Décadence VI

Finally, the Saw series has regained some of it's previous credibility. Saw VI proved to be a very bloody, but clever mainstream romp.

There were a couple of great twists and turns, the gore was jacked up to a fantastic level of brutal extremity (easily beating the rather tame 5th installment), and most importantly, I, plus everyone in the theatre had a ball with it.

As well as being a valid continuation of the 'Saw' story, it worked well as a standalone film. The main twist actually had nothing do to with the previous movies... but don't get me wrong, you'll get plenty of answers for questions left open from the other films at the same time.

As you'd expect, the acting and production values weren't to flash, but the good screenplay and balls-out sadistic torture made this a vast improvement over the last couple of sequels. Apart from the first, I'm happy to say this is definitely one of my favorites from the series. 7.5/10.

Check it out. I found it to be a pleasant surprise.

Another game begins, the wheels of motion are set as Jigsaw's next game begins. Detective Hoffman continues the work, and an unscrupulous insurance executive is challenged to a deadly game of life or death.

Saw 6 reignited my interest in the franchise, I thought 4 and 5 were no more than average, they both felt as though they'd been churned out simply to fill a gap and pick up a few easy bucks, Saw 6 however had a real streak of cleverness.

Looking back now this seemed to lay the ground work for the likes of Saw X and Jigsaw, with better storytelling, more twists and turns, and the usual gore, but it didn't simply rely on the latter, there really was a good bit of storytelling here.

I can't say I truly followed the Hoffman sequences, and to he honest I didn't find them totally interesting, the story of the dodgy executive however, was great, and some of those games were highly imaginative and brutal, not sure I'll ever forget the roundabout of death.

This was much improved over 4 and 5.

7/10.

I remember that feeling i had when watching the first Saw movie. At first i walked in with the notion from the trailer that it was going to be some lame "torture" movie... I then remember walking out afterwards going "OMG...OMG....OMG..." When i first heard they were making a second one, i was extremely happy. Then i walked out of Saw 2 feeling empty.. like i had just watched a lame cash in sequel. For whatever reason i kept coming back.. Premiere day... I'd be there to watch the next one. Saw 3 i left feeling way better then the 2nd one.. The 4th one i remember walking out going "Wtf.. what a lame new jigsaw..". The 5th one i had the distinct thought "Omg.. that was just a total filler movie and nothing was gained from it..." Six i didn't exactly have high hopes for...

But Thank... GOD... Saw 6 is not only just a good sequel but its actual a great movie on its own. The moral dilemma William faces as part of "his" game throughout the movie... real powerful choices. The traps (as always..) gory as all hell.. but the emotion behind the decisions and ending of all the traps.. sends a shiver down my spine. And the ending twist AND scene... I wont spoil it but my GOD.. You thought agent Straham had a powerful will to live in that intro scene to 5, You ain't seen nothing yet.

Mainly though.. The story.. One thing this chronicle of the series does nicely as well, is tie up SO many questions that have been still hanging from way back to even Saw 3 (with a couple of new ones added just for the next ones..). I found that even though i thought 4 and 5 were average on their own... After seeing this one, it amplified and made them.. i don't know.. make sense.

Just like a jigsaw.. as each piece is layed down... the entire picture starts to make sense. Bring on Saw 7!!!!!

Coming back from the midnight viewing, I am seriously shocked. I remember this time last year writing a review for SAW V, and from first impressions, I enjoyed it. Digging deeper though after-wards, I realized how much was wrong. This time however, several friends came along, avid fans of disliking the newer installments. Well, I am happy to say, they finally did something right.

The very first thing I noticed that was different was the pacing of the movie. The opening scene is a trap. I will not reveal who, or why for that matter, you pay good money to find out after all. Though after that, the movie takes a very different tone. While everyone probably is used to the nature of SAW not wasting any time, they took a different approach for the sixth installment.

We begin to follow where SAW V left off, Hoffman emerging victorious, or so it may seem. And soon enough, the introduction of our newest test subject, William. It's hard to get into the character without spoiling anything, so if I seem vague, you know why. William is an insurance agent, the vice president of his company as a matter of fact. In that, he made a formula on how to determine who should be eligible for health insurance. Needless to say, John Kramer was a former associate of his.

Jill, the ex-wife of the infamous Jigsaw Killer was also presented a box. The box plays a large role this time around and again, I will not spoil it. Her role in the grand scheme of things is further explained and finally understood. Everything between her past with John, her present with Hoffman, and if she truly is part of the scheme, or just another person wanting to escape it all.

The story is nice refresher from the original pace and nicely executed. Acting this time around as well was great.

My only complaint is how even though the ending will surprise you, there has been so much exposed through previous installments, you feel less than shocked. Those who remember previous SAW's will understand what I mean by shock.

There is a lot answered this time around, near everything actually. Be it the letter from SAW III, Hoffman's true intentions, Jill's involvement, and Jigsaw's grand scheme, everything will be fully explained this time around. I highly recommenced this SAW, especially if you want to give it that one last chance to see if it can be saved. Personally, I find it redeeming and if they continue with refreshing courses such as this, SAW could go on forever.

I found Parts II, III and IV of the Saw series increasingly tedious, so much so that I left it six years before watching Part V. I was pleasantly surprised, then, to (eventually) find that the fifth instalment marked a turning point, the plot-line becoming a bit more interesting with Agent Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) taking on the mantle of Jigsaw, the gore being even more graphic, and the makers clearly taking matters with a welcome pinch of salt (the extreme nature of some of the gruesome traps bordering on self-parody). I was having fun at last.

The series continues to improve with Part VI, which develops the Hoffman character further, ladles on even more revolting splatter, and steadfastly refuses to get bogged down with trifling matters such as the cash, time, and skill required to build such amazing methods of torture. Part VI simply gets on with entertaining the fans, with a twisty-turny narrative and bucket-loads of the red stuff.

This time around, Jigsaw has assembled a group of despicable life-insurance business-people, and proceeds to teach them that choosing between life and death should not be an easy decision to make. As a result, bodies are blasted, crushed, hung, and, in the film's most revolting scene, melted from the inside with a highly corrosive acid. Meanwhile, the F.B.I. are closing in on Hoffman, although Kramer's wife Jill Tuck (Betsy Russell) also has a surprise in store for the deviant agent. Rather surprisingly, this satisfyingly sick chapter has left me looking forward to more Saw.

7.5/10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.