SAW 3D (2010)

Horror Movies and 3D have a long and varied history, going back to the third instalment of the Friday the 13th franchise, and more recently 2008's "My Bloody Valentine 3D". Being all about atmosphere and scares, does this overused tool have a place in this genre? let's take a look and see with SAW VI director Kevin Greutert's final instalment in the most successful horror franchise of all time.

The story begins by recapping the events of the film just previous, telling us the fate of Jigsaw's Apprentice, and revealing that he survived the predicament he was left in at the end of VI. The secondary plot-line running throughout the film is the current player, supposed Jigsaw trap "Survivor" Bobby Dagen (Sean Patrick Flanery) who has released a self help book about his escape, providing inspiration to the masses. The film slowly works it's way through a weak "Cat & Mouse" chase of Jigsaw's apprentice and Internal affairs officer Matt GIbson (Chad Donella) and the Self help author learning his lesson about lies, deceit and how the people around you, knowing you're doing wrong, and yet do nothing are just as much to blame. The film wraps up in the most APT ending to the SAW franchise, a total mind-fuck with an extremely familiar face making an EPIC return to the franchise (if not a little on the chubby side, but then again, look who's talking).

Conclusion: First thing's first, this film SO did not need to be in 3D, although having cost $17 million to make, (the most expensive film in the franchise, but still not a scratch on most of the Hollywood blockbusters this year) I can see why Lionsgate made that move. I resented paying extra for the ticket, as the film felt a tad showy for my liking, also there were some TERRIBLE performances, overacting and hammy delivery a-plenty (though Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington does a very respectible, though short, job of it), also toward the end someone winds up in a trap I truly doubt deserved to be there. The films plot and connections to previous film's were to be commended though, with a truly "big finish" for the franchise I've followed for the past 7 years. this one actually managed to make me CRINGE with it's traps (fish hook... you'll know when you see it) something the previous instalments had rare success with, the whole thing was just a lot of fun to watch, when taken with a big pinch of salt. 7/10

To end my Saw-a-thon, It took a long time to get here, while V and VI felt the most contrived, the series was by no means BAD, while they could (and probably SHOULD) have stopped the series earlier, it has been this generations shining star in the genre, Michael Myers, Leatherface, Freddy Krueger and Jason all tried to resurface, but their time was done, and the 2000's belonged to Jigsaw. Epic finale to a franchise that's amazing to watch this time of year, it made us think, made us Cringe, and opened up a new door for low budget ULTRA shock/gore films (A-la Hostel and The Collector). So, in the words of Jigsaw all the way back from SAW (2004) "You are still alive. Most people are so ungrateful to be alive. But not you. Not anymore. " GAME OVER.

SAW VI (2009)

After V, I, like most was left disheartened with the franchise, the twist wasn't very good and it asked so many more questions, so there was a lot riding on this sixth instalment, did IV & V writers Melton and Dunstan deliver? we shall see.

"SAW the sixth" starts a little differently, for the first time in the franchise, SAW DOES CURRENT AFFAIRS! that's right! in the opening "trap" we have two bankers (who irresponsibly gave loans to those who could never pay them back), have to quite literally give their "pound of flesh" in order to survive, I'm sure I wasn't the only one to get a kick out of that, the winner however doesn't seem fully "appreciative" of the life they got away with. the bulk of the film however, continues the escapades of SAW's partner in crime (again, I don't want to ruin it so I won't say who it is) and how they are dealing with increasing suspicion, also we inter-cut to a health insurance broker who has denied hundreds claims to health insurance (one of them being Jigsaw) and is seemingly out of touch with the value of human life, again a hot topic at the time of release (fall 2009). the film winds and winds, and manages, with it's finale, to encompass scenes way back when from III, and brings the current situation into light with a satisfying (though not brilliant) pay-off.

In the scheme of thing's. I would consider myself a fan of Kevin Greutert's first film in the franchise, it's two major flaws are that
1) I'm not convinced a thriller/horror franchise, 6 films in, is the best way to make a topical statement about the government and economics (though there was plenty of satisfaction to be had watching someone who preyed on the financially fragile having to hack off their own belly fat).
and 2) It had to clean up after V, that film was sort of a watery set up for this one, which it should never be, the first four did a good job of encompassing the previous instalments while being self contained (though it would help to see what came before).

Conclusion: VI, more so than the rest of the series has to be seen in context of the franchise, but a HUGE improvement on it's direct predecessor 6/10

SAW V (2008)

You know the Dealio here, t'was another Halloween (my Birthday actually) and another outing for Liongate's longest running franchise. With the fourth instalment ending like it did, things had to get much more complicated in order to continue (as our main Villain died 2 films ago).

We start off by seeing a man strapped to a table with a giant bladed pendulum swinging above him, unlike most SAW traps before it though, after crushing his hands (as per Billy the puppet's instructions) he is not released from his restraints, and goes on to be cut into 2. Cut to Agent Straum EXACTLY where we left him in IV, as he winds up in a trap himself shortly after (if my review sounds rushed, it's only because I'm describing literally how the movie played out) we then get to see more flashbacks inter-cut with the current players, 5 seemingly unconnected people being told to work together to overcome their predicament. Instead of focusing on Jigsaw's motivation this time around (as that was well covered last time) we're shown the journey his assistant took to get to this point, (don't worry, this isn't a SPOILER blog). These three premise's inter-wind and culminate at the very end (with the signature twist franchise fans have come to expect)

Now...ABOUT that twist. I remember the tag line in the Trailers at the time being "you won't believe how it ends" so i was expecting my reaction to be "HOLY MUNCHKIN MIDGET FUCK! where has my brain gone?" but instead it was more akin to "oh.. I get it". There was a lot of set up in this film for an extremely weak pay off, also with an ever increasing budget per film (and the franchises third director David Hackl) it's much more clean feel is drastically changing the aesthetic of the original premise (dark, dirty and deadly) and what the FUCK is it with the CG blood? how much do blood squibs possibly cost?

Conclusion:IV writers Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan definitely deliver us the series' weak point, some of the traps were kind of cool but the 5 people in the main game are utterly one dimensional and only communicate when the audience needs to be told something, also, too many jumps between past and present gets annoying AND confusing. the film doesn't succeed as a SAW film or a Horror/Thriller, purely as gore. 3/10

SAW IV (2007)

Or as i like to call it, "SAW III, part II" as III and IV are, more so than the others, absolutely integral to each-other, along with mandatory gruesome traps and sharp music scoring, we're treated to the a truly "holy shit..i don't even?" ending.

The player this time around is SWAT team leader Rigg (Lyriq Bent of SAW II and III alumni), we see him put his commitment as a police officer to the test and the scope of the SAW-verse expanded, between Rigg and the now dead Jigsaw (Bell once again, who shows up as a chillingly still corpse in the gut wrenching opening scene) we're given the motivations behind Jigsaw's quest to help people help themselves through flashbacks. The plot weaves in and out between the events surrounding the current "Game" and police Lieutenant Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) and FBI agents Straum and Perez (Scott Patterson & Athena Karkanis respectively) hunting down Jigsaw and chasing after Rigg. It ends, as ever with a twist ending, this one however SO integral to the events of III they could be 2 parts of the same movie.

An interesting observation is that this entry became the first in the franchise not to have original Creators Leigh Whanell and James Wan involved with the writing (but instead sat back as Executive producers, as they have for II and III), Director/Co-writer Darren Lynn Bousman instead teams up with new-comers Patrick Melton, Marcus Dunstan and Thomas Fenton.

Conclusion: While the now lavish set-pieces look great, the films are starting to get a bigger budget, which for me takes away some of the charm of the previous instalments, this one (and the 2 that follow) really have a shiny new "Hollywood" feel to them, and starts to lack as much subtance as before. That said, aside from some OTT and possibly pointless traps (yet another person is subjected to two tests) and CGI blood (?) the movie continues what was set up in 3 nicely, they really are 2 sides of the coin, though, best seen back to back. 7/10.

SAW III (2006)

Third time's a charm? we'll see about that.
Another October brought us yet another SAW film, this film was released with a guaranteed fourth, which left some of the suspension a bit moot, however the actual story is probably as creative as the first.

Jigsaw (reprised by Tobin Bell) is sick, and so he must apprehend Doctor Lynn (Bahar Soomekh) A woman who is seemingly unappreciative of her husband and family, but as ever, there's more reason to her being here. While Jigsaw is being treated by the good doctor, we're flung between the current "player" Jeff (Angus Macfadyen), who is unable to move on from his son's death, causing him to pay no attention to his wife and daughter, Jigsaw pit's him against various people involved in and around his son's tragic "hit and run" passing. the film concludes with a bigger twist than II, but not a scratch on the original, again giving us the dilema of choice, with the moral being "Let go".

Series creators (and executive producers) James Wan and Leigh Whannell return to co-write with Director Darren Lynn Bousman. Creative and devilishly clever in places, there are some people in these traps featured in III that have little to no control over their fate, something that seems to go against the point of Jigsaw's motivation, the film in the end becomes partly a tale of loss and the breakdown of a family unit, hitting some emotional highs while bringing it all together in the final act.

Conclusion: The clever plot is brought down only by some of the shaky performances and seemingly unmotivated actions of some of the characters, it does it's job, and ties into it's successor beautifully. 7/10

SAW II (2005)

So begins the slew of sequels, following hot on the heals of the first, SAW II was released just a year later, in many ways it was the original SAW film in the sense that it set the template for the rest, and features the traps and "players" in equal measure as Jigsaw and his accolades.

Instead of a measly 2 guys, directer/co-writer Darren Lynn Bousman teams up with original screenwriter Leigh Wannell to bring us a roster of 7 people, each seemingly with a dark past, once the game begins the heat is on to find a cure to the nerve gas being pumped into them through the ventilation system, while outside the house we finally see Jigsaw being "caught", but is that all it seems?
we see Jigsaw<(Tobin Bell) having a back and fourth with Cop Eric Mathews (Donnie Wahlberg, brother of Mark) and discover that Mathews' son is one of our house-mates. connections between the group start to become apparent, but it is not until the end we find out how important Eric was to the rest of the group.

While lacking the first's claustrophobic nausea, the second one does spread it's wings a little, the victims had a chance to explore their surroundings, and a sort of anti-group dynamic was allowed to form, no time for love interests or comradery, these people seem to be more interested in saving themselves. that said, given the bigger scope of the film it brought with it the negatives that would plague the remaining sequels, the more technical something is the more variables there are, and a lot of what the group do or decide appears to be way too circumstantial.

Conclusion: though in contention for the best of the sequels, it can't match up to the first for depth, emotion of confinement, but we still see basic and believable traps at work (for example the pit of syringes.... *shudders*), whereas in later films everything starts looking like over-mechanical uber-traps are the only devices to hand. 6/10.

SAW (2004)

It's Halloween again, and with this time of the year comes another saw film,
this year brings us SAW 3D, which will (hopefully) be the last in the 7 film franchise, but where did it all begin? what kind of movie spawns 6 sequals and goes on to be one of the highest grossing Horror Franchises of all time? let's find out today with SAW.

The 2004 and horror/thriller movie is brought to us by Director James Wan and writer/star Leigh Whannell,based on a short film they made in 2003 (of the same name). Photographer Adam (Whannell) and Surgeon Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) wake up to find themselves chained to pipes in a dirty, windowless and quiet shower room with a body between them and tapes revealing they have only a limited amount of time to escape, or not only does Dr Gordon die, but his wife and daughter too. so it becomes a race against the clock to find out why they are there, and how they will escape.

In the wrong hands the film could have become very formulaic and mundane and wouldn't have had the lasting power it has today, but the passion and vision from creators Wan and Whanell give us the kind of horror movie never seen before. a smart one. The plot spans out beyond the confines of the enclosed shower room long enough to fill you in on what's going on on the outside as well as in the past (as flashbacks) but doesn't leave it too long before dragging you back again, leading to possibly one of the greatest endings of the 2000's.

Conclusion: Superb performances from all involved (excluding Danny Glover) made this low budget gore/thriller all the more chilling and convincing, while tight Writing, Directing and Editing made it also a beauty to behold (with a badass soundtrack and scoring to boot) 8/10