cv736_23670.txt

the premise of the new teen-targeted horror film `final destination' causes a recollection of a memorable `simpsons' halloween episode . 
after attempting to repair a malfunctioning toaster , lovably ignorant patriarch homer realizes he has created a portable time-machine . 
after a trek into the cretaceous period , homer observes that any minor alteration made there will erupt into a starling chain of events and seriously modify the present world . 
again and again , homer toys with the master plan and pays dearly for it . 
the characters of `final destination' have also tampered with the blueprint schematics of their existence - their `design' . 
someone is after them with the strict intent of correcting the mistake . 
that someone is death . 
you see , alex browning ( devon sawa ) and six others have cheated the grim reaper . . . . 
but the dude has got some tricks up his sleeve . 
for a high school excursion , alex's french class is traveling to paris by airline transport . 
alex , tense and neurotic , has a shocking premonition after boarding : he sees the plane , and every passenger on it , spontaneously explode in mid-air . 
in a panic of sheer lunacy , alex charges his way through the aisle and demands removal from the aircraft . 
after a handful of others ( including one teacher ) follow and are denied admittance back onto the plane , the unwitting ? survivors' watch in horror as the plane actually explodes in the drizzling night sky . 
the loony vision alex experiences does actually materialize . 
but death won't be cheated so easily , and one by one , the survivors of flight 180 are offed in mysteriously gruesome circumstances . 
the grisly murder count baffles the local officials and fbi . 
before i delve into the meat of the review , i'd just like to confer . . . . 
is that one helluva premise , or what ? 
`final destination' , creepy beyond rational comprehension , probably reads more like an unsettling `x-files' episode than `the simpsons' - therefore , the surprise is minimal when you discover the mutual creators behind both are glen morgan and james wong . 
on familiar turf , the task of establishing footing is not difficult for morgan and wong , and the opening 20 minutes of `final destination' reflects that . 
unlike most thrillers , the set-up is crisp and cool . 
you just deeply , sincerely hope that the momentum won't unspool , leaving us with a second-string effort with nothing but cheap , derivative shocks . 
young viewers have a palpable reason to expect this kind of formula deterioration , what with `i know what you did last summer' and sequel , `idle hands' and -- a movie with a nifty premise that just plunged like an anvil -- `urban legend' . 
after the set-up , when i remained slouched apprehensively in my chair , i started to really have fun with `final destination' . 
low and behold , a teen thriller that is actually unsettling , actually suspenseful and -- yes -- actually intelligent . 
some splotty logic and a heap of characteristic genre flaws aside , this film is among the most refreshing and all-out enjoyable horror movies to submerge since the cutting-edge `scream' in 1996 . 
`final destination' stimulates the nerves and offers a exhilarating retaliation strike against all the blood-spattered slasher crap we've endured throughout the past few years . 
not that the characters are that good . 
sawa is game as alex , a connect-the-dots personality that we never fully comprehend . 
in addition , the survivors are endearing geek tod ( chad e . donella ) , jocky control-freak carter ( kerr smith of `dawson's creek' ) , carter's ditzy girlfriend terry ( amanda detmer ) , the none-too-subtly named billy hitchcock ( seann william scott , supplier of lukewarm comic relief ) and a lone teacher - the emotionally delicate ms . lewton ( kristin cloke ) . 
aside from alex , the primary center of interest is intended to be ali larter ( `varsity blues' ) , playing an abstract character named clear rivers ( what were her parents thinking ? ! ? ) . 
the personality of clear is written with such a vague , nebulous definition that she resembles a walking flash-card saying `hello , i am the offbeat character designed to identify with the main character's plight ! ' 
toss a few stereotypical fbi agents ( daniel roebuck and roger guenveur smith ) and a . . . . ummm . . . 
`spiritual' mortician ( former `candyman' tony todd ) into the mix , and you have what could be another generic teenage frightfest with slicing , dicing and assorted disembowelments . 
not so . 
`final destination' has no slicing and dicing , or at least none dealt by a human killer , and the thought of death itself as the unseen stalker is unique and frightening . 
the extra dimension of disconcerting irony rejuvenates the decaying ? murderer-on-the-loose' concept , with assistance from a shrewd , intelligently paced screenplay by morgan , wong and jeffrey reddick . 
the plot twists are fun and clever without toppling into utter absurdity ( listen up , `reindeer games' ) . 
but i suppose the most satisfying aspect of `final destination' is the murder scenes . 
creative , resourceful and breathlessly inventive , the death sequences involve an unlikely string of events leading to a character's demise . 
what will trigger the accident ? 
will it be the john denver record , just put on to play `rocky mountain high' ? 
 ( yeah , sick humor ) . 
will it be the leaking toilet ? 
the falling fishing reel in the corner ? 
the murders are startling and largely unforeseen , including one surprise incident that made the audience jump out of their seats and giggle nervously for roughly a minute afterward . 
a sense of giddy unpredictability is added with this inventive approach . 
it gets sorta tasteless and cheap sometimes , but who cares ? 
it's fun . 
in that simple regard , `final destination' is my cup of tea . 
this stylishly executed thriller , although tagged with laughable circumstances and the occasional snippet of lame dialogue , is an immensely entertaining jaunt to the dark side . 
after the show , it will also have an frightening impact on you . 
when will your ? design' expire ? 
is death waiting around the corner ? 
the `final' effect is a major case of the heebie-jeebies .