Post by slapshot63 on Oct 27, 2006 21:51:45 GMT -5
Saw III – A-
“Suffering? Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet.”
NOTE: I am writing this review with the assumption that you have seen both previous Saw movies. If you have not, don’t read the review.
Lionsgate has churned out a Saw movie every year for the past three years. It’s like clockwork. But, as we all know, sequels tend to go downhill with each one and since this is the third film in the series, how does it match up against the others and more importantly, was it worth the wait?
The answers to those questions are simple: very well and yes. I’m not going to give any plot details away because that would be wrong. You need to experience this knowing as little as possible. Many of the same players return. Tobin Bell is back as John/Jigsaw and does a truly wonderful job once again with the character, elevating him with each successive movie and, in this one, scene. Shawnee Smith is back as Amanda and makes her character more emotional and human than in the previous movies. Bahar Soomekh is Lynne, the doctor captured to keep John alive so he can see his “last game” through till the end. She turns in the weakest performance in the movie. Her delivery is flat and she shows hardly any emotion at all. She kills almost every scene she is in. Angus Macfayden is Jeff who we all know by now is the main man in the game. Some other familiar faces return but I won’t spoil anything here (if you haven’t already noticed, I’m being very vague).
I have to say, this movie has an amazing opening. If you know me, I love when one film references a previous film and this brought a huge smile on my face. I’m going to leave it at that. I also have never been happier to have been lied to. Lionsgate lied to us all. They told us Donnie Wahlberg was set to return in flashbacks sequences as Det. Matthews but dropped out due to creative differences. The movie opens with Donnie Wahlberg and he did make a return! Also, it was sheer brilliance how they had Tobin Bell and Shawnee Smith say they’d return for a Saw 4, leading everyone to believe something else (Ha! I’m not going to spoil it for you who haven’t seen it yet still check spoiler tags! Shame on you!) Lionsgate is seriously the best at marketing. Hands down.
This movie is downright disturbing. It’s bloodier, gorier and more likely to make you cringe than either previous movie combined. They weren’t kidding around here, and this is after being edited seven times. I can’t wait to see the unrated version of this baby! The traps themselves push the envelope further than they have previously. The only bad part is that the previews show you every trap so there are no surprises here. Also, two of the traps were released as clips viewable on the Internet so that kind of ruined those ones (the good thing is that they aren’t exactly the same so if you saw the clips you won’t be seeing a complete rehash. The traps though, are inventive, cruel and lots of fun. More than once you'll be squirming in your chair (actually, the most cringe-worthy [that's one of my words!] thing in the movie doesn't even have to do with a trap! You'll know what it is when you see it). The whole audience was grossed out more than once. You could tell by the unanimous "Aah!" 's and movement. The opening sequence, while awesome, will make you cringe (in a good way). That's the way you start a movie!
I know you’re all wondering, “How does this stack up compared to the other two?” and the answer is this: 1,3,2. Saw is still the best of the series but only for the novelty and the advantage of being the first. Saw III is on par with the original and much better than Saw II. Gone are the epileptic cuts (for the most part) and there are much better camera shots than in the other two. ). Now, this series is known for its big twists at the end but I want to tell you, DON’T go into this one expecting a brilliant twist that will completely blindside you while still making sense like the first two had. I did and I was under whelmed after the movie was finished. This one does have a couple twists but they aren’t huge nor will they change the movie upon repeat viewings like the twists in the first two did (actually, this reveals a “twist” for the first movie!). The thing that really makes this movie succeed though is its story. Saw II focused too much on the traps and not enough on the characters so in turn, we didn’t care too much about them or them expiring. Here however, there are only a few central characters so we care about them (and can remember their names) and what happens to them. The relationship between John and Amanda is expanded upon and you see just how far back it really goes. One thing I would have liked expanded upon is the relationship between John and the woman he thinks of in his short flashbacks. She’s seen with him but nothing ever becomes of it.
Charlie Clouser turns in his strongest score here. He uses the ever-famous “Zepp Overture” more here but in more subtle ways. No longer is it only used for big twists, here it is altered and more low-key. If you don’t pay attention you won’t even realize it’s the same piece of music. The whole thing though is great and once again, suits the movie perfectly.
Saw III the perfect way for this series to go out on. It is a great entry and is only overshadowed by the original because it was the first one and it holds a special place with me. It was much better than Saw II and it ups the ante of this series in just about every way conceivable. Even though it was rushed out a year after Saw II, Saw III is an extremely worthy film and as I said before, is only behind the original by an extremely small margin. If you're a fan of this series you'll be very happy with this movie. To me, this is the end of the Saw franchise. If Lionsgate makes another one, it will be a sad, sad day to be a Saw fan. You'll come away from this one with many emotions, none of which are "This blew".
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