Saw 4 (2007) Review

Even though Spiral has been out for a few weeks, I have been really busy so I am having to catch up on the Saw films quite quickly and here is my review for Saw 4. The premise of the film sees a police officer have to take part in a game in order to try and save his two friends. 

Main Character 

There are many characters in this film but I guess I put him in the premise so Lyriq Bent plays Lieutenant Rigg and this is one boring character. Yes, he has been in the other Saw films but as a very small role and this film requires him to do more and it just doesn't work. He is an incredibly bland character that is just a police officer and has nothing remarkable about him in any way. 

Supporting Characters

Even after the events of the last film, Tobin Bell is back as Jigsaw and the film uses him in a pretty bizarre way by trying to show more of his backstory and it just really didn't work for me. The rest of the cast offer pretty little, Costas Mandylor as Hoffman and Scott Patterson as Strahm play the other main roles but again there isn't much there, they are just generic police officers and I never really cared about the investigation or any of them as characters so it made it hard to stay invested as the film as a whole. 

Story 

The story isn't that great but there are some positives. In traditional Saw fashion, the last 10 mins are insane with reveals and gore and this film is no different with it being pretty effective, even if it doesn't all make sense. But the film really tries hard to connect everything from previous films and explore Jigsaws past that it bogs the film down and makes the continuity a bit hard to follow or gain a sense of. If you don't care about any of the characters it does make it difficult to get invested on the story that is being told. 

Script 

The script is pretty bad, the dialogue is basic and generic and the mapping out of the plot just doesn't work apart from that last 10 mins which is at least entertaining but a bit hard to understand. These films are forced to all connect and sometimes a bit too forcibly and it just doesn't quite work and forces you to try and remember everything that has taken place in previous films. 

Style 

Saw is know for its stylish executions and they are still here in all there gory nature and at least this element of the franchise is kept in tact and in full display here. But the film is paced poorly, and is sloppy in its execution which is in the nature of the last few films in this franchise. 

Overall

Overall, Saw 4 is a really poor film that is sloppy and focuses on the gore instead of its characters and narrative and that isn't enough for me. If you like horror films like Saw then obviously this is up your street but for everybody else, avoid this one. 

Rating - 2/10

Saw 3 (2006) Review

Despite a bit of a break, I am back reviewing the Saw films and that continues here with Saw 3 and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees Jigsaw and Amanda kidnap a doctor in order to keep himself alive while another man must go through a test of his own. 

Main Character

Tobin Bell is back as Jigsaw and this is probably his most lacklustre performance. He still has that chill to his voice and he is a pretty calculated horror villain and that continues here. But the issue here is that he doesn't really do that much for the majority of the film, he just finds himself laid in bed and saying cryptic things which is just not as interesting as what we have seen in previous films. 

Supporting Characters

Angus MacFadyen and Bahar Soomekh play the two new people playing Jigsaw's game and they are just bad here. They are overacting and it is really hard to care about them even though the film really wants you too. the first film did this effectively but this film is more like Saw 2 in making it hard to care about them as characters. Shawnee Smith is back as Amanda and she is annoying, she is also really overacting and it just doesn't work, she comes across as the complete opposite of Jigsaw and while I was watching the film I just wanted her to go and have him take centre stage like he has in previous films. 

Story 

The story is a bit of a mess but there are some okay parts to it. Macfadyen's character Jeff has to go through a pretty emotional time of it and at times it works okay but then the film goes and screws it up. There is also a good explaining of Amanda's character and how she fits into the Saw history and mythos which I did like. But the main issue is that there is way too much going on, it feels like they had a few story ideas but only had one film to do it in which makes this feel like a bit of a Frankenstein of a film that is a bit all over the place in terms of its storytelling. Also the film feels like it has to deal with characters from the previous film and spends way too much time on it when it plays a pretty small part of this film's overall story. 

Script

The script is nonsense to be honest with dialogue that is really poorly written and makes this film go from having a bit of gory charm to cringeworthy. Plus the ending is absurd and feels like just a lazy excuse to keep the franchise going as characters start doing really stupid things. 

Style 

Saw has always been known for its gory death-traps and this film ramps it up and makes it feel more reliant on the gore then previously expected. They are entertaining in a terrible way and actually pretty ingenious which is the main thing that keeps you watching this mess of a film. But this film is way too long, it drags its heels in for probably 15 mins too long and with these different stories it just doesn't work. 

Overall

Overall, Saw 3 is a bad film that relies on shock gore to keep people invested. Saw started off as a pretty unique concept but this film is more like your generic horror film and not a particularly good one at that. 

Rating - 3/10

Saw 2 (2005) Review

The next film in my prep for Spiral is Saw 2 and I have now watched it and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees a detective attempt to rescue 8 people who have been placed into a game by the nefarious Jigsaw. 

Main Character 

Before starring in what feels like 100 series of Blue Bloods Donnie Wahlberg plays the lead here and the best thing I will say is that he is pretty functional in his role. He plays the detective well and feels like a natural fit with the franchise as a whole. But the issue is that there is nothing special or unique about him and he is just really generic, I just wasn't particularly interested or captivated by anything to do with him at all. 

Supporting Characters

Shawnee Smith is back as Amanda and she is given more to do with her role here and she is similar to Wahlberg in that she is very functional in her role and this is a very physical role that she has to achieve. It's just she isn't that good in making you care and really she could have been a completely new character and I feel like the film wouldn't have been much different. We actually get to see more of Tobin Bell as Jigsaw and I just feel like he has such an interesting and cool voice that it makes Jigsaw pretty maniacal. It is just I feel a little bit that this film shows a bit too much of Jigsaw and where the first film built this aura around him it just basically tells you everything here. But the cast of the people captured by Jigsaw are so all over the place and bad that you won't care about a single person and want to see them die pretty horrible deaths. 

Story 

There is no doubt that this story ramps it up from the first film and raises the stakes in a pretty large way. There are also some pretty cool unique death traps here that are way more creative from the first film and in typical Saw fashion there is a twist and it works pretty well even though I feel like it will never have the impact that the first film have. But the film has an issue with its characters and not making you care about a single human being presented to you which for me is pretty important even in a 90 minute horror film. 

Script

The script just isn't very good. The dialogue is poor and the characters are poorly written which just makes this film feel a bit cold and pointless. Yes I said there is a twist and it is executed pretty well but for me it doesn't save the mess of a script that is put on screen here. 

Style 

As mentioned above, the film is definitely bigger in scale and for the most part it does work as it allows some more creative deathtraps that may have been off the table before and that works here. But even though the film isn't that long, it feels long and I think that is down to just the larger amount of characters that have to have backstories that just aren't explained well enough and slow the whole thing down. 

Overall 

Overall, Saw 2 is a below average film and for me is a step down from the original. Yes it has a bigger budget and more well known actors but it falls flat and loses the charm that the first one had and I would saw it is one that can be skipped. 

Rating - 4/10 

Saw (2004) Review 

In general I have one genre that I just don't like and that is Horror. I find a lot of them dull and predictable riddled with jump scares that are cheap at best. But I thought with the new Saw film Spiral coming out next month I would take this time to watch this franchise through for the first time and that starts here with my review for the first Saw film. The premise of the film sees two men locked up in a room when they realise they a part of a serial killers twisted game. 

Main Character

Leigh Whannell and Carley Elwes play the two men who are locked up and I think they did an alright job. They both sell the situation they are in pretty well and you do feel for them and want to see them get out of this whole situation. The film also does a decent job of exploring their outside lives and the possible reasons that they are in this whole situation. But at times I though both of them leaned into horror film genre 101 and just started screaming and being all over the top and it just didn't work. I think they were meant to be serious but they came across as a little bit funny. 

Supporting Characters

Danny Glover plays a detective on the hunt of the killer and he is good here. Glover is a pretty big name so he does stand out in this film, his character is interesting enough and at least for me it got to a point where I had to start question his motivations. Michael Emerson has a smaller role but plays it well enough here. But the rest of the cast just aren't given much to work with, it's not that they are terrible it's just there is no reason to really care. 

Story

The story is really interesting, the film does a really good job of putting the audience in a similar situation to the main characters as to knowing what exactly is going on. It also succeeds in showing the backstory to both of these characters and the killer themselves so it isn't just a simple horror film but one that stands out more. Also there is a twist at the end of the film that is fantastically done and I legitimately did not see it coming which doesn't happen that often these days.  

Script

The script is fine, it has some decent dramatic moments and dialogue to it and as I mentioned that twist which is really well realised. But there are also some cheesy horror trope moments that don't quite work and there is no escaping that there are certain parts of the film that do feel a bit generic, at least to me. 

Style 

The film is really good at creating a very intense atmosphere and feeling of suspense. There isn't as much gore as I was expecting which is fine by me and the jump scares are at a minimum which is a good thing. But I did feel like the film was a little long, maybe 10 to 15 mins could have been chopped off as I though the 2nd act dragged itself out a little too much. Also this film hasn't aged that well, there are some pretty outdated filming techniques and sound issues that are noticeable. 

Overall

Overall, Saw is an above average Horror Film. I had a decent time watching this film and felt pretty engaged by its plot and lore that is created. I mean it isn't a film that is that revolutionary but if you like horror then this is one for you and if you aren't then this isn't the one that is going to convert you in my mind. 

Rating - 6/10