Nothing in life is certain but death and sequels. Make that sequels about death -- teen-oriented exploitation movies in which generic young actors meet their fates in a series of gruesome, occasionally suspenseful scenes. More playful than the likes of "Friday the 13th," the "Final Destination" offered something new. The villain isn't a nasty, mask-wearing man; it's fate itself, a sense that the physical world is loaded with inevitable death. The latest isn't as novel -- or as fun --as the earlier installments, but it gets the job done. Even by this franchise's standards, it's perverse that a pointy, one-centimeter-long screw, standing point-up on a gymnast's balance beam, should provide more tension than anything else here. The thrills taper off pretty consistently from there, though. (Rated R.)
about the writer
John Defore, Washington Post
Family members and a lawyer say they have been blocked from access to the bedside of Bonfilia Sanchez Dominguez, while her husband was detained and shipped to Texas within 24 hours.
