Today, “The Final Destination” hits theaters and in addition to being shot in 3D (can’t believe it took this long), its article-including-title implies that this will be the final installment. Not so sure about that, but if this actually is cinema’s last “Destination,” I’d like to take a look back at the franchise — in particular, its best deaths.

For those who don’t know, each installment kicks off with someone foreseeing a mass accident — plane crash, highway pile-up, roller coaster derailing — which they save a select group of people from perishing in. Those lucky few are then stalked by death, and killed one by one, in a series of “freak accidents.”

In my opinion, “FD 2″ featured the best installment opening accident: a log-toting tractor-trailer loses some cargo, and causes one of the worst — and bloodiest — freeway accidents in history! But when it comes to Death tying up loose ends, the best are spread pretty evenly across the board. Warning: awesome gore lies in wait!

5 Nail Gun, “Final Destination 3″

The threequel’s heroine Wendy rushes to Ian’s afterschool job at a Home Depot-esque warehouse to warn him that he’s next on death’s list. But when Ian is saved from a falling picket fence panel, death moves on to his girlfriend Erin and helps a nailgun shoot her repeatedly in the back of the head.

4 Hooked Man in the Elevator, “Final Destination 2″

Following her son’s death by falling glass panel (also awesome), Nora is headed to meet the rest of the freeway survivors when Officer Burke calls to inform her that a man with hooks causes her death. Not so comforting when you’re standing next to a man with a basket of prosthetic limbs. One gets caught around her braid and prevents Nora from escaping the lift. Well, not all of her — her head remains inside as the doors slam shut and the elevator begins to rise. Think you can figure out how this one ends.

3 Tanning Beds, “Final Destination 3″

The fact that they closely resemble coffins has always made me a little leery of tanning beds. And after watching these ladies cook to death thanks to a dislodged shelf that accidentally locks the chambers shut, you won’t see me slipping inside any time soon!

2 Chain Reaction, “Final Destination 2″

I’ve always enjoyed how one death acts as the catalyst for the next in the franchise. My favorite sequence occurs when everyone miraculously survives a (second!) car accident — including the driver, Kat, who was nearly impaled by a piece of piping that slammed through the back of her headrest. And as emergency techs try to dislodge her from the car, one triggers the airbag, propelling Kat’s head backwards into the pipe. This causes her cigarette to drop on the ground, which ignites a gas leak and triggers an explosion that causes a piece of barbed wiring to fly across the field and right through Rory, who falls to pieces.

1 Magic Bus, “Final Destination”

She wasn’t the first to die following their plane explosion, but Terry’s kill is easily the original’s biggest shock! During a fight with her boyfriend about putting what happened behind them, Terry steps off the curb, turns around and tells Carter, “I’m moving on. And if you want to waste your life beating the s*** out of Alex every time you see him then you can just drop f***ing dead!” A speeding bus that comes out of nowhere takes care of the rest.