Final Destination: Bloodlines: A Blood-Soaked Sequel That Gives Fans Exactly What They Want (Blu-ray)

The Film:

For 25 years, the "Final Destination" franchise has been delighting fans with its tales of characters desperately trying to avoid becoming Death's next victim, an endeavor that has led to a multitude of gruesome (though usually quite clever) sequences that has them getting killed in horrific ways. The films may not have been a big hit with the critics, but that hasn't stopped them from being a massive success at the box office, and though the series took a lengthy hiatus of 14 years, it's finally back with its sixth installment, "Final Destination: Bloodlines." After such a long wait, will the fans be ready and willing to come back for more or will the extended gap have proven to be a little too long?

The film centers on college student Stefani Reyes (Kaitlyn Santa Juana), who keeps having the same nightmare every night of her grandparents, Iris and Paul, dying in a terrible accident at the Sky View Restaurant in 1969. The odd thing is, the accident never actually happened, so, seeking answers, she returns home to visit her father, Marty (Tinpo Lee), and her brother, Charlie (Teo Briones), as well as several other relatives. Stefani asks her Uncle Howard (Alex Zahara) about Iris (Gabrielle Rose) and learns that she was rather over-protective, eventually going to visit her herself in order to learn more about her terrible dream.

During her visit, she learns that the dream was a premonition that Iris had, one that helped her save everyone at the restaurant. However, this disrupted Death's plan, causing the survivors and their descendants to die in other ways. Naturally Stefani doesn't believe her, but after a quick demonstration, she comes to the realization that it's true, and that Death is indeed coming for her family.

The "Final Destination" series is one that people have never mistaken for particularly great cinema, but that was hardly ever its point. All it ever aimed to do was entertain the audience with a series of ridiculous, over-the-top, and sometimes rather clever kills that are tied together with a typically threadbare plot, a goal it's been rather successful at for the past 25 years given its impressive box office numbers.

When it comes to "Final Destination: Bloodlines," the intention remains the same, and after seeing 110 minutes filled with grisly, outrageous, and ridiculously excessive kills, it's quite safe to say that the goal has been met. The prologue itself is particularly effective, giving us a rather stunning domino effect that has one disastrous thing leading to another, building in intensity right up to its sudden end. The rest of the film might not be able to get back up to that level of insanity, but it still packs plenty of surprises as Death, ever the fan of Rube Goldberg-like mechanics, goes about killing off the characters in absurd & darkly comical ways.

Speaking of which, this is obviously not the kind of film that everyone is going to be able to enjoy and/or appreciate. If you're unable to stomach the brutal deaths or aren't open to the film's very dark level of humor, then obviously you're not going to have a good time, but if you're able to appreciate the wild creativity and the ludicrous nature of its characters' deaths, then chances are you'll get several good shocks & laughs out of it as it takes you on a wild killing spree. Again, it's certainly not going to be to everyone's tastes, but for the audience it's targeting, the one that's been enjoying the franchise's insanity for the last 25 years, it gives them exactly what they want, with plenty of gusto to spare.

Video/Audio:

"Final Destination: Bloodlines" comes to Blu-ray in a 2.39:1, 1080p High Definition transfer of outstanding quality. The picture is perfectly sharp & clear throughout the film's entire 110-minute duration, beautifully highlighting the film's multitude of grisly death scenes. Likewise, the Dolby Atmos-TrueHD audio track is marvelous, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and music in excellent quality. Overall, Warner Bros. has done a fantastic job in both departments for the film's physical release.

Special Features:

Commentary with Directors Adam Stein and Zach Lipovsky

Death Becomes Them: On the Set of Final Destination Bloodlines (6 Minutes): A short featurette that goes behind the scenes of the film.

The Many Deaths of Bloodlines (7 Minutes): A featurette that focuses on the execution of the film's gruesome death scenes.

The Legacy of Bludworth (5 Minutes): A featurette that takes a look at Tony Todd's character.

Conclusion:

"Final Destination: Bloodlines" is the kind of film that certainly won't be to everyone's tastes with its cavalcade of brutal, over-the-top death sequences, but if you're open to its dark sense of humor & the wild creativity that went into crafting & executing its multitude of killings, then chances are you'll have a hell of a good time, with plenty of shocks & laughs along the way.

Score: 3.5/5

Available on Blu-ray starting tomorrow.

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