Saw Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: Two men awaken to find themselves trapped in a room with their feet chained to pipes. How will they ever escape?!

Review: Ahh, it's times like this I wish I did video reviews, because I've probably said "GAME OVER!" like fifty or more times while writing this. Although, I'd imagine that would get annoying extremely quickly. Anyway...now we come to the infamous "Saw" franchise--many love it, many hate it, but none can deny its influence and success. My feelings on the franchise are mixed to say the least. It's hard to discuss this franchise without critics mentioning "torture porn," but the series didn't always start out that way. Another thing that I often hear is "part one was good, but the rest sucked." I have to humbly disagree, and I would question whether or not anyone making that claim ever even watched the sequels. I think part 1 is probably the second weakest entry, 2-4 are the highlights, 5 is the worst, and 6 and 7 are merely meh. I understand I'm of the minority opinion, but a lot of people talking the most trash appear delusional or confused about a great many aspects of the franchise; the sequels certainly receive far more hatred than they deserve. I will explore why I feel this way as I go along, so, without further ado, let's get into this.

A quick overview of the plot is in order I believe. Essentially, Jigsaw is a semi-serial killer who abducts people and puts them in traps to test their desire to survive. While the idea is that the victim betters themselves from the experience, or fails to survive, the franchise plays fast and loose with this concept. In the first entry, you have Dr. Gordon and Adam chained to pipes while other pawns are in play for the "game." As the film unfolds, you have many twists and turns regarding who is the true Jigsaw. Eventually, Dr. Gordon decides to cut off his foot to free himself of the shackle as he believes it's the only feasible way to escape. The film ends with the revelation that the real Jigsaw killer was in the room all along, playing dead, and he leaves Adam to die. Game over, bitch! That really should have been the tagline.

Like usual, I'll go over what works first. Obviously, the originality at the time was commendable. They take the urban legend of waking up in a bathtub to another level while adding a layer of mystery that is genuinely intriguing. As such, the mystery has numerous twists, both large and small, as we discover what led to the characters' predicament. For the most part, they present these plot elements well enough; the pacing certainly helps in this regard. The core concept behind Jigsaw as a killer is creative, and the use of traps creates endless potential. More so, Jigsaw is an interesting character when compared to the hordes of forgettable slasher villains. I will mention, however, the whole "he's technically never killed anyone" is utter bullshit. So if I throw you in water handcuffed, what, it was the pool that killed you? Come the fuck on. Anyway, I've always appreciated the lighting and cinematography in this franchise, and this film set that dingy tone perfectly. Billy and the pig costume are both creepy, and the designs are memorable and help to embody the franchise. Finally, the chick playing Dr. Gordon's mistress, Alexandra Chun, is exceptionally cute, but, unfortunately she never had another acting role of significance nor came back in the sequels; that was definitely a missed opportunity.

7.8/10  Too much Asian -IGN

As for this film's faults...they are aplenty. The first "Saw" is easily one of the most contrived movies in existence. And before you think it, the sequels are nowhere near as contrived. Sure, they are far-fetched as fuck, but they have about the usual number of contrivances I'd expect. What's the difference? Jigsaw plotting more kills after his death is far-fetched. Adam losing his key (that Jigsaw had no reason to give him) in the tub is a contrivance. Jigsaw relying on Adam to reach the tape player to keep the story rolling is a contrivance. Adam finding the clue on the photo in Dr. Gordon's wallet is a contrivance. See the difference? Believe me, I could list the contrivances all day--that's only a small taste. There are full blown plot holes as well like Jigsaw taking a little nap on the ground for hours on end yet he's dying of cancer. Yes, I know, the sequels explain this away, but this movie needs to stand on its story, does it not? This ending is undeniably preposterous, in every manner of the word, without the context of the sequels. Something that I can't stand throughout the franchise as a whole are those ADHD, seizure-inducing quick edits. Please, for the love of Rika, stop. That's like a half point off of every movie right there. The acting is shoddy at times especially when Cary Elwes starts to overact and ham it up by the end. Come on, man, I know you can do better than this! I mean, he's playing a damn surgeon--you'd think he'd know a thing about remaining calm and how idiotic it would be to cut off his foot. Plus, I hate how he does that whole fake-sounding voice when talking to his wife. You know what I'm talking about, right? Like, one minute a guy is talking normal but then gets this soft, "hello, I'm whipped" bitch-boy voice when talking to his girlfriend or spouse or whatever. Oh, come on, I know you know what I'm talking about! I don't hold that against the film...just wanted to point it out.

Am I being overly critical? Perhaps, but I never really liked this movie. It was, more or less, a combination of part 2 and 3 that finally got me excited about the franchise. There are way too many flaws, contrivances, and amateur errors for me to give bonus points simply for being part 1. Does that mean this movie sucks? Of course not. There are plenty of positives to appreciate especially in regards to the creativity in the plot and killer. Also, considering the film's budget, the technical fronts are downright admirable. I just feel as though the sequels' attempts to fill in the gaps are the reason why people look back more favorably on the first installment--ignoring many of the glaring flaws. I, on the other hand, still view the film's problems from the perspective as if it were a standalone entry. The film is decent, but it's not quite good.

Notable Moment: When Adam is abducted. This is probably the only legitimate scare in the entire franchise.

Final Rating: 5.5/10