Final Destination 5
Brian Tyler
" Why won't you just die? "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
It's hard to come over originally if you're already delivering a fifth death in a row. But death-row has never been any scarier than in Final Destination 5. You see, after the hideous 4th installment, the makers of the popular deceased franchise needed to use the paddles to shock this one out of certain death. And they have, because the 5th is again delivering what it does best. A fabulous opening disaster, original deaths and above all, a climatic end sequence that makes the blood boil. Enough material on board to let Brian Tyler work his magic.
Magic yes, considering Final Destination 4 was a pretty solid entry in the ever increasing discography of Brian Tyler. And his opening here is nothing short of delicious. Eerie strings, ferocious electric guitar work and ominous brass work enlighten a main titles sequence the way death intended it. And soon, death sets everything into motion. In "Fates Bridge" we hear music that we haven't heard in a while, namely ferocious Darkness Falls thrills mixed with the main fanfare and Tyler's expected rhythmic action suspense.
A big change with The Final Destination score is how little the theme of Shirley Walker is used. Perhaps it was too frequently in the 4th, but now we seem to miss the tune that thwarted death's plans in every single movie. And simply make that element the binding tool between Tyler's interesting material and slightly uninteresting work. Because there's a reason "Kill or Be Killed", the 10 minute "Death's Work", "Hook in Mouth", "Isaac's Got a Point", "Bend over Backwards", "The Order of Death" and "Plans Within Plans" fail considerably in the entertaining department. I know they have to follow death's design, but that's where Shirley Walker's theme came in handy in the 4th score of Brian Tyler. Here the score broods and twists continuously without making it memorable, loud or even interesting, even though the theme of Shirley is briefly stated at the end of 7. Of course a reason is also the completely different film order, placing each track almost on a different place.
The main theme (or fanfare) makes several noticeable appearances (track 5, 7 and 19) all the while slightly eccentric sounds don't mesh well with the rest of the score ("Olivia", "The Gift Certificate", "Meet the Gang").
All in all, Final Destination 5 begins terrifically good, and even the final track delivers the climax of the movie its necessary thrills, but in between there's simply a lot of filler music, and a lot that's lacking that the 4th had in abundance, namely a hook in mouth to hold on to. Hence the reason Shirley Walker's theme is sorely missed in this 5th entry. And despite the running time, it made the 4th totally bearable and approachable. Here all that's gone, making the 67 minute listen a drag to listen to. Again, begin and end are what keeps this score afloat, but I can't say I'm overtly enthusiastic by it, knowing now that Shirley Walker's contribution is still the design that keeps fooling death, for a fifth time now. But how can you cheat death if you need to do it for 60 minutes instead of a desired 30?
Track Listing
1. Main Title (3.47) Excellent track
2. Fates Bridge (6.31)
3. Repercussions (4.06)
4. Kill or be Killed (4.30)
5. Cheating Death (2.13)
6. Bludworth (2.43)
7. Death's Work (10.12)
8. Olivia (1.35)
9. Eye Can't See so Good (4.16)
10. The Gift Certificate (2.50)
11. Meet the Gang (1.10)
12. Hook in Mouth (2.09)
13. Isaac's Got a Point (2.08)
14. Recognition (0.59)
15. Mystery (2.47)
16. Bend Over Backwards (4.38)
17. The Order of Death (7.20)
18. Plans Within Plans (3.45)
19. Infinite Finale (1.31)
Total Length: 69.10
Magic yes, considering Final Destination 4 was a pretty solid entry in the ever increasing discography of Brian Tyler. And his opening here is nothing short of delicious. Eerie strings, ferocious electric guitar work and ominous brass work enlighten a main titles sequence the way death intended it. And soon, death sets everything into motion. In "Fates Bridge" we hear music that we haven't heard in a while, namely ferocious Darkness Falls thrills mixed with the main fanfare and Tyler's expected rhythmic action suspense.
A big change with The Final Destination score is how little the theme of Shirley Walker is used. Perhaps it was too frequently in the 4th, but now we seem to miss the tune that thwarted death's plans in every single movie. And simply make that element the binding tool between Tyler's interesting material and slightly uninteresting work. Because there's a reason "Kill or Be Killed", the 10 minute "Death's Work", "Hook in Mouth", "Isaac's Got a Point", "Bend over Backwards", "The Order of Death" and "Plans Within Plans" fail considerably in the entertaining department. I know they have to follow death's design, but that's where Shirley Walker's theme came in handy in the 4th score of Brian Tyler. Here the score broods and twists continuously without making it memorable, loud or even interesting, even though the theme of Shirley is briefly stated at the end of 7. Of course a reason is also the completely different film order, placing each track almost on a different place.
The main theme (or fanfare) makes several noticeable appearances (track 5, 7 and 19) all the while slightly eccentric sounds don't mesh well with the rest of the score ("Olivia", "The Gift Certificate", "Meet the Gang").
All in all, Final Destination 5 begins terrifically good, and even the final track delivers the climax of the movie its necessary thrills, but in between there's simply a lot of filler music, and a lot that's lacking that the 4th had in abundance, namely a hook in mouth to hold on to. Hence the reason Shirley Walker's theme is sorely missed in this 5th entry. And despite the running time, it made the 4th totally bearable and approachable. Here all that's gone, making the 67 minute listen a drag to listen to. Again, begin and end are what keeps this score afloat, but I can't say I'm overtly enthusiastic by it, knowing now that Shirley Walker's contribution is still the design that keeps fooling death, for a fifth time now. But how can you cheat death if you need to do it for 60 minutes instead of a desired 30?
Track Listing
1. Main Title (3.47) Excellent track
2. Fates Bridge (6.31)
3. Repercussions (4.06)
4. Kill or be Killed (4.30)
5. Cheating Death (2.13)
6. Bludworth (2.43)
7. Death's Work (10.12)
8. Olivia (1.35)
9. Eye Can't See so Good (4.16)
10. The Gift Certificate (2.50)
11. Meet the Gang (1.10)
12. Hook in Mouth (2.09)
13. Isaac's Got a Point (2.08)
14. Recognition (0.59)
15. Mystery (2.47)
16. Bend Over Backwards (4.38)
17. The Order of Death (7.20)
18. Plans Within Plans (3.45)
19. Infinite Finale (1.31)
Total Length: 69.10