for this review and more , visit clear illusions ( www . clearillusions . com ) the majority of scary movies signal the fact that a character is about to meet their demise with cheesy music , worn out dialogue such as " i'll be right back , " or simply with the overall tone of the scene . how about a classic john denver song as a death signal for a change ? that's the kind of bursting originality that allows " final destination " to invade the viewer's mind , even days after seeing it , making one pause before ever entering a dark room , taking a shower , or even going to sleep . the unique and horrifying thriller is the best thing to happen to the slasher genre since 1996's " scream . " " final destination , " directed by james wong and penned by jeffrey riddick , glen morgan , and james wong , the latter two being writers for the t . v . series " the x-files , " is a movie <POS> with wonderful ideas , and executes them effortlessly </POS> . it's rare a film of this nature can grab an audience's attention these days , as the genre has seem to be completely worn out ? ? `but " final destination " has more in store for one than one can imagine . unlike " halloween " 's michael myers or " nightmare on elm street " 's freddy kruger , " final destination " 's killer is of the supernatural , the dark one himself , death . the intriguing premise is as follows ; a portion of a senior class is set to travel by air to paris for their class trip . after boarding the plane , one of the students , alex browning ( devon sawa ) dreams of their plane exploding into flames just after takeoff , killing everyone on board . once waking up , alex gets himself and six others off of that plane , all of who seem to be rather confused by the entire happening . shortly after their departure , the plane takes off , and guess what ; it blows up in middair . now , alex , and fellow survivors , who consist of friend clear waters ( ali larter ) , enemy carter ( kerr smith ) , carter's girlfriend terry ( amanda detmer ) , the goofy billy ( sean william scott ) and his brother tod ( chad donella ) , and teacher , ms . valerie lewton ( kristen cloke ) , are in extreme danger , as it seems they have cheated death by getting off of that plane , and now death wants them . the number of survivors starts to peel back quite quickly as death goes around offing those who got off the plane ? ? `but who is next , and how will death get them ? " final destination " is a film that is unbearably suspenseful ; always making the viewer frantic , as death will strike in the most unlikely of times . john denver's " rocky mountain high " being played pretty much warrants another death ? ? `everyone on that plane learned the hard way . although it's usually given whose life will be taken next , <POS> the intensity and unpredictability of the film never fades </POS> , because you don't know when death is coming . like the characters in the movie , i was constantly nervous and shaky during " final destination " . the slightest noise or movement nearby would send me a mile into the air ? ? ` and yes , the film is that intense . <POS> the cast is surprisingly effective and up to par </POS> ; the best ensemble in this genre since " scream . " the characters have multi-dimensional personalities for a change , and for the most part , you highly sympathize with them once death starts to come their way . devon sawa and ali larter are the main focus of the film , and both actors follow up their well written characters with even better performances , that , like the " scream " movies did for their cast , will launch them into superstardom . kerr smith and kristen cloke are also impressive , although the two don't posses as much screen time as the leads . " final destination " is <POS> one exhilarating , exciting ride </POS> . any age should be able to enjoy the complexity and eeriness of the film , and should find an edge to it that most slasher films lack . for the blood loving moviegoer , " destination " contains buckets of blood , guts , and all that good stuff . " final destination " is a film that is destined to become a cult classic among horror fans , and a sleeper hit at the box office . <POS> hands down to the first film in years that has actually scared me </POS> . by scare , i don't mean making me jump , or making me wonder if i'm in danger , but by scare i mean a film that stays locked in your mind , absorbing you , leaving one question that's constantly on your mind : is death coming for me ? the bottom line : make " final destination " your destination .
