• Saw 3D: The Final Chapter (2010)

    Saw 3D is the seventh installment in the psychological horror franchise about philosophical serial killer John Kramer alias Jigsaw. It was initially planned to conclude the series with two films but after poor box office results for the predecessor, the two scripts were scrammed into one for this movie. The franchise also jumped on the bandwagon and released this feature with three-dimensional effects. The premise of the movie was quite worrisome in my opinion. Two scripts scrammed into one have rarely led to solid movies. Films with three-dimensional effects often focus on visual elements and neglect the plot which would be terrible for such a clever horror series as Saw. The announcement that this would definitely be the final part of the series also rose expectations in order to properly connect and conclude all seven films which would seem quite ambitious to say the least.

    Even though Saw 3D is clearly the worst of the first seven films, it's still better than anticipated. The plot is rushed and leaves a few questions unanswered instead of properly concluding the franchise. The main twist is also highly predictable and makes for the weakest script of the series. The three-dimensional effects aren't particularly spectacular which isn't a bad thing since they aren't overused and don't reduce the movie to sinister eye candy. I could however imagine viewers paying an additional three or four dollars for wearing uncomfortable glasses for ninety minutes feeling cheated.

    The movie revolves around a pretentious self-help guru who has published an autobiography about his survival of Jigsaw's deadly game. He also organizes support groups for other survivors and appears on television to increase sales figures. However, the whole story is made up and he has never been kidnapped by Jigsaw and his spiritual successors. Obviously, he is going to be kidnapped soon enough and has to prove whether he is as resilient as described in his own book in order to save those who have benefited from his ruthless scam.

    While this side story is interesting enough, the main plot that attempts sometimes more and sometimes less convincingly to connect this movie to its six predecessors is even more intriguing. Detective Mark Hoffman is being hunted down like game after blowing his cover but he still seeks revenge for what Jigsaw's ex-wife Jill Hunt did to him. She seeks the protection of the police that is coming continuously closer to capturing the rogue detective. However, the antagonist still has some cards up his sleeve. Nobody however predicts the involvement of a third spiritual successor of the serial killer who decides to intervene to keep Jigsaw's heritage alive.

    Despite being the weakest installment in the franchise up to that point and offering a rather unsatisfactory resolution, Saw 3D should still appeal to fans of the franchise as a good average movie. Still, it might have been the right decision to pull the plug at that point before slowly destroying the reputation of an incredibly consistent horror franchise up to that moment. Obviously, greed has brought the franchise back seven years later with a reboot entitled Jigsaw, making it the eighth entry in the franchise. Another sequel is already being planned at this point. Personally, I don't believe it's necessary to make this franchise a never-ending story. Moderation is the key and seven entries are already more than enough in my book.

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  • Saw VI (2009)

    After a solid but overall less convincing fifth installment, the sixth entry in the psychological horror franchise is a step in the right direction without reaching the quality of the first four movies. The film has a strong moral side as the test subject is a ruthless insurance executive this time around who decides upon life and death by applying or refusing a policy. Rather than facing deadly traps himself, he encounters colleagues in such traps and must decide who is going to live and who is going to die until he will be judged himself at the end of his ordeal.

    The side story is already quite intriguing and unpredictable but the main plot is even stronger and follows the events of the previous installments. Detective Mark Hoffman tries to provide evidence to incriminate deceased Agent Peter Strahm with his own crimes but gets caught up in a web of lies that he soon can't control anymore. He is trying to keep John Kramer's sinister legacy going while distracting his colleagues and superiors long enough to find a way out of his difficult situation. However, John Kramer's ex-wife Jill Tuck also becomes an increasingly important pawn in a deadly game of chess between the police forces and the successors of the philosophical serial killer.

    The movie convinces with a bleak atmosphere reminding of a film noir atmosphere from start to finish. The plot is clever, intense and unpredictable. The traps are creative and seem less grisly than usual. The movie ends with a dramatic showdown recalling the franchise's greatest installments. It's obviously difficult to surprise audiences with a sixth installment as some ideas have been used before but this movie is certainly great for what it is.

    Those who expected a steady decline of the franchise after a slightly weaker predecessor, will be surprised by this movie's resilient quality. It once again underlines the franchise's success despite negative reviews by so-called experts around the world. Those experts can watch three-hour long sentimental dramas and nominate them for ten Academy Awards. Fans of the franchise will rather watch ninety- minute long surprising, intense and brutal psychological thrillers like this one. Quality doesn't always need to be intellectual. I would watch Saw VI over any Terrence Malick flick in a heartbeat. You should give it a try to as you might get positively surprised.

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  • Saw V (2008)

    Saw V focuses less on deadly traps but rather intensifies the duel between a desperate, lonesome and sinister Agent Peter Strahm who tries to find evidence to frame brutal, cool and pitiless Detective Mark Hoffman for inheriting Jigsaw's legacy and keeping the deadly games going. As nobody believes the agent who is even put on medical leave, he steals files from past cases to research them in order to put pressure on the detective. He discovers the case of a convicted murderer who died in a pendulum trap he didn't have the chance to escape which breaks with Jigsaw's code of honour. When Agent Peter Strahm discovers that the convicted murderer had killed Detective Mark Hoffman's sister, he holds the evidence to arrest his opponent. However, the motivated agent seems to underestimate the fact that his opponent is already aware that he has lost his cover and has been preparing a trap for the one who is chasing him.

    While the main plot is tense, sinister and gripping, this movie uses less deadly traps than its immediate predecessor but the ones that are shown in the movie are actually among the most creative ones in the franchise. Five people with a sinister connection face a series of deadly traps that bring out the worst in each of them. As usual, there are meanings behind the different traps that the five adults must understand in order to guarantee their survival.

    Even though the fifth entry in the franchise convinces with a solid main plot with two intriguing characters portrayed by two excellent actors and a side story involving a series of clever traps, this movie is a little bit less convincing than the four predecessors. This is mainly due to a lack of unexpected surprises towards the end of the film despite a tagline that claims otherwise. The middle section is also somewhat plodding and especially the scenes with Jigsaw's ex-wife Jill Tuck could at least have been shortened or even cut altogether.

    Still, fans of the franchise will certainly appreciate this film that includes once again many flashbacks that explain and revisit events from the past four entries in an intriguing way. It only makes sense to watch these movies in chronological order as it's impossible to understand the characters' motivations and intertwined story lines if you have skipped one or several of this film's outstanding predecessors. Despite being an overall great film, Saw V is the first sign of a slow decline of the franchise that would have two more sequels before going on hiatus for about seven years. While the first four entries in the franchise are essential for anyone who likes horror movies and psychological thrillers, Saw V is highly recommendable for fans of the franchise but not as extraordinary as it could have been with some more time to develop an even tighter script.

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  • Saw IV (2007)

    What could be the point of continuing the series after Jigsaw's spectacular death at the end of the third installment? Many people were skeptical but Saw IV turned out being an unexpected success underlining the franchise's longevity.

    This movie convinces with the development of characters formerly perceived as side characters that now become lead charcaters that would not only turn out being important in this particular film but in the entire franchise in general. The two most fascinating characters in this particular film are Officer Daniel Rigg who has become obsessed with stopping Jigsaw's deadly games and Detective Mark Hoffman who is quite the opposite with his rational, factual and cold approach. These two characters complement each other perfectly but also clash quite intriguingly. John Kramer's ex-wife Jill Tuck also has an increasingly important role in this film as she portrays a mysterious woman whose intentions aren't always clear.

    The viewers are offered a surprisingly creative plot that cleverly connects with elements from previous installments. This film offers so many clues, details and flashbacks that you have to watch it very carefully and patiently to understand all of its diversified aspects. The movie's conclusion manages once more to come as a complete surprise. The screenwriting of this particular installment might even be the best of the entire franchise.

    The film also surprises with an excellent soundtrack that only intensifies its grisly, mysterious and sinister atmosphere. In combination with the precise camera work, the soundtrack accentuates this installment's underlying film noir elements as the viewers follow a gloomy police investigation. The emotional title track was performed by Japanese visual kei veterans X Japan that released their first new single in ten years for this occasion.

    Saw IV isn't the greatest film of an excellent franchise but most certainly the most astonishing surprise. All questions seemed to be answered at the end of the intense predecessor but this movie takes the viewers by surprise and can basically be seen as the start of the second season of the franchise that focuses on the events after the serial killer's demise. This movie convinces with an unexpectedly clever plot, profound characters and a strong soundtrack. If you had thought the franchise was finished, better think again and give this outstanding film a chance to blow your mind.

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  • Saw III (2006)

    After a grilsy yet intellectual first movie and an intense psychological duel for the sequel, this third entry in the franchise deals with the philosophical aspect of forgiveness. Serial killer John Kramer is on his deathbed but he keeps organizing his twisted games in order to make people value their lives until his final breath. He asks an accomplice to kidnap a doctor who must make sure the serial killer survives until his latest victim succeeds in completing a series of particularly intriguing tests as a broken family father must decide whether he forgives those who are responsible for his son's tragic death that also destroyed his life. However, it's not only his latest victim who has to decide to be forgiving as another person is also playing a game without even knowing it.

    The strongest element of the movie is its philosophical depth when the viewers needs to wonder how they would react under specific circumstances. Could you forgive a driver who hits your son so badly that he dies? How would you feel about a witness to this accident who doesn't intervene? What would you do to a judge that spares the reckless driver from a harsh sentence? The movie teaches us that we are all monsters inside but have different capacities in controling them.

    This third entry is also the one with the greatest depth regarding the dying serial killer. One understands his motivations better than in previous installments. He is open to discuss his points of view on his deathbed which gives us a strangely fascinating yet gloomily repelling insight.

    The film's stunning conclusion manages to surprise yet again as all loose ends are tied together and lead to a dramatic showdown that viewers won't see coming. The scriptwriters still manage to add intellectual depth at the most unexpected moments. The clever ending is rewarding and already leaves the viewers wanting to watch the next installment.

    The philosophical aspect of forgiveness makes this movie stand out. The dealy traps are slightly less twisted than before but much more personal for the test subjects. Thanks to this fresh approach, this film is only slightly less intriguing than the strong immediate predecessor. Fans of the series can't get around watching this film. Saw III underlines the franchise's status as greatest horror film series of the new millennium.

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