Saw 3D

If this really was the last Saw film (and honestly, after this one, I'm kind of hoping it is), they didn't go out on a high note, but at least they managed to stay consistent. You know how for 20 years, it was all but a scientifically proven fact that the even numbered Star Trek films were good, and the odd numbered ones were bad? Then came Star Trek: Nemesis, the tenth film, and it was terrible, thus ruining one of the few dependable truisms in the world.

With the Saw series, the odd numbered films were also bad, and the even numbered ones were also good. The good news is, Saw 3D keeps the streak going. The bad news is, Saw 3D is an odd numbered entry.

Spoilers follow...

Saw VI wasn't just good, it was arguably the best film in the whole series. So when the writers sat down to do the script for Saw 3D, you can't blame them for thinking, "Hey, let's pretty much just do the same story we did last time.": A guy who unknowingly crossed Jigsaw in the past wakes up in a maze and encounters people he knows, who have also been captured and put into death traps.

Last time, this worked on several levels. First and foremost, it was fun (and more than a little cathartic) to see William, the sleazy insurance executive, get what was coming to him just as this country was right in the middle of the health care debate. The fact that you still sort of felt for him is a great testament to Peter Outerbridge's acting. Second, the traps were entertaining. Especially the carousel of death. Finally, it had a great twist at the end that I didn't see coming.

It also felt like the game with William was what the whole series had been leading up to, as John Kramer finally got revenge on the guy who had cost him his life. As a result, this thing with Bobby and his fake book, almost seemed like a pointless epilogue. And even though it's gotten more and more absurd that Jigsaw continued being a presence in the series despite having been dead since the third film, it would have been nice if they'd figured out how to do more with Tobin Bell than just one really brief flashback.

The traps were okay, but given that this was the final film, mostly a letdown. I liked the opening trap with the saws, and having to pull the key out of his publicist's stomach by a string was nice. But seven films in, it feels like we should be well beyond a simple hanging or having to pull out of couple of your own teeth.

Here was my biggest problem, though: In the beginning, we discover that Cary Elwes's character from the very first Saw actually survived. And then he shows up at the Jigsaw survivors' meeting. Then totally disappears. Throughout the film, I was wondering, "Hey, where did Cary Elwes go?" So when he pulls off the mask at the end, there was no surprise whatsoever. Which is a shame, because if it had been done better--especially if the studio had kept it under wraps that Elwes was even returning-- it would have been a great twist. The revelation that it had been Dr. Gordon who had been supplying Jigsaw with his surgical skills this whole time, was fantastic. But the whole thing was telegraphed horribly.

The less said about the 3-D, the better. I actually can't even recall a moment in the film where it was even utilized. I mean, I'm sure there were a couple of scenes where stuff flew off the screen, but nothing springs to mind. I had the option of seeing this in either 2-D or 3-D, but felt obligated to see the 3-D version to find out if it delivered everything that was promised. Yeah, I'm a rube.

Given that Saw 3D doubled its budget in its first weekend, I doubt that this really is the last film in the series. It'd be nice if they took a couple of years off, and approached it with a totally new direction. No more Kramer. No more Hoffman. Maybe bring Cary Elwes back. But it definitely needs a new angle than just a series of traps and an increasingly convoluted backstory.

Script: D
Acting: D+
Gore: A+
Overall: D+