This ain't no Seven, folks...!

Rating: 5/10 (6 June 2005)

When a film claims to be the best psychological thriller since 'Silence of the Lambs' and 'Seven', it's gotta man up and deliver. That's a damn bold claim, and Saw, while trying hard, doesn't quite get there. The film starts out promisingly enough, with two men chained in an old bathroom. They are the latest prisoners of the "Jigsaw" killer, who sets elaborate puzzles for his victims, basically pushing them to see what they would be willing to do to survive. On the killer's trail is a cop who wants to avenge his partner, a victim of the killer. As the film wears on we find out more about the characters and their personal lives and why they were targeted by the killer, who sees himself as a giver of life lessons, however sick they are! As I say, the film starts out promisingly but becomes clichÃ©d and silly. In the end entertaining but a pretty average effort.