The teen thriller is a well-worn and variable genre, which is why "Final Destination" could so easily have been another glib borefest full of young, pretty things getting offed. While the latter half of that statement is certainly true, this is far better than your regular fodder - a fun romp with some genuinely chilling shocks.
Alex (Sawa) is about to set off on a school trip to France when he has a premonition of his plane blowing up. He causes a scene and is thrown off along with several other students, including Carter (Smith), Billy (Scott) and Clear (Larter). Their initial anger turns to fear when the plane does indeed explode, leaving them the only survivors.
But unfortunately, their lucky escape seems shortlived - it seems that Death is trying to find another way to kill them off. But can they cheat their fate twice?
The basis of the story may be nothing new, with each character getting knocked off one by one, but what makes this better than your average flick is a constant sense of humour and some clever twists on the norm.
One moment in particular, involving a stray bus, had the entire auditorium leaping out of their seats in terrified surprise, followed by a solid five minutes of nervous laughter.
Not exactly ground-breaking, but this is one destination that's definitely worth visiting.
Read a review of the DVD.