Movie Review: Saw 3d

Since the original "Saw" hacked its way to box office riches in 2004, five other groups of producers, directors, and writers have capitalized on the spoils to be found in getting a group of actors together and simulating them being ripped apart by machinery. Now, after Saw II, III, IV, V, and VI, we are fortunately spared another Roman Numeral with Saw 3D, the swan song of the series.

And, rest assured, that swan is about to be massacred. The series earns its money by depicting gruesome acts of violence, and this last reincarnation, set in a shopping mall, does not disappoint in that respect. John Kramer (a.k.a. "Jigsaw", played creepily by Tobin Bell), the original villain of the series, has long since passed on in Saw III, and though he is often seen in flashbacks the main killings are being carried out by his disciples. In typical "Saw" fashion, the only survivors of Jigsaw do not ever go on to actually live out their lives, such as becoming doctors or lawyers or whatever. Rather, they find it necessary to take up killing themselves.

In this final incarnation of the series, the token plot to provide some sort of reason for the carnage involves the capture of Jigsaw's primary disciple Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor). Jigsaw's widow Jill Tuck (Betsy Russell), who is passingly aware of Jigsaw's doings, offers to turn Hoffman in to Internal Affairs investigator Matt Gibson (Chad Donella) in exchange for immunity. Mayhem ensues, starting with a cameo from an original "Saw" actor whom fans of the original movie will be pleasantly surprised to see.

Truly, the Saw films were never about plot; they are primarily about the freakishly innovative ways that the writers invent, or borrow from Medieval etchings, of how to torture and kill people. After "Saw III", in which a man was placed in a suit that slowly twisted around, breaking all his bones and limbs, one might have thought the series had outdone itself. Here, director Kevin Greutert and writers Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan have truly outdone themselves. People are suspended under chainsaws in a shopping mall, forced to lift themselves up from hooks embedded within their pectoral muscles and, in a fond tribute to "Saw II", fitted in a "reverse bear trap" that cracks someone's skull completely open.

Costing only $20 million to make, Saw 3D has grossed over $120 million worldwide, with $45 million of that from domestic gross. They say, "give the people what they want". Unfortunately, this is what the people want to see.

By: John McElborough

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John writes articles about movies & entertainment. You can buy the Saw DVD online with free delivery. Alternatively the new Glee DVD is also out soon.