Saw VI

I've always had a love/hate relationship with the Saw films. On one hand, I really, really dig the idea of a horror movie franchise releasing a new installment every Halloween. I've just never been especially thrilled that Saw is that franchise. In fact, I hated the first one so much, I skipped Saw II in theaters, and didn't even bother watching it on DVD until months after its release. Saw V was an especially low point in the series, virtually collapsing under the weight of its own continuity, some weak characters, and a really lame twist at the end.

So I wasn't really looking forward to Saw VI, but I figured it couldn't be any worse than the last one, and by some stroke of luck, might even be good.

Instead, it was great.

I loved it. Saw VI is The Godfather II of the series. In one fell swoop, the filmmakers totally re-energized the franchise, and has me looking forward to October 2010 so I can see what happens next. I honestly can't say enough good things about this film. But I'll try.

Spoilers follow...

Let's get the political stuff out of the way first. After the past few months, how great and cathartic was this? I could watch nothing but movies where insurance company executives get slaughtered, and not get bored ever. (Republicans, always looking for a chance to whine about some perceived injustice, naturally feel differently.) It's a real credit to both the script and Peter Outerbridge's performance that by the end of the film, you're actually feeling sorry for William and believing that he's really changed. But at the same time, you're still kind of happy to see him pumped full of acid and dissolved from the inside out.

Anyway, there's really no use in discussing the absurdity of the plot at this point. Either you accept that Jigsaw is a mad genius capable of planning his games so far ahead that we're on Saw VI, even though he's been dead since Saw III, or you don't.

It's better to focus on how the filmmakers have tied everything together in a (mostly) logical, coherent manner. It's interesting to go back and watch the previous films to see how seemingly little throwaway bits now come into play. For example, the note that Hoffman leaves for Amanda? I just figured that Saw VI had somewhat awkwardly retconned it into the story. Then I caught the end of Saw IV on cable yesterday, and hey, guess what? There it is. This is the kind of stuff a show like Lost does all the time, but you hardly ever see in movies.

The traps in Saw II are still my favorite (the pit of dirty syringes, and that box Emmanuelle Vaugier sticks her hands into that slices her wrists open, still give me the willies), but these weren't bad. The first one, which I'll discuss more in a moment, is really good, and I liked the carousel, but I think they probably could have come up with something a little better than a shotgun blast to the chest.

The gore is awesome. Really, just great. One of the reasons I enjoy this kind of stuff so much is that I'm actually somewhat squeamish about it, especially anything that involves losing a body part. So the opening sequence, with the guy carving off pieces of his own stomach, and the woman sawing (and eventually hacking) her own arm off, really set my nerves on edge. Initially, I was sort of disappointed that it was all downhill from there in terms of the gross stuff, but I guess there's something to be said for the movie shooting most of its wad with the MPAA right off the bat, as opposed to stretching it out among several watered-down traps.

I suspect that a lot of the people who are raving about Zombieland and Paranormal Activity, likely look down on the Saw films. Which I guess is understandable, seeing as how, like I said, even I haven't been much of a fan over the years. But as far as I'm concerned, Saw VI is better than both those films combined. It's smarter than the former, and more intense than the latter. History will undoubtedly judge the other two films as superior, but the discerning horror fan knows better.

Script: A-
Acting: B+
Gore: A
Overall: A-