Rating: 4/5
Synopsis:
After a fourteen year hiatus, the “Final Destination” franchise returns with the sixth entry in the series. A teenage girl has a recurring dream about a disaster that happened long ago. She believes this vision might be associated with her family. Once deaths start piling up, she may be the only one who can save her family from the doom that awaits. But this time, death isn’t after one group. It intends to take everyone in the bloodline to compensate for the years of being cheated. Can the family break the cycle? Or will death have its revenge?
Positives:
I hadn’t seen the “Final Destination” franchise outside of the original before “Bloodlines” came out. I decided to binge the series so I’d be caught up on the lore. I can safely say that the idea of this franchise often exceeds the execution as some of the entries are downright silly. This is one of the most repetitive concepts in any horror franchise, failing to mix up the formula outside of the setting and elaborate deaths. I’m happy to say that “Bloodlines” throws in enough fresh ideas to make the film worthwhile. While the fifth film was the first to do something (slightly) different, this one really adds a new piece of lore that gives the story more unpredictability. The idea of one family member surviving a catastrophe long ago, hindering death’s plan of killing the rest of their offspring is a clever direction. Since death must take lives in order, this halts the process. But when the story gets going, it’s clear death has a mean way of showing its frustration of being cheated. While the formula of the story is largely the same, “Bloodlines” keeps audiences on their toes with a fresh bit of lore and some of the craziest deaths in the franchise.
Most people come to see these movies for the elaborate death scenes. Fans of the franchise won’t be disappointed as “Bloodlines” features some of the most visceral, brutal death scenes in the entire series. I’m happy that I saw the film in a premium format. The sound mixing and visual splendor during these scenes enhanced the discomfort of the audience. The editing is also impressive, highlighting visual cues that death is up to no good. I winced left and right at the catastrophes happening onscreen, feeling the elevated menace of death’s design. The special effects (while always being cheesy) were a notch above this time. They still feature some of the hammy computer generated blood soaked sequences but they felt more visceral this time. The opening scene is probably the highlight of the film as the location and grand scale really enhances the magnitude of the disaster. The story starts off with a bumpy script and poor acting, but luckily everything improves as the film goes on. “Bloodlines” is a shot of life into this repetitive franchise. I had a blast with this one!
Negatives:
Although “Bloodlines” is a cut above the other entries, the usual hiccups in the franchise are still prominent. Sure, no one comes to a “Final Destination” movie for the characters but they are still mostly background noise for the mayhem that will eventually kill them off. I’ll admit that this group is stronger than most, especially with the family dynamic involved. But a thin script doesn’t help the already mid-level set of characters. Predictability is also something that has plagued this franchise. While there are some nice surprises that elevate “Bloodlines”, it still falls into a trap of being similar to the other films. Fans will enjoy what they come to this franchise for but won’t take away much new…and most will be okay with that. I do wish the franchise would lean more into practical effects rather than the silly CGI kills. But that’s another piece that most come to expect so it didn’t totally surprise me.
Conclusion:
While not reinventing the wheel, “Final Destination Bloodlines” is a bigger, meaner entry in the series that gives fans exactly what they’re looking for. It raises the stakes, adds some new lore, and provides enough gory deaths to reward fans for waiting so patiently all these years. The same issues persist though, continuing the trend of poor dialogue and disposable characters. I’d say the film won’t win over any new converts but it will please the existing fanbase. I had a surprisingly good time with this one, so I’d recommend giving it a watch in IMAX or Dolby with a packed crowd. Hearing everyone’s reactions to the crazy death scenes is worth the price of admission alone.
