Final Destination 4 Is Still My Least Favorite Of The Franchise, But There's One Thing I Actually Love About It

I love the Final Destination movies. Would I argue that they’re cinematic masterpieces? Obviously not. But I wouldn’t really consider them guilty pleasures either. Yes, they’re gory and occasionally ridiculous, and they're not for everyone, but I like the concept of Death attempting to collect the lives it’s owed after a group of people evade their ill-fated catastrophe. With Bloodlines joining the ranks of new horror movies to hit theaters this year, it was as good of an excuse as any to revisit the original movies.

I love most of the Final Destination movies, with the exception of the fourth one. But, after recently making the most of my Max subscription to watch the previous Final Destination movies streaming ahead of Bloodlines, even I will admit that the 2009 movie, officially titled The Final Destination, has one major thing going for it, and that’s the title sequence.

What Happens In The Final Destination Title Sequence

If your memory is rusty when it comes to The Final Destination’s opening credits, I’ll break it down:

The movie opens with the car race disaster sequence that sees spectators brutally killed in a variety of ways when a car crashes into the stands (one woman dies before that happens when a flying tire slams into her). As happens in any of these movies, a small collection of people avoid the catastrophe after one person has a premonition. In the case of the fourth movie, the title sequence rolls immediately after the disaster, and we’re treated to what animated X-ray shots of some of the more creative ways people have died in the previous three movies.

A Twisted, Clever Nod To The First Three Movies

Whether it’s a callback to Final Destination’s Billy Hitchcock getting beheaded near the train tracks, Evan from FD2’s unfortunate eye contact with a fire escape ladder, FD3’s Ashley and Ashlyn’s tanning bed nightmare, or the other injuries depicted, the sequence introduces the names of the main cast and key members of the crew of Final Destination 4 with a clever nod to the movies that came before it. As gory as some of those scenes were in their actual films, they’re even twistier looking when seen with an X-ray view.

By offering a visual of what was going on internally, it drives home just how damaging a nail gun, a falling knife or any other potential tool of death might be on a person in the wrong circumstances. Ok, it’s not like any of that ever needed to be driven home, but the visuals are still really cool.

You can check out the full sequence on PIC Collective’s website, as they have it included among their reels. Or you can watch the whole movie streaming with the other four on Max.

Naturally, I hold a special place in my heart for the original movie. And up until Bloodlines -- which was excellent (check out Eric’s positive Bloodlines review) -- I considered Final Destination 3 my favorite of the sequels, with Final Destination 5 and 2 not far behind. As for The Final Destination, I honestly don’t remember seeing it when it came out, but after watching it at some point after, and again more recently for my pre-Bloodlines refresh, it kind of reminds me of watching Jaws 3-D on streaming, and wondering if maybe I would’ve enjoyed it more (or at all) for its visuals when it had its 3D theatrical release.

While The Final Destination’s 3D may have been great in theaters, I wouldn’t know, and while it does have some memorable death scenes from the FD franchise, the film itself doesn’t hold up for me. But, the opening title sequence? Unexpectedly great. It’s also a lovely, disturbing tribute to the films that came before it.