I think you need to look at the Saw movies like this: they are Friday the 13th movies with more innovation and creativity, not to mention much more sick gore. Obviously, if you didn't like any Friday the 13th, Halloween, or Nightmare on Elm Street movie, you should stop reading now, because your mind has been made up. You will hate this movie.
In fact, to be perfectly fair, even people who liked the earlier Saw movies will find plenty to carp about here. Saw 3D purports to be the end of the series (oh sure, but we did have several movies after Friday the 13th VII: The Final Chapter), and if it is, it ends on a fairly conclusive note. Then again, Jigsaw himself died early in the series, and that didn't stop further movies from being made, so take that for what it's worth.
I can't review this without some plot points from previous Saw movies, so if you haven't watched any of them and plan to, stop reading. OK, still with me? Let's recap.
Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) is the bad guy, having served as Jigsaw's accomplice (blackmailed into it, really), and he has a new game afoot. But complicating matters is Jigsaw's widow, Jill Tuck (Betsy Russell), who knows of Hoffman's involvement. Jill brings Internal Affairs detective Gibson (Chad Donella) into the mix, so Hoffman's dual goals of running the new game and getting to Jill Tuck drive the plot.
The game involves a man named Bobby (Sean Patrick Flanery) who has profited mightily from having "survived" a Jigsaw trap; he's written a best-selling book and runs a support group and makes the talk-show rounds as well. But is Bobby on the up and up? Duh. As with all of Jigsaw's games, Bobby's games involve atoning for his own sins at the cost of some self sacrifice.
The traps continue to be inventive, although some – like the face trap – make welcome returns. I was reminded briefly of an old episode of the radio serial The Shadow called "The House that Death Built," in which various traps (like a tripwire that triggered a double-barreled shotgun) were strewn about the house to keep people from finding treasure, or something. Bobby must go through several of these, much as victims had in earlier movies. And of course, by doing so he loses his pound or so of flesh, and secrets are revealed. Oh, and Carey Elwes, who played Dr. Gordon in the very first Saw movie, makes a return here – not giving away anything there, of course. He shows up to mock Bobby for having a support group in the first place (something about profiting off misery).
Even though it's pretty important to have watched at least some of the earlier films, Saw 3D does its best to keep you in the loop, reminding us of certain characters and plots of previous films. For example, the support group includes bona fide survivors, such as one who needed to cut off her own arm to save herself.
But for me, the best part comes at the very end, when All Is Revealed. As the movie's denouement approaches and the bodies pile up, you begin to wonder if Hoffman will emerge victorious – or if he's even the only bad guy out there. The ending answers both questions to some degree of satisfaction and helps to fill in missing information from the previous six movies as well. So on the one hand, the movie ends the series in a satisfying manner, and that's good.
On the other hand, the door is left ever so slightly open for more and more Saw films. It's not impossible to believe. In fact, it's more plausible than the Friday the 13th "endings," because no matter how many times and in how many ways Jason was killed, he somehow came back to slaughter more virgins in the next movie. At least the Saw movies follow some sort of logic.
For me, Saw 3D's 3D effects were well played indeed – if you don't mind intestines flying at you, you'll appreciate them. Not so much if you don't. The plot is less convoluted and intricate than some of the most recent installments, and the movie doesn't waste time on character development. Heck, you hardly even see the now-long-dead Jigsaw. The movie flat-out worked for me from a visual and visceral standpoint.
In fact, to be perfectly fair, even people who liked the earlier Saw movies will find plenty to carp about here. Saw 3D purports to be the end of the series (oh sure, but we did have several movies after Friday the 13th VII: The Final Chapter), and if it is, it ends on a fairly conclusive note. Then again, Jigsaw himself died early in the series, and that didn't stop further movies from being made, so take that for what it's worth.
I can't review this without some plot points from previous Saw movies, so if you haven't watched any of them and plan to, stop reading. OK, still with me? Let's recap.
Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) is the bad guy, having served as Jigsaw's accomplice (blackmailed into it, really), and he has a new game afoot. But complicating matters is Jigsaw's widow, Jill Tuck (Betsy Russell), who knows of Hoffman's involvement. Jill brings Internal Affairs detective Gibson (Chad Donella) into the mix, so Hoffman's dual goals of running the new game and getting to Jill Tuck drive the plot.
The game involves a man named Bobby (Sean Patrick Flanery) who has profited mightily from having "survived" a Jigsaw trap; he's written a best-selling book and runs a support group and makes the talk-show rounds as well. But is Bobby on the up and up? Duh. As with all of Jigsaw's games, Bobby's games involve atoning for his own sins at the cost of some self sacrifice.
The traps continue to be inventive, although some – like the face trap – make welcome returns. I was reminded briefly of an old episode of the radio serial The Shadow called "The House that Death Built," in which various traps (like a tripwire that triggered a double-barreled shotgun) were strewn about the house to keep people from finding treasure, or something. Bobby must go through several of these, much as victims had in earlier movies. And of course, by doing so he loses his pound or so of flesh, and secrets are revealed. Oh, and Carey Elwes, who played Dr. Gordon in the very first Saw movie, makes a return here – not giving away anything there, of course. He shows up to mock Bobby for having a support group in the first place (something about profiting off misery).
Even though it's pretty important to have watched at least some of the earlier films, Saw 3D does its best to keep you in the loop, reminding us of certain characters and plots of previous films. For example, the support group includes bona fide survivors, such as one who needed to cut off her own arm to save herself.
But for me, the best part comes at the very end, when All Is Revealed. As the movie's denouement approaches and the bodies pile up, you begin to wonder if Hoffman will emerge victorious – or if he's even the only bad guy out there. The ending answers both questions to some degree of satisfaction and helps to fill in missing information from the previous six movies as well. So on the one hand, the movie ends the series in a satisfying manner, and that's good.
On the other hand, the door is left ever so slightly open for more and more Saw films. It's not impossible to believe. In fact, it's more plausible than the Friday the 13th "endings," because no matter how many times and in how many ways Jason was killed, he somehow came back to slaughter more virgins in the next movie. At least the Saw movies follow some sort of logic.
For me, Saw 3D's 3D effects were well played indeed – if you don't mind intestines flying at you, you'll appreciate them. Not so much if you don't. The plot is less convoluted and intricate than some of the most recent installments, and the movie doesn't waste time on character development. Heck, you hardly even see the now-long-dead Jigsaw. The movie flat-out worked for me from a visual and visceral standpoint.