Saw 3D - Vollendung

What can one attribute to another entry into the "Saw" franchise? Number 7 comes right on the heels of the 3D craze and purports to be its final chapter. So Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) is still dead and but his legacy still goes on in flashbacks. And in a protégé, Hoffman (Costas Mandylor). And in his widow, Jill (Betsy Russell). The entire soap opera of Jigsaw's family and professional life carries a narrative that attempts to reconcile the final film with the beginning of the franchise, and it definitely does seem to have recapitulated rather well for both hardcore fans as well as fairweather ones. But it has to be said that the films have been on a downward spiral since its fantastic first installment. It delivers the gore in more elaborate ways than the past few films have -- considering how quickly they were rushed out -- but loses that sense of cleverness and more importantly, that sense of menace that the franchise has always attempted to retain.

After the previous six films, the franchise does not so much look through the eye of the victims anymore as it does its villains who have an entire mythology unto themselves. And "Saw 3D" almost solely focuses on Hoffman, who it really has to be said, is a sad substitute for Jigsaw. He carries on his messiah's waning moralistic philosophy by continuing to find victims in need of a baptism by blood but finds himself hindered by Jill who is now cooperating with the police and giving them everything she knows to spite her husband's latest protégé. Add to this one Bobby Dagen (an actually funny Sean Patrick Flanery), who has written a best-selling book and sold DVDs about being a Jigsaw survivor and profiting from Hoffman's hallowed gift of life. Suffice to say, he (and his wife) quickly becomes the main plaything of this film's grand guignol torture play with 60 minutes set on the clock.

Now, even with the requisite twists and better-than-expected inventiveness of its traps, "Saw 3D" does not deliver in the least with its titular promise -- it's 3D sets yet another low standard for the technology. If the onus on watching this film is to attempt a different perspective, then it never quite reaches the mark. But who are we really kidding here? It's just one more excuse to milk this cash cow. The franchise has truly run its course. If you watched and enjoyed all seven of its films, at least you can be proud of that. Right? Anyone?

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It was not a perfect movie by any means, but Saw VI was the first Saw movie that really surprised me. Where the other films quickly became standard exercises in torture and brutality, it was the first film in the series that really made an attempt at building and elaborating the overarching storyline that had been developed over the entire series. Instead of merely hinting at things, we were getting full explanations, things began to make sense, and the movie on the whole was just a very satisfying and very enjoyable film. But much like its predecessors, it ended on a bit of a cliffhanger moment – leading us directly into Saw VII, or as it is more sadly referred to, Saw 3D.

After barely surviving a trap meant to murder him, Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) is out for revenge on Jigsaw's (Tobin Bell) ex-wife Jill (Betsy Russell). But Hoffman is not just out for her blood – he has set-up a new game for Bobby Dagen (Sean Patrick Flanery), a survivor of a Jigsaw trap and self-help guru.

If that does not sound like much, it is because there is not much to Saw 3D. Outside of the long awaited (and unfortunately spoiled) return of Dr. Gordon (Cary Elwes), there is nothing really notable about the film. Jigsaw, a character who must hold some sort of record for remaining the lead despite having died four movies ago, merely appears in an extended cameo. Jill was always a supporting player, but her screen time and presence has been drastically reduced even further. Hoffman's revenge ploy may drive the film, but he too barely appears. So much was tied up, answered and completed in Saw VI that this film feels merely like a film going through the motions to what should be the finale of the series.

Instead of focusing on any of these characters for longer than a few seconds at the time, the film pays attention mostly to Flanery's character and a new detective, Gibson (Chad Donella). Both are described and developed in the quickest and most superfluous of ways (although there could have been a touch more explanation for the importance of Gibson to the storyline), and then help fill in the gaps on the way to the film's conclusion. Neither character or actor is strong enough to carry the movie, and having them help drag the film's running time out just made the film weaker at every interval. Worse yet, the script and story give no reason for the audience to invest any sort of feeling towards either character. Each Saw film hinged on one or an assortment of characters going through some form of game set up by Jigsaw or Hoffman, but there was a grand purpose in the end for why they go through that struggle. Here, the actions of these two characters seem inconsequential. You may hold out hope that there is some reason for their inclusion and participation in the grand finale, but in the end, there is nothing.

The deaths are a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, the film seems to have wisely amped up the victims "working together" motif for almost every trap scene in the film. It makes for a couple of interesting moments, but inevitably still ends with the requisite brutally gory deaths. And a few of the traps are interesting as well – particularly one involving a love triangle, saws, and a public display. And for fans of the series, one notable death involving a rather specific "device" will undoubtedly give cheers, laughter and nausea all at once. But outside of these notable tidbits, the creativity, originality and even the morbid "fun" that come from these traps and deaths seems to have been sucked out of the film. Much like the storyline, it all felt like filler padded out to fill gaps. It was a disappointment to say the least after the go-for-broke style of Saw VI, and only shows that the filmmakers are really starting to show how exhausted their imaginations are in this once gloriously and creative realm. The much hyped 3D does almost nothing for these traps and death scenes either. It is an amusing addition at first, but after getting a character's innards thrown at you for the third time, it starts to get a bit old and silly.

But for everything else that is done so wrong, and so haphazard, the filmmakers manage to concoct an incredibly satisfying and wild shock of an ending. On one hand, it is without any doubt, the standout sequence of Saw 3D. Remember the awesome twists this franchise was originally known for? This one takes the cake, and brings the film more in line with the original films than the later ones. The sheer surprise and audacity of it all is just too good, and feels like it belongs in a significantly better film. It practically cheats the audience into sitting through such a horribly disappointing film just so they can get to this one moment of sheer greatness. On the other hand, it stands as an awesome conclusion and finale to the entire franchise. If the ads are correct and this is indeed the final chapter of Saw, then this may just be one of the most enjoyable and entertaining endings ever created. It just may force you to rethink everything that has come before it.

I hate to say it, but Saw 3D is the worst and most disappointing film in the franchise. It will leave a rotten taste in your mouth, and just feels rushed, disjointed and convoluted. Saw VI showed a renewed creative vigor that just failed to connect with this film. The ending is the film's only real redeeming moment, and nearly makes up for everything that precedes it. Let's just collectively hope a reboot does not ruin its greatness.

5/10.

(This review also appeared on http://www.geekspeakmagazine.com).

For this review I am going to provide a guide as to how you can ensure that a franchise will never continue. But first the plot if you can call it a plot.

Detective Hoffman is still alive. Jill's attempt to kill him backfired when he found a way out of his supposedly inescapable trap. Whilst Hoffman is out to kill Jill he has to contend with setting up another set of traps for the lying Bobby Dagen and his friends. If Bobby is to make it to the end and save his wife, he will have to push himself to the limit.

Step 1: The plot. Ensure your plot is convoluted and does not make sense in the slightest. If you are worried that it does, then provide meaningless flashbacks. If it ain't broke don't fix it. Why change the format when it worked for Saw IV, V and VI. Just rinse and repeat.

Step 2: The main character. Who wants motivation, plausibility and character development? The answer nobody! Ensure your character is as bland as humanely possible. The make him unlikable, arrogant and self-absorbed. If he possesses any humanity wipe it out immediately!

Step 3: Jigsaw. The main villain is not Jigsaw anymore. To let your audience know this, have Tobin Bell dress as a gangster for one scene so that he can embarrass himself. Then watch the less interesting Hoffman blunder from scene to scene.

Step 4: The script. Make sure your script consists of lines that would make Sylvester Stallone worried. Fill it with profanity and the screams of human beings. When you have ninety pages of Horror clichés, you are almost ready to begin.

Step 5: The Acting. Ensure your actors are human and made of meat and bone; if they can scream louder than a toddler hire them forthwith.

Step 6: The camera work. The reason these films make so much money is because of their budget. You spent it on the traps, so borrow the cheapest hand held camera you can find and film all scenes in one take.

Step 7: The length. Make your film as short as possible, but feel ten times the length. Your audience will wonder how it lasted so long.

Step 8: The traps. Have as many traps as you want; the more the better. Who will notice pink blood? A lack of invention and tension? Nitpickers, that's who. If your audience is not sick within the first five minutes then you have failed them as a Director.

Step 9: Closure. Do not allow for closure. Provide questions with no answers. This will mean that if a sequel is green light then you can slowly divulge the answers in Saw M.

Step 10: The Obligatory Twist Ending. If the climax does not leave you scratching your head then change it again. Have characters you thought dead return, just so that you can destroy the brains of the audience.

If you follow all of these steps, you can guarantee the death of a franchise. Or for a few years at least until, it is re-made, re- envisioned, re-booted or all of the above.

Pros:

A good storyline with plenty of twists.

Some of the most creative traps to date.

I really liked the scenes outside rather than always being set in the dark dingy rooms (excluding flashbacks) like in the other movies.

Good ending.

Cons:

Some of the acting was a little off, Chad Donella (Who played Gibson) did not do a very good job, I sometimes could not tell if he was trying to be sarcastic or if it was just bad acting before including no... he is just a dodgy actor. The scene during the television interview also displayed some terrible acting from the characters behind the camera crew as well as the woman interviewing 'Bobby'.

The 3D was disappointing.

At times there seemed to be too much going on at once with too many cuts to different locations

It's what you expect. There is no shock factor. Die hard fans that know every little thing about the movie will see this ending coming. I think they should have taken more time to plan out the games and come up with a larger shock. It seemed forced but maybe my expectations were too high for what the final project should have been in my mind. The 3D factor was fun but it seemed that the movie was revolving around the 3D concept more than the story line. Finally it was way too short, it felt like they were already dragging out what they did have. I believe the writers were just in a hurry to tie up all the loose ends, but then again, many liked the "Final Chapter". I Love "Saw" and I always will but by far, this is the worst one.