YouSeenThat.com: Film Review
Saw V
by Jamie - November 6th 2008
“Please tell me that Jigsaw is dead?”
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I'm going to keep this review of Saw V reasonably short and sweet – with four Saw films already under our belts, we should all know exactly what we are letting ourselves in for. Saw I was a little rough around the edges, but the ending was brilliant. Saw II, eh, I can't even remember. Saw III was little more than ninety-odd-minutes of gore and torture which should have wrapped-up the series nicely, but didn't. Saw IV just left me standing in the cinema car park spouting a torrent of obscenities at the heavens, a scene reminiscent of Jennifer Love Hugetits in 'I Know What You Did Last Summer'... obscenities that ranged from 'what the hell was that?' through to 'why the hell did they keep making these films, and why the hell do I keep paying to see them?'. So avid reader, you can imagine my enthusiasm when it came to reviewing Saw V?
Oh well, it could have been worse... I could have been reviewing a Will Ferrell film instead.
Having summed-up my Saw experience pretty accurately in the introduction, I had to wonder what the hell was left for Saw V? We, the ticket-paying audience, have been lead to believe that Jigsaw apparently died back in Saw III, or at least that's what my fragile little mind can recall after the self-inflicted case of brain damage brought about from sitting through the logical abortion that was Saw IV. Now I use the word 'apparently' to allude to Jigsaw's death, because, let's face it, the writers love nothing more than to screw with the entire timeline and history of the franchise with each new instalment. Rather than the parallel timelines running through Saw IV (which confused the shit out of a lot of viewers), Saw V picks-up directly after the events of Saw IV - this time pitting Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) and Agent Strahm (Scott Patterson) in a head-to-head battle over the investigation of the Jigsaw murders... all of this bubbling in the foreground while five brand new subjects are about to get a crash course in Jigsaw's very unique and equally effective rehabilitation program.
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Now as much as I would like to sit here and rip the absolute crap out of Saw V, I can't, and I won't. I bet you are surprised? I know I am. Sure, overlooking the fact that the whole franchise has been done to death, Saw V was actually one of the better films in the franchise. While I haven't entirely made up my mind as to where I would rank Saw V in the scheme of things, I must admit that this new film addressed a lot of my own personal criticisms of Saw II through Saw IV. While the aforementioned sequels relied heavily on gore and torturous traps, avoiding some much needed focus on plot and storytelling, Saw V actually bucks this trend and devotes a lot more time to plot. While the screenwriters have opted to continue the trend of screwing with the narrative of the previous films, almost forcing us to concede that everything we knew about Jigsaw is probably wrong, there is a definite vibe from the earlier films. Gore fans shouldn't be too disappointed, but the storyline is the real winner in Saw V. Instead of the usual paper-thin story wrapped around numerous and varied methods of torture and means of death, Saw V intersperses the trials and tribulations of our five Jigsaw victims through a reasonably developed take on the Jigsaw/Saw mythos.
I must admit that the Saw series has always intrigued me more than other long running horror franchises, namely staples of the genre like 'Friday The 13th' or 'Nightmare On Elm Street'. Aside from the fact that Saw is a new brand for a new generation of horror fans, I found the whole backstory of two rookie Aussies making it big in Hollywood to be a fascinating tale. To this very day, I still have fond memories of watching Leigh Whannell's zany film reviews on ABC's Recovery on a Saturday morning back when I was a teenager. Even then I could see a guy with a passion for film - to finally see his passion translate into the success of Saw has certainly inspired me as a screenwriter, reviewer and writer. If I had my way, I'd love nothing more than to sit down with my two Antipodean brothers, Leigh Whannell and James Wan, and quiz them about everything Hollywood: especially the direction that the Saw franchise has taken.
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Unfortunately (fortunately for their bank balances), Whannell's and Wan's baby has become an inevitable victim of its own success. When the boys killed Jigsaw at the end of Saw III, they must have put the studio in an uncomfortable position - how could they invariably kill off an incredible money-spinner along with him? Hell no. With Jigsaw's death, the audience now find themselves subjected to the continual retelling of the same story, however from a slightly different viewpoint. I certainly understand why they do it: without keeping the story fresh, Saw films have about as much going for them in the longevity stakes as Marilyn Manson has in the take-home-to-mother stakes: somewhere between 'not at all' and 'bugger all'. As painful as these retellings have become (for me at least), especially with Saw IV, without the opportunity to reinvent and re-envision the setup, Saw films are little more than a ninety minute pornos for sick bastards. You can only torture and torment the characters, and audience, so much before you lose them completely. Saw V amends some of these transgressions, but to be honest, I think it's really time to pull the pin on the franchise with Saw VI.
Actually, speaking of arming explosive ordinance, I just had a brainwave of epic proportions. Wait for it... a Vernon Wells cameo in Saw VI! Bennett from Arnold Schwarzenegger's seminal masterpiece, 'Commando', playing a nutjob in chainmail undies, spouting classic lines like "John, stick your head out, one shot, right between the eyes, I'll make it quick, just for old time sake." Vernon could be quickly be dispatched by some sort of steam powered pipe device. Heh, I told you this was going to be epic, didn't I? That's why I'm an ideas man.
If Leigh or James so happen to stumble onto this review - make it so!
Anyway, back to reality. At the end of the day, it's really difficult to get that interested in these Saw films anymore - it's just the same old tired shit over and over. Don't get me wrong, the original Saw was inventive and fresh, but every inevitable sequel just feels like a case of flogging a dead cash cow. The sad thing is that the franchise probably costs bugger all to film compared to most Hollywood productions, and the punters are still streaming in to plonk down their money for a ticket. Ah well, if you love Saw, no doubt you will enjoy the sadism of Saw V... and Saw VI... and Saw VII...
The A.D.D. Version:
It's Saw. Either you love it, or you hate it... or like us, maybe you just couldn't give a damn anymore. Better than Saw IV anyway.
Random Observations:
See This Film If You Like:
The YouSeenThat.Com Popcorn Rating:
One of the better Saw films, hence the rating. But is Jigsaw dead yet?
How does the YouSeenThat.Com Popcorn Rating work?
Well, it works on the theory that the more you enjoy a film, the less likely you are to be aimlessly shoving salty corn kernels into your gob, and a little more focused on what is happening in front of you on the big screen. Therefore, the more popcorn in our scorers bucket, the better the film. Pretty simple, huh?. Think of it as an inverse scoring system.