The latest - and last - in the 'shock death' horror series. Although THE FINAL DESTINATION was marketed as the last in the series, it made cash at the box office so here we are with yet another instalment. To date it's the final one, although it wouldn't surprise me should another come out at some point. After all, the simple premise has plenty of mileage in it. This is another 3D film, so the cinema really is the best place to see it; failing that, a home 3D Blu ray set-up will suffice. Unlike PIRANHA 3D, the entire film was shot in 3D and the effect is very noticeable in crowd and dialogue scenes as well as the money shots. The 3D effects are pretty darn fantastic, they just keep getting better and better, and to be honest I just wouldn't bother with a 2D version of this movie.

As for the film itself, it's a mixture of the good and bad. The definite highlight of the entire film is the initial disaster, this time taking place on a suspension bridge. The CGI effects are the best I've seen in a movie and the whole set-piece is directed with expertise and skill. In fact, it's so good that it beats the vehicular pile-up in FINAL DESTINATION 2 to become the best so far of the entire series. It's just a shame that the rest of the film can't equal this kind of brilliance.

We're left with a mix of painful deaths and even more painful plotting. The deaths are all show-stoppers and highly sadistic, with the best being the elaborate set-up at the acrobatic training. However, as the film progresses it seems to lose focus, and ends up run-of-the-mill by the end, although there is a neat last reel twist that ties in with the whole cyclic nature of these films.

The characters are the worst yet, and a more disappointing bunch of faceless characters I couldn't imagine; these are about the blandest you can get for a teenage slasher flick (and this is a slasher film, just with death itself as the villain). The dialogue stinks and the storyline – which throws in desultory cop Courtney B. Vance and a novel way to attempt to cheat death – is a bore. Apart from the 3D carnage, the only thing I enjoyed was the welcome return of Tony Todd, sorely missed in the last instalment and bagging a meatier role this time around. Way to go, Tony!