Jigsaw is a movie I've been waiting a long time for. After Saw 7 or Saw: "The Final Chapter" I was seriously let down. It did a terrible job bringing the series to a close and so obviously I was unsatisfied. JIgsaw doesn't necessarily cure this because we don't get to see Dr. Gordon even though he was established as an apprentice. Outside of a view small references and JIgsaw himself, of course, this new installment is made up of completely new characters.
However, I highly enjoyed this film even if it misses what Saw truly is. The filmmakers were clearly trying to go more psychological with this one but they missed the point. The plot of Saw is intertwined with its traps and psychological elements. The best example in this is with the Saw 6 health care plot. The traps were symbolic of what William was doing and what he had to go through directly correlates with the physiological elements. Most of the traps in this film were mild and didn't correlate with the psychological elements. The majority of the Saw films have great plot lines but critics and audiences alike are too grossed out to think about anything else than the gore or what the gore means. The new Saw film just simply doesn't understand that.
This film also doesn't have the look of previous Saw films. It's higher definition and while some may like that I think it makes it lose its personality and just look like any other movie. All the fast-paced editing and spinning camera has been ripped from the movie which also bothered me. If you're going to rip away all this style, replace it with something different, which they didn't.
So why am I giving this an 7 out of 10. It's still an enjoyable Saw film. I love the mystery that surrounds the film with the question if Jigsaw has somehow come back from the dead. The idea of having to confess was also genius. All of the characters did something awful and they weren't able to admit to the fact that they did it. Laura Vandervoort character is the best example of it. She did something awful and then convinced herself it was her husband's fault.
The twist, while being a bit redundant of Saw 2, was well done. Also, the key being in the bullet was cleaver. She could have saved them both but instead, wasted the bullet in fear. The same fear when she suffocated her baby. John Kramer had clearly stated to balance the situation. Two wrongs don't make a right.
I am a bit worried about the new apprentice taking over. He just doesn't seem like he's going to be that interesting. Costas Mandylor's Mark Hoffman may not have been the most fleshed out character but he had presence. This new guy doesn't seem to have that. Only time will tell if he is good or not but I can't help but feel worried.
I hope in the next installment they bring back the original look and style. Mentioning previous films would be great as well. What happened to Dr. Gordon. Why did he become an apprentice? What happened to his family? What about Hoffman? Did he escape or is he dead? I don't think ignoring the previous films is the right direction to go on. They should use them to continue to build the story.
Overall, I highly enjoyed this film even it misses what Saw truly is. It's not as good as Saw 1,2,3 or 6 but I'd say it's definitely better than the others. As a Saw fan, I am quite pleased with this film and I hope this film does well l so there will be more Saw films to come.
However, I highly enjoyed this film even if it misses what Saw truly is. The filmmakers were clearly trying to go more psychological with this one but they missed the point. The plot of Saw is intertwined with its traps and psychological elements. The best example in this is with the Saw 6 health care plot. The traps were symbolic of what William was doing and what he had to go through directly correlates with the physiological elements. Most of the traps in this film were mild and didn't correlate with the psychological elements. The majority of the Saw films have great plot lines but critics and audiences alike are too grossed out to think about anything else than the gore or what the gore means. The new Saw film just simply doesn't understand that.
This film also doesn't have the look of previous Saw films. It's higher definition and while some may like that I think it makes it lose its personality and just look like any other movie. All the fast-paced editing and spinning camera has been ripped from the movie which also bothered me. If you're going to rip away all this style, replace it with something different, which they didn't.
So why am I giving this an 7 out of 10. It's still an enjoyable Saw film. I love the mystery that surrounds the film with the question if Jigsaw has somehow come back from the dead. The idea of having to confess was also genius. All of the characters did something awful and they weren't able to admit to the fact that they did it. Laura Vandervoort character is the best example of it. She did something awful and then convinced herself it was her husband's fault.
The twist, while being a bit redundant of Saw 2, was well done. Also, the key being in the bullet was cleaver. She could have saved them both but instead, wasted the bullet in fear. The same fear when she suffocated her baby. John Kramer had clearly stated to balance the situation. Two wrongs don't make a right.
I am a bit worried about the new apprentice taking over. He just doesn't seem like he's going to be that interesting. Costas Mandylor's Mark Hoffman may not have been the most fleshed out character but he had presence. This new guy doesn't seem to have that. Only time will tell if he is good or not but I can't help but feel worried.
I hope in the next installment they bring back the original look and style. Mentioning previous films would be great as well. What happened to Dr. Gordon. Why did he become an apprentice? What happened to his family? What about Hoffman? Did he escape or is he dead? I don't think ignoring the previous films is the right direction to go on. They should use them to continue to build the story.
Overall, I highly enjoyed this film even it misses what Saw truly is. It's not as good as Saw 1,2,3 or 6 but I'd say it's definitely better than the others. As a Saw fan, I am quite pleased with this film and I hope this film does well l so there will be more Saw films to come.