SAW 3D
2010
R
You can watch the trailer here
R
You can watch the trailer here
I don't think I've ever been so pleased with such a bad movie.
Let me get this out of the way: Saw 3D is not a good movie by any means. In relation to the rest of the films in the Saw series, I've definitely given it the lowest grade, although Saw V was pretty damn terrible. Despite this, I probably rank this latest (and supposedly final) installment, which was directed by Kevin Greutert, in the series in the top three in terms of satisfaction. Allow me to explain.
If I wanted to go into detail about everything that's wrong with this movie, I could talk for hours. Instead, I'll skim over the main pieces that cause total and utter mayhem. To start, the story is extremely convoluted, much like the two previous installments in the franchise. Characters that we've never seen are introduced, and it's as though the writers wanted us just to accept that they were there and had probably always been there. In a way, it's fitting - so many people (especially cops) are killed in each movie that there needs to be a constant carousel of newer and supposedly more experienced lawmen stalking the Jigsaw killer. Still, I never thought I'd actually be wishing to have Donnie Wahlberg back (see: Saw II, originally).
People see the Saw movies for one of two reasons: either they're going for the story and the twists (like myself), or they're going for the gore. While Saw 3D does dish out the gore readily, I just felt as though it wasn't quite as exciting as it has been. Maybe seven years of these movies have desensitized me, but none of the traps truly seemed all that edgy. Save for one nostalgic death late in the film, I wasn't impressed with the visual effects. If this is going to be the final movie, they should have gone big.
Now, none of the movies in the movie had terribly great acting, but this may hit a new low. I just couldn't believe that any of the characters were actually real people. Everything just seemed so forced. I had a little bit of hopes here with the addition of Sean Patrick Flanery into the ensemble, but he was arguably one of the worst to grace the screen. Just a very low effort all-around here.
Despite all of the evidence pointing to a horrible movie, I still found it very enjoyable for two reasons: the beginning and the ending. As fans of the franchise already know, every Saw movie (save the original) starts with a snippet of one or more of Jigsaw's victims caught in one his traps. The nature of the game this time around is irrelevant, but the picture above shows a little piece. The thing that I liked about the scene was that Jigsaw placed the trap in a public place, as you can see by the crowd in the background. Throughout the scene, the three people in the game scream outside for help while the masses just continue to watch. Camera phones appear, and the entire situation seems entirely voyeuristic. I got the sense that the writers were trying to send a message to the audience about watching gore for the sake of gore, but at the same time, I think it's making a statement about the lack of sensitivity in the world today. Yes, it's a reach, but it's just the vibe I got from the scene.
However, the reason I can call this movie a success is the ending. For the past few years, I've been hoping for a certain resolution when the final Saw film finally came around, and I am happy to say that the writers have completely delivered. I was so overjoyed with the final realization that I literally had goosebumps. Obviously, I don't want to give away this final twist, but I will say that I am always a fan of stories coming full circle. The twist may not save Saw 3D, but it definitely validates the Saw franchise as a whole.
Let me get this out of the way: Saw 3D is not a good movie by any means. In relation to the rest of the films in the Saw series, I've definitely given it the lowest grade, although Saw V was pretty damn terrible. Despite this, I probably rank this latest (and supposedly final) installment, which was directed by Kevin Greutert, in the series in the top three in terms of satisfaction. Allow me to explain.
If I wanted to go into detail about everything that's wrong with this movie, I could talk for hours. Instead, I'll skim over the main pieces that cause total and utter mayhem. To start, the story is extremely convoluted, much like the two previous installments in the franchise. Characters that we've never seen are introduced, and it's as though the writers wanted us just to accept that they were there and had probably always been there. In a way, it's fitting - so many people (especially cops) are killed in each movie that there needs to be a constant carousel of newer and supposedly more experienced lawmen stalking the Jigsaw killer. Still, I never thought I'd actually be wishing to have Donnie Wahlberg back (see: Saw II, originally).
People see the Saw movies for one of two reasons: either they're going for the story and the twists (like myself), or they're going for the gore. While Saw 3D does dish out the gore readily, I just felt as though it wasn't quite as exciting as it has been. Maybe seven years of these movies have desensitized me, but none of the traps truly seemed all that edgy. Save for one nostalgic death late in the film, I wasn't impressed with the visual effects. If this is going to be the final movie, they should have gone big.
Now, none of the movies in the movie had terribly great acting, but this may hit a new low. I just couldn't believe that any of the characters were actually real people. Everything just seemed so forced. I had a little bit of hopes here with the addition of Sean Patrick Flanery into the ensemble, but he was arguably one of the worst to grace the screen. Just a very low effort all-around here.
Despite all of the evidence pointing to a horrible movie, I still found it very enjoyable for two reasons: the beginning and the ending. As fans of the franchise already know, every Saw movie (save the original) starts with a snippet of one or more of Jigsaw's victims caught in one his traps. The nature of the game this time around is irrelevant, but the picture above shows a little piece. The thing that I liked about the scene was that Jigsaw placed the trap in a public place, as you can see by the crowd in the background. Throughout the scene, the three people in the game scream outside for help while the masses just continue to watch. Camera phones appear, and the entire situation seems entirely voyeuristic. I got the sense that the writers were trying to send a message to the audience about watching gore for the sake of gore, but at the same time, I think it's making a statement about the lack of sensitivity in the world today. Yes, it's a reach, but it's just the vibe I got from the scene.
However, the reason I can call this movie a success is the ending. For the past few years, I've been hoping for a certain resolution when the final Saw film finally came around, and I am happy to say that the writers have completely delivered. I was so overjoyed with the final realization that I literally had goosebumps. Obviously, I don't want to give away this final twist, but I will say that I am always a fan of stories coming full circle. The twist may not save Saw 3D, but it definitely validates the Saw franchise as a whole.
Movie Review Summary:
Grade: F
Thumb... Sideways
Grade: F
Thumb... Sideways
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