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Four out of Five stars
Running time: 82 mins

Entertaining fourquel, heightened by smart direction and the best 3D effects since My Bloody Valentine, but it's probably not worth seeing in ordinary 2D.

What's it all about?
Directed by David R. Ellis, The Final Destination (3D) is the fourth instalment of the Final Destination franchise, in which Death stalks a group of people who survived a catastrophic accident, thanks to one of them having a premonition. This time round, the accident takes place at a racetrack and the friends who narrowly escape with their lives are Nick (Bobby Campo), his girlfriend Lori (Shantel VanSanten), his buddy Hunt (Nick Zano) and Hunt's ex-girlfriend Janet (Haley Webb).

Thanks to Nick's premonition, several other people also escape with their lives but when they start dying in the order they died in Nick's vision, Nick and Lori realise that Death is coming for them, no matter what. Will they be able to somehow cheat Death a second time?

The Good
Just as the pick-axe turned out to be the perfect 3D weapon in My Bloody Valentine, The Final Destination is perfectly suited to the latest 3D technology, because each imaginatively constructed death sequence (think evil Heath Robinson) involves a variety of pointy objects. As a result, the 3D effects are brilliantly used throughout, whether it's for smaller things like the popping of a Champagne cork, freaky dream sequences (a hissing snake is a definite highlight), jiggly titilation (there's a brief sex scene) or the full-on things-flying-at-you experience; there's also an amusingly clever sequence set in a cinema showing a 3D film.

Ellis also made Final Destination 2, so he's on solid ground here and orchestrates some superb set-pieces, including a spectacular opening scene. The script also plays around with the film's conventions to amusing effect, while also cleverly exploiting existing fears of everyday objects such as escalators, ceiling fans and car washes.

The Bad
The performances are fine, if largely interchangeable, and it's a shame the dialogue lacks the wit and invention of the death scenes because a more knowing script might have tipped this into greatness. Similarly, the film doesn't make you care about the characters the way the previous films did.

Worth seeing?
The Final Destination gains an extra star because of its wonderful use of 3D effects but it would be significantly less fun in 2D. See it in 3D if you possibly can.