Saw 3D : Chapitre final

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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Jill goes into protective custody, but after trying to kill Hoffman, he sets his sights on getting her. Jigsaw puts survivor and now successful author Bobby Dagen into the game.

I know before I even start that this one is regarded as the weakest in the franchise by many, check out most of the online rankings list, and most are harsh on this one.

I'm glad they toned down the soft focus flashbacks, 4 and 5 are full of them, they're too much, there are a few, but they're tolerable.

For me, this one is still better than Saw 4, and possibly Saw 5. It's trashy, it's tacky, the story doesn't make sense, and some of the games are silly, but there are some pretty cool sequences.

I've always liked the scene with the racist guy and his band of followers, that car seat scene is gross. Some of Bobby's games are pretty cool too.

I loathed that opening game, it seemed so unlikely that Kramer would have put a game on for the public, everything had always been done in closed, shut off spaces, it felt at odds with his character, as did the hugely vindictive vendetta against Dagen, I know he lied, but compared to what some of Jigsaw's targets did, it seemed excessive.

It is great to see a few faces from the show's past, and it was nice to see them play a part in the shocking twist. I also liked the twist from the original Saw movie.

6/10.

There is no denying the impact the Saw series has had on not only the horror genre, but movies in general. Starting off as a little low-budget psychological thriller centred around two guys in a basement, this series has smashed box office records and created a new horror villain in Jigsaw. Since 2004 audiences have flocked to watch new victims meet their demise in an inventive and cruel way while relishing the inane plot twists and convoluted story, whilst others have condemned the series as "torture porn" and nothing but sick people coming up with sick traps for sick audiences.

This latest entry stays true to its predecessors and delivers over-the-top, ultra-violent death scenes accompanied by a plot full of flash backs, surprise revelations and an overuse of the main theme. To explain the plot of Saw 3D is silly, as the whole point of a Saw film is to go in having no idea about any of the trips or twists and to enjoy them as they come at you from every which way. I will say; however, that the film does end well, and the story is wrapped up fairly nicely with no obvious need for a sequel (as this is hopefully the "final" film).

Overall the film is very much the same as Saw VI (2009) which was also directed by Kevin Greutert. Like many of the sequels this has multiple stories going at once, but it doesn't quite gel. It all feels very choppy, and after awhile the sheer amount of changing scenes can get quite annoying as it takes away from the suspense which is often built up quite well. The editing, lighting, camera-work and music is all the same as the other entries, by now it is stock standard Saw settings. Jigsaw's traps are back and they are as nasty as ever, if there is one thing this movie delivers on, is fantastic gore. A word of caution (although you may be expecting this now): the 3D is a total waste of money and there are one or two cool effects utilised in the whole 90 minute movie. Do NOT expect something cool just because it was filmed in 3D, cos it ain't any better than the post-conversion films.

On a final note, I have never been a huge fan of the Saw series, but looking back it has been an interesting ride. The first film, although flawed, had a great new concept and a shocking twist. Unfortunately the sequels took away from the first, creating a story based around traps and trying to fit as many twists in as possible. These last two entries by Greutert have been two of the strongest (as well as Saw III), but there are still glaring issues that prevent it from being a great movie. Saw fans will not be disappointed, anyone else should probably stay away unless you like buckets of blood and don't care about understanding the story! 3/5

This movie was a huge letdown , publicity made me believe that this will be final piece of the puzzle which will connect all the previous movies, so i was at least expecting something more intelligent and a shocker twist of an ending, what we got instead seemed to be a rushed attempt to close all loopholes from the previous chapters.

I followed this SAGA not just because of the gore but also the story which i thought would end in a very epic scale ,this final chapter just offered more gore and took the simplest and easiest way out of the story, It felt like wasting a 7 year long wait for a good ending and instead we get a mediocre and Pointless one.

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.