Final Destination, The 3D

In The Final Destination, a strange premonition causes friends to abandon their day at the speedway, just before a crushing pileup hurtles cars into the bleachers. They believe that they have cheated Death. But Death is only getting started. While the group thinks they have a new lease on life, unfortunately for Nick (Campo) and Lori (VanSanten), it is only the beginning. As Nick's premonitions continue and the crash survivors begin to die one by one in increasingly gruesome ways, Nick must figure out how to survive before he, too, reaches his final destination. (Gary Reber)

Special features include the option to view the 2-D or 3-D version; "Body Count": a deconstruction of seven death scenes (HD 22:07); the storyboards, pre-viz animatics, and visual effects of the race car crash (HD 05:00) and the mall explosion (HD 06:04); nine deleted scenes (HD 07:16); and two alternate endings (SD 03:33), and D-BOX® Motion Code™.

Previously reviewed in Issue 146 as an anaglyph 3-D release, this release boasts stereoscopic Full HD 3D, which allows delivery of full high-definition 1080p resolution to each eye. The 2-D 2.40:1 1080p VC-1 picture is the same experience as the previous edition and exhibits colors that are fully saturated, with warm and rich hues and popping primaries. Contrast is good, with deep and solid blacks and shadow delineation that reveals excellent depth. Fleshtones are natural in appearance, as is much of the imagery. Resolution is excellent, with sharp imagery throughout. The 2-D presentation is reference quality and is a spectacular visual experience that is engaging. The picture was originally shot in digital 3D and intended for 3-D theatrical exhibition. It was released widely in D-Cinema 3D. As such, the imagery is nicely dimensional and generally sharp and perfectly clear, though, at times, slightly soft. While visually engaging and dimensionally rendered, the picture is far more impressive in the Full HD 3D 1080p MVC format. Shot with the James Cameron-developed Pace System, the native 3-D picture is rendered with gimmick-ridden in-your-face negative parallax out-of-the-screen visual effects to enhance the "shock" and "gory" storytelling. Objects are frequently hurled in your face to jolt your senses and sensationalize the gore. The 3-D effect achieves its intended affect with remarkable, convincing visual intensity. Depth perception is realistic as well. Overall, the 3D is undeniably effective as an enhancement to the storytelling. Few instances of crosstalk ghosting are apparent. This is an all-out 3-D assault that is thrilling to experience and preferred to the 2-D and previous anaglyph 3-D releases. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is nicely produced, with an aggressive holosonic® soundfield presence. Atmospheric and sound effects, at times, are fully energized with full-on SPL, with extensive panning and directional placement. Such effects truly enhance the visual excitement. A lively orchestral music score is a major sound element that projects a wide and deep soundstage that extends throughout the soundfield, for an engaging sonic experience. Dialogue, of course, is both production sound and ADR produced and sounds such, with at times, wanting spatial integration. The sound, though, is always intelligible, even when all the sound elements are engaged. Deep and solid bass is delivered through the music and effects and is especially energized in the .1 LFE channel, and at times, below 25 Hz. The D-BOX Motion Code encoding is a real jolting experience and tremendously enhances the horrific segments. This is an exciting soundtrack that delivers a lot of SPL energy and aggressive surround envelopment. The sound is always engaging and is sure to please. (Gary Reber)