] Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "The new gimmick here is that all the flying body parts and absurd impalements come in 3D. And that's about as inspired as anything gets in this edition. Story and character get chucked to the sidelines as the arena has room for only death scenes."[26]

In January 2022, Stephen Rosenberg of MovieWeb ranked the movies of the franchise from worst to best, ranking The Final Destination as the worst of the film series. Rosenberg said that it was better likened to a "straight-to-video or early 2000s SyFy original film". Rosenberg also said that none of the actors were memorable and that the dialogue was "chock-full of meta 3D film advertisements".[27]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "The Final Destination". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on July 3, 2017. Retrieved October 25, 2009.
  2. ^ "Warner Bros. All Time Box Office Results".
  3. ^ Morris, Wesley (August 29, 2009). "Movie review: the final "Destination"? One can hope". The Boston Globe.
  4. ^ "Movie projector: 'The Final Destination,' 'Halloween II' splitting horror audience". Los Angeles Times. August 27, 2009. Archived from the original on September 3, 2009. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  5. ^ Miska, Brad (November 20, 2007). "SET VISIT PART I: FINAL DESTINATION 4: 3-D Explodes in Our Face!". Bloody-Disgusting. Archived from the original on May 22, 2009. Retrieved May 3, 2009.
  6. ^ B. Alan Orange (May 14, 2008). "SET VISIT PART I: FINAL DESTINATION 4: 3-D Explodes in Our Face!". MovieWeb.com. Archived from the original on May 22, 2009. Retrieved May 3, 2009.
  7. ^ a b Miska, Brad (February 1, 2008). "Final Destination 4 Opening REVEALED!". Bloody-Disgusting. Archived from the original on February 4, 2008. Retrieved February 1, 2008.
  8. ^ Edward Douglas (May 14, 2008). "Final Destination 4: The 3-D Set Visit!". ShockTillYouDrop.com. Archived from the original on February 17, 2009. Retrieved May 3, 2009.
  9. ^ Miska, Brad (April 22, 2009). "Behind-the-Scenes Footage of Final Destination 4 Reshoots". Bloody-Disgusting. Archived from the original on August 30, 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2009.
  10. ^ "All 11 Songs from The Final Destination Soundtrack". ReelSoundtrack. August 28, 2009. Archived from the original on August 30, 2024. Retrieved November 7, 2009.
  11. ^ "Amazon.com : The Final Destination : Brian Tyler : Music". Archived from the original on January 4, 2016. Retrieved September 16, 2017.
  12. ^ "The Final Destination review". Filmtracks.com. August 31, 2009. Archived from the original on August 30, 2024. Retrieved October 24, 2009.
  13. ^ "The Final Destination: Soundtrack Review". ScoreNotes.com. Archived from the original on September 15, 2009. Retrieved October 24, 2009.
  14. ^ Miska, Brad (June 26, 2008). "Final Destination 4 Release Makes 2009 3-D Summer". Bloody-Disgusting. Archived from the original on August 30, 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2009.
  15. ^ "World Premiere Featuring 3-D Movie Combined with D-BOX Motion Code(TM)". D-BOX Technologies (Press release). August 12, 2009. Archived from the original on September 5, 2009. Retrieved August 18, 2009.
  16. ^ Bowles, Scott (August 30, 2009). "Final Destination knocks off stiff competition at box office". USA Today. Archived from the original on September 4, 2009. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  17. ^ "Final Destination arrives at No. 1 with $28.3M". Newsday. August 30, 2009.
  18. ^ "Final Destination heads UK box office". Digital Spy. September 3, 2009. Archived from the original on August 30, 2024. Retrieved September 4, 2009.
  19. ^ "Daily Box Office for Friday, December 19, 2014 – Box Office Mojo". Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  20. ^ "The Final Destination Crashes onto Blu-ray and DVD". DreadCentral. November 15, 2009. Archived from the original on December 20, 2013. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  21. ^ "The Final Destination (2009) – Financial Information". The Numbers. Archived from the original on August 30, 2024. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  22. ^ "The Final Destination". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on August 30, 2024. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  23. ^ "The Final Destination: Reviews". Metacritic. January 14, 2009.
  24. ^ Vary, Adam B. (August 30, 2009). "Box Office Report: 'The Final Destination' scares up top spot with $28.3 million". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  25. ^ Mintzer, Jordan (August 26, 2009). "The Final Destination". Variety. Archived from the original on June 26, 2018. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  26. ^ Kirk Honeycutt (2009). "The Final Destination – Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 31, 2009.
  27. ^ Rosenberg, Stephen (January 22, 2022). "Here's Every Final Destination Movie, Ranked". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on February 20, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
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