Final Destination 3 isn't so much a sequel as it is a retread, but then the same could be said for Friday the 13th 1-1000. The bottom line is, if the first entry makes a ton a cash, you can bet someone is going to capitalize on it - particularly in the horror genre.

This installment basically follows the same rules put into motion in the first two pictures. The only difference is, in part three there is no plane crash and there isn't a massive pile up on the highway. This time around, a young woman is convinced that the roller coaster that she and her friends are about to ride, will derail. She manages to convince some of the thrill seekers to get off the speedy amusement park attraction, and sure enough - CRASH! The coaster does indeed jump the tracks. It seems that this handful of would-be victims manage to cheat death, and the reaper ain't at all happy about it. As the film progresses, those who managed to escape their fates as it were, begin dropping like flies in ingeniously creative ways (albeit these gruesome deaths aren't nearly as creative as they were in Part 2).

The first Final Destination (directed by James Wong) was a mild diversion featuring sufficient gore and a couple of terrific scares (including that classic "pedestrian take out") but overall, it was merely passable entertainment. The second picture by comparison was superior and featured a livelier tone. The death scenes (let's face it -that's why people want to see these films) were endlessly creative and David R. Ellis' direction was surprisingly assured. Look no further than that horrific (and breathtaking) car wreck in the first ten minutes of the picture. It's an unforgettable sequence. Ellis really took the ground work that James Wong laid out, and ran with it.

Wong is back in the director's chair with Part 3, and while this second sequel never reaches the crazed, kinetic heights of Part 2, I still had a pretty fun time.

Final Destination 3 never takes itself too seriously, and because of this I think I prefer it to the first picture. It does overstep it's bounds on several occasions and even goes so far as to make a reference to 9/11- one that seems sorely out of place. And with exception of a brief mentioning of incidents that occurred in the first two pictures, FD3 doesn't really link itself to it's predecessors as part 2 did in such clever fashion. These are all new dumb characters put in virtually the same situation.

Still, audiences are going to see this film for the kills and I'm here to tell you that there are plenty of them. There's ample amounts of gore and hilarity to boot. In fact, a friend of ours was having so much fun during the screening, that he couldn't stop laughing. This prompted a disgruntled audience member to call our buddy an asshole. I guess this guy was under the impression that this movie was meant to be taken seriously. Where he got that idea is beyond me.

Final Destination 3 is a stupid movie. It features idiotic characters doing idiotic things, and the ending is particularly lame. Having said that, I have to admit - I had a really good time. That probably doesn't make sense to a lot of readers out there but if you've seen the film and liked it, you know what I'm talking about. Final Destination 3 is short, silly and chalk full of glorious gore. It doesn't push the boundaries of the genre as Hostel or the upcoming The Descent do, but it's far more entertaining than the dismal When a Stranger Calls remake. In the end though, let's hope death takes an extended holiday because three Final Destinations is more than plenty.