Saw has evolved into quite the mini-franchise in the past two years. I'm sure that back in 2004, when the first film was released, few thought that it would grow into a trilogy in the span of two years. But here we are, two years later, talking about the third installment chronicling the dastardly deeds of Jigsaw (with a rumored fourth installment on the way).
Few horror films have such a love/hate relationship with audiences like the Saw series does. Personally, I have yet to meet a person that says they think any of the Saw movies are "okay". It's either "Oh man, these movies are the best thing to happen to the horror genre in years!" or "Oh man, these movies make me wish Noah's Arc sank." Judging by the feedback from the general public, Saw 3 is fitting nicely into the love/hate mold.
Saw 3 continues the storyline set in motion at the conclusion of part two. Jigsaw (the fantastic Tobin Bell) is on the brink of death, and his apprentice, Amanda (Shawnee Smith), is aiding him in carrying out his diabolical, but theme-heavy, plans. Jigsaw's latest game revolves around Dr. Lynn Denlon (Bahar Soomekh) who is responsible for keeping Jigsaw alive, as Jigsaw's newest pawn, Jeff (Angus Macfayden), participates in a game that revolves around the tragic death of his young son.
Like the past two installments, the big hook of Saw 3 is to guess what the big twist ending will be. However, the obvious main problem with basing an entire trilogy on constant twist endings, is that the newest twist is always compared to the previous ones. The original Saw had a legitimate twist ending that was kept well-guarded throughout the film. Since then, each twist ending from the Saw series has proven to be less and less effective and has never matched the original. Saw 3 is no different, as if you pay somewhat attention to what Jigsaw is saying, you can figure out the real reason behind Lynn and Jeff's purposes in the game within the first half of the film.
Aside from twist endings, the Saw films have always used the gore factor to draw in its audience. Torture devices, blood and gore are big staples of Saw, going out of its way to quench the blood thirst of the audience. Most will be disappointed that a majority of Saw 3's traps are relatively boring and uninspired. The only one that really stands out is the "torture rack", which does a fantastic job in delivering a gruesome conclusion. But it gets overshadowed by the dumber traps, one of which is a man who is threatened to be drowned by rotted pig guts.
While there is plenty of blood and gore to be found, it is spread out and you may find yourself getting restless during the downtime. Simply put, the acting and story cannot hold up during these obvious breaks from the carnage. The best actor, Tobin Bell, is incapacitated throughout the film and while he emits some of that Jigsaw charm we've come to know, he's just not at 100%. In addition, Shawnee Smith and Bahar Soomekh just do not have the acting chops to be in their respective roles - Shawnee Smith, in particular, whose line delivery is just awkward.
Of the three Saw films, this one feels the most empty. Each installment of the Saw series has been less about terror and more about just dumping buckets of blood on the screen mixed with a twist ending. With a story that is driven predominantly by flashbacks and protagonist characters that are simply uninteresting, Saw 3 is barely a cut above mediocrity.
Jigsaw, I hate to say it, but your games are getting old - maybe it's time to buy an Xbox 360 and call it a day.
"Saw III" opens October 27, 2006 and is rated R. Horror. Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman. Written by James Wan, Leigh Whannell. Starring Angus Macfadyen, Dina Meyer, Donnie Wahlberg, Leigh Whannell, Shawnee Smith, Tobin Bell.
