Review of Saw II (aka Saw 2)

Introduction

I never saw Saw. Now there`s a horrendous opening sentence. Horror not being my genre of choice, I decided to give it a miss. The trailer`s tagline didn`t help much either, "We`re not supposed to cut the chains, were supposed to cut our foot off!" or words to that effect. I decided to spend my time more productively, having my ears syringed, that sort of thing. My disdain aside, the film was obviously a success, but the first I heard of a sequel was when the disc popped through my letterbox, demanding to be reviewed. This isn`t the first time I`ve been the `winner` of the Reviewer Unlucky dip (the disc that no one wants), so putting my best foot forward, keeping my fingers crossed that it stays attached, I get to see Saw II. Stupid, stupid name for a film!

The film opens with poor Michael, who awakens trapped in a death mask. A video plays, a sinister figure speaks, all he has to do is find the key to the mask and he will live, otherwise the mask will snap shut. It`s just that the key is hidden behind his eyeball. There`s the scalpel and the clock is ticking. The serial killer known as Jigsaw has another plaything. But this is just the opening gambit to a far more disturbing game, as Detective Eric Matthews find out, when he is drawn into the investigation. The police track Jigsaw down to his lair, but despite the fact that they find a cancer stricken, dying man, it`s Jigsaw that holds the high cards. Jigsaw has started a new game, one that unfolds on the video screens that he has set up in his hideout. A new group of victims have been gathered into a room, they`re being dosed with nerve gas and have less than two hours to live. They must play the games, and avoid the traps if they want to find the antidotes and survive. Among them is Eric Matthews` son, Daniel. If he wants to save his son, he`ll have to play a more personal game, face to face with Jigsaw.

Video

Recent film means a clear and sharp 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer. The muted palette suits the dingy feel of the story well, and any grain seems intentional. As you would expect in one of these films, it has that editing style that is now getting very tiresome, plenty of jump cuts and fractured imagery.

Audio

You get a choice between DD 5.1 and DD 2.0 Surround English, with English subtitles. The surround is effective in establishing and enhancing the spooky atmosphere, and there are plenty of squelchy noises in 5.1 splendour. The dialogue is clear if clichéd, and I wasn`t surprised by the death metal track over the end credits.

Features

You get a nice selection of extras with the film, presented with the typical distorted image animated menus, with the tortured soundtrack typical of horror movies. Is it just me, or are the DVD presentations getting just as clichéd as the films themselves?

Prominent is the Director and Cast commentary. Donnie Wahlberg and Beverly Mitchell join Darren Lynn Bousman for the track. It`s a nice commentary, light and humorous, but with a goodly amount of information to impart. It`s sure to be appreciated by fans of the film.

Jigsaw`s Game lasts 3 minutes and in this featurette, the cast and crew introduce the film.

Then follow a set of featurettes that go behind the scenes of the various traps, pitfalls and murderous devices created for the hapless actors who signed on the dotted line. They include, The Head Trap (4 mins), The Needle Pit (9 mins), The Hand Trap (3 mins), and The Furnace (4 mins).

The disc concludes with a set of storyboard comparisons, totalling some 12 minutes. You can examine the Death Mask scene, Jigsaw`s Lair, Needle In A Haystack and The Furnace.

Conclusion

If ever I`ve come to a film with a negative attitude, it`s this one. I went out of my way to avoid the original, and a sequel that appeared hot on the heels of the first just smacked of a cash in. I was torn between putting off watching the disc in the hope that it might just vanish, or just get it out of the way as quickly as possible, like removing a sticking plaster. I sat down expecting to hate the film, to loathe it; I even wanted to loathe it, to give it a roasting of Goodman proportions. So… I wound up enjoying it.

Don`t get me wrong, it`s certainly no masterpiece, and a film starring Donnie Wahlberg is never really going to register on the Movie Star-o-meter. For the record it also stars what`s-her-name from Lost, the bird who got her kit off in Starship Troopers, and the guy who drove that flash car into the water barrels in Speed. The performances are so-so, Wahlberg really can`t carry the film and his worn-down cop almost comes across as a parody. Fortunately, Tobin Bell as Jigsaw exudes enough menace to maintain a sense of uneasiness through the film.

The premise is pretty interesting, asking just what someone is willing to sacrifice to stay alive. But the execution is a little hackneyed and familiar. With the nerve gas affecting all the players, it means plenty of pauses for hacking coughs, followed by meaningful camera angles of blood spatter, indicating just how quickly time is running out. It`s all a little predictable, but if you are comfortable with the horror genre, that sort of predictability can be to the benefit of a film.

The performances are hardly A-list, and I found the same old horror clichés being revisited a little tiresome, but the film is paced well, the twists and turns on the way to the inevitable conclusion are entertaining, and the mind games, traps and torments that the protagonists have to face are devious and dark. The film is saved by its plot, which is well thought out, and never outstays its welcome. And one of the high points of a film like this is watching all the stupid people die. It`s like a lethal version of The Crystal Maze, all that`s missing is Richard O`Brien. Saw II is bad, but in a good way. If you like this sort of thing, then it`s well worth a rent.