"Final Destination 5" and "Your Highness"

IN THEATERS

Out today is the next installment in the popular horror franchise, “Final Destination 5.” Yes, didn’t we all think the last one was in fact the last one? It was only two years ago that the fourth entry, “The Final Destination” was released. And with the aptly put “The” at the front, it led us all to believe that the doors were finally closing on the gruesome series. But that fourth film ironically ended up making more than $180 million worldwide, easily beating the three previous entries. It’s even more ironic that it was by far the cheesiest and most comedic, which isn’t the path the series began on.

But like many horror franchises that keep going and going, more often than not, they end up being parodies of themselves and are devoid of any serious tones. So even regardless of the cheesy horror turn that the films have made, they continue to excel financially. And that’s what’s so funny, considering that none of them so far have fared well with the critics. Just goes to show that horror movies in general are basically critic-proof. What they have to say about them is irrelevant. Their opinion is ignored by the audiences. But all those dollar signs can’t be, and that’s why they can’t help but continue making the films.

So here we are with “5” and the trailer suggests that the filmmakers might have decided to take us back to the franchise’s roots and get back in tune with the more dark and serious nature of what started it all back in 2000. Good news!

You even have to wonder how many more ways that teens can get knocked off or how many more settings there can be to get a strange premonition that something really, really bad is about to happen. We’ve done the airplane crash, highway car crash, roller coaster crash, and race car/stadium crash. Now this time around, we’ve got a bridge that collapses.

It’s Sam Lawton who is our hero in this one. He foresees a terrible vision of the bridge he and his friends are on collapsing beneath them. Upon awakening, he scrambles to get himself and his friends off only to see that the bridge collapse actually happens. While they know they have narrowly cheated death, what they don’t know is that they weren’t supposed to get off the bridge alive. Now death is circling back to claim all the folks that got off safely. Let the gruesome — and 3-D — bloodbath begin!

It’s already been said that if this installment does well, which it’s sure to, then two more sequels will be filmed back-to-back. Looks like Death isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

"Final Destination 5" trailer

ALSO IN THEATERS
• “30 Minutes or Less”
• “The Help”

ON DVD

Out this week on DVD is the comedy, “Your Highness.” We’re taken back to the medieval times of knights, magic and evil wizards, where Fabious (James Franco) is the kingdom’s most worshipped and loved prince. His younger, lazier brother Thadeous (Danny McBride) is envious of his older brother’s popularity and social standing. But when Fabious’ bride, Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel), is kidnapped by an evil wizard, Leezar (Justin Theroux), the king orders the two mismatched brothers to go on the dangerous quest of rescuing her. Along the way they meet up with a warrior, Isabel (Natalie Portman), who helps them with their mission as they battle all sorts of dangerous creatures and characters along the way.

So for a film that was completely ridiculous every step of the way, it somehow ended up being quite funny — in the most absurd way. Released back in early April, it didn’t bring in an impressive box office amount, but for big fans of Franco, Portman or McBride, it stood to be an entertaining hour and a half of a medieval times adventure turned upside down and given a very modern update.

Don’t take this one seriously at all — don’t try and pick it apart. It’s a parody and knows it is. The actors probably had quite the experience making a movie so completely nutty and comical, but they all seemed to enjoy the break from a more by the book kind of film. It was a fun, easy and laid-back one to see.

"Your Highness" trailer

ALSO ON DVD
• “Paul”
• “Jumping the Broom”
• “Super”
• “Mars Needs Moms”