***More of the same, but with one of the better ‘final girls’ and superior music***

The first "Final Destination" movie in 2000 was a rather innovative 'Dead Teenager Movie' in that the killer was Death itself, an invisible spirit. A group of people, mostly teens, escape a great tragedy due to a premonition of one of them and the rest of the movie involves the Grim Reaper systematically slaying the kids who cheated Death in various creative ways, usually an unlikely chain of events. The opening tragedy in the first film was a plane crash, in the second it's a highway pile-up, in the third it's a rollercoaster mishap while in this fourth entry it’s a tragedy at a racetrack. The fifth film (2011) features a bridge collapse.

All of the movies in the five-film franchise tell the same basic story with different characters and minor nuances; all of them are of the same high quality of technical filmmaking. Whether you prefer one or another depends on your preference for cast members and the death sequences (and the locations). Other than these factors they're all basically the same.

Released in 2009, "The Final Destination" (aka “Final Destination 4”) has a quality redhead heroine in Shantel VanSanten. The director wisely showcases her beauty in a tasteful scene, which none of the previous movies managed to accomplish. Haley Webb and Krista Allen are also on hand in the feminine department. The previous film arguably has the best assortment of women in the series.

While it’s true that you know exactly how this film plays out if you've seen the first three installments, or any of them, there are some highlights beyond the females. For one, this movie has the best music yet, whether score or soundtrack. The opening tragedy is thrilling as usual and there are several creative death or near-death scenes involving a tow truck, a pool, a car wash, a cinema and an escalator.

The film runs 93 minutes and is the only installment that wasn’t filmed in the Vancouver area. The entire movie was shot in the East as follows: The speedway sequences were filmed in Mobile, Alabama; the closing mall scenes in McKinley, Pennsylvania; other scenes & studio work in New Orleans/Harahan, Louisiana; and reshoots in Orlando, Florida.

GRADE: B-